Puppy Yoga may look like an hour of yoga, cuddles and laughter. But for our foster puppies, that hour is only a tiny part of a much bigger story.
When people hear the words Puppy Yoga, they usually imagine something very simple.
Yoga mats. A room full of adorable puppies. Cuddles, laughter and probably far more photos than actual yoga.
And yes, those moments exist at Puppy Yoga Retreat too.
But there is one question that changes the whole picture:
Where do the puppies come from — and why are they there?
Our puppies are not brought in because we need puppies for a yoga class.
They are rescue and foster puppies who need somewhere safe to stay while they prepare for the next chapter of their lives.
They live with us.
We feed them, clean up after them, organise veterinary appointments, give medication when they need it, help them become comfortable around people and work together with rescue organisations until they are ready to move on.
Puppy Yoga is only a very small part of that story.
And for us, that difference matters.
Our Puppies Are Foster Puppies First
Before they ever walk across a yoga mat, our puppies are simply puppies in foster care.
Some arrive confident and curious. Others are more cautious.
Some immediately want to be close to people, while others need time to understand that they are safe.
Some come from shelters. Some have been abandoned. And some have already experienced far more uncertainty in their short lives than any puppy should.
Our first responsibility is therefore not to create a nice experience for visitors.
It is to give the puppies what they need.
A safe place.
Food and rest.
Medical care.
Routine and kindness.
And time.
If they are old enough, healthy enough and comfortable being around people, they may also spend time with our guests.
But the puppies are never here for the yoga.
The yoga happens because the puppies are already here.
What You Don’t See Behind Puppy Yoga
When guests meet our puppies, they usually see the nicest part of fostering.
A puppy climbing onto a yoga mat. Someone laughing because a tiny dog has stolen a sock. Cuddles in the garden. A puppy falling asleep on somebody's lap.
What they usually do not see are all the hours that happen around those moments.
A young rescue puppy needs a surprising amount of care before being ready for adoption.
There are usually several veterinary visits during those first months.
Vaccinations need to be organised. Puppies need to be microchipped, dewormed and treated for parasites. Blood tests and health checks may be required, and their medical requirements have to be completed before they are ready for adoption and, where relevant, travel.
And that is when everything goes according to plan.
With very young puppies coming from a shelter environment, illness is unfortunately not unusual.
Then an extra veterinary appointment can suddenly become several. There may be medication to give, symptoms to monitor and a lot of worry about a puppy who seemed perfectly happy the day before.
At Puppy Yoga Retreat, we organise and attend many of these veterinary appointments ourselves.
It is simply part of fostering them.
And then there is everything that happens at home.
Feeding.
Washing blankets.
Cleaning floors and beds.
Giving medication.
Checking that everyone has eaten.
Watching health and behaviour.
And, inevitably, cleaning again.
We have also fostered puppies who were far too young to meet any of our guests.
Nobody attending Puppy Yoga ever saw them.
But behind the scenes, those puppies could take up almost the entire day.
They still needed feeding, cleaning, attention, care and someone constantly keeping an eye on them.
The yoga session might be the hour our guests see. The fostering happens the other twenty-three.
Helping a Rescue Puppy Means More Than Cuddling
Of course, cuddles are lovely.
But caring for a rescue puppy means much more than providing affection.
For many young dogs, this period of foster care is also a chance to learn about normal life.
They meet different people. They hear different voices. They experience household noises. They learn what gentle hands feel like.
They discover that new people do not always have to be scary.
A puppy who is eventually going to live with a family needs to feel comfortable in a world full of unfamiliar people, places and situations.
Positive experiences can help build that confidence.
And this is one of the reasons our guests can become a small part of the puppies' journeys too.
For a visitor, it may simply feel like sitting in the garden with a puppy.
For the puppy, it can be another experience of meeting a kind person and discovering that the world is safe.
That makes those small moments feel very different.
But the Puppy Always Comes First
There is an important condition to all of this.
The interaction has to be good for the puppy too.
A puppy is not a wellness accessory.
It is not there to complete somebody's Instagram photo.
It is a young animal with its own personality, energy level and boundaries.
Some puppies love meeting everyone. Some need more time.
Some want to play for an hour. Others want ten minutes of attention and then disappear somewhere quiet to sleep.
And sometimes a puppy is simply not ready to be around visitors at all.
That is okay.
The puppy does not have to participate because an activity has been scheduled.
If a puppy is too young, unwell, overwhelmed, tired or simply needs space, that is more important than Puppy Yoga.
The experience should fit around the puppies — not the puppies around the experience.
Working Together With Rescue Organisations
Fostering a rescue puppy also means being part of a much bigger team.
We work closely with the rescue organisations responsible for the puppies, and there is often a great deal happening behind the scenes before a puppy finally reaches a new family.
Once an adoption and travel plan are arranged, everything has to be coordinated.
We need to know when the puppy will travel and make sure the necessary veterinary requirements are completed beforehand.
Before flying, there is usually a final veterinary appointment for the required Fit-to-Fly check and relevant travel documents.
Then come all the practical questions.
- Who organises the transport crate?
- Who collects it?
- Who takes the puppy to the airport?
- What time does the puppy need to be there?
- Who is responsible for each part of the journey?
Most of the times the rescue organisation arranges these things. Sometimes we do.
Very often, it is a combination of both.
And long before the journey begins, there is another very important part of fostering:
Helping the rescue organisation and future adopters really get to know the puppy.
Helping to Find the Right Home
We spend every day with the puppies.
That means we get to know much more than what they look like in a photograph.
We start to understand their personalities.
Is this puppy confident or cautious? Does she immediately run towards new people or prefer to watch first? Is he independent? Does she love cuddles? How does the puppy behave around other dogs or unfamiliar situations?
These details matter when somebody is choosing to adopt a dog.
So we take photos and videos.
We send updates.
We describe personalities and changes we notice.
Because adoption should not simply be about finding a home.
The goal is to help find a home that suits that particular puppy.
And sometimes, that connection happens much closer than expected.
Over the years, several visitors who first met one of our foster puppies during an event or retreat have ended up finding their new family member here.
They came for Puppy Yoga, Coffee, Cake & Cuddles or simply to spend some time with the puppies — and left having met a dog they could not stop thinking about.
Of course, an emotional moment alone is never enough for an adoption. The rescue organisation still needs to make sure that the home is suitable and that the puppy and future family are a good match.
But it is incredibly special when a first cuddle at one of our events becomes the beginning of a much bigger story.
Sometimes we get to watch that journey from the very first meeting all the way to the day the puppy finally goes home.
A cute photograph may make somebody fall in love.
But understanding the dog behind that photograph is what helps create an adoption that lasts.
What Happens When a Puppy Finally Leaves?
By the time one of our foster puppies is ready to leave, there may have been weeks or months of care behind that moment.
Vet appointments.
Vaccinations.
Cleaning and care.
Socialisation.
Photos and videos.
Messages and paperwork.
Travel arrangements.
And eventually, one final journey to the airport.
Our guests may see the emotional goodbye.
What they usually do not see is everything that had to happen to make that goodbye possible.
And although saying goodbye is often difficult, it is also the reason fostering exists.
The goal was never for the puppy to stay with us forever.
The goal was to help her reach the point where she no longer needs us.
A family is waiting.
And another puppy somewhere may soon need the foster space she leaves behind.
If you would like to see what that next chapter can look like, read Oscar's journey from rescue puppy in Cyprus to his forever home in Germany.
So, Is Puppy Yoga Ethical?
There is no useful answer to that question without looking at how Puppy Yoga is done.
Simply putting puppies into a room with people does not automatically tell you whether their welfare is being protected.
The important questions are different.
- Where did the puppies come from?
- Why are they there?
- What happens to them when the session ends?
- Do they have somewhere quiet to sleep?
- Can they walk away from people?
- Are their health and developmental needs taken seriously?
- Does their wellbeing come before the experience offered to visitors?
Those are the questions that matter to us.
Our puppies have a life before Puppy Yoga begins and a life after it ends.
The yoga class is only one small moment in between.
Puppy Yoga Can Be More Than a Cute Experience
There is no denying that spending an hour around puppies is adorable.
We love watching our guests laugh when a puppy climbs onto their yoga mat.
We love seeing someone arrive slightly nervous and twenty minutes later find themselves sitting on the floor with a puppy asleep in their arms.
But for us, the most meaningful part is knowing that there is a bigger story behind those moments.
The puppy you are cuddling may have started life in a shelter.
She may still have veterinary appointments ahead of her.
Someone may already be waiting to adopt her.
Or perhaps we are still taking photos and learning about her personality so that the rescue organisation can help find the right family.
You are meeting her somewhere in the middle of that journey.
And even though your time together may be short, you can still become a tiny part of her story.
You give her another positive experience with a human.
Another gentle pair of hands.
Another reason to learn that people can be kind.
And she gives something back too.
A laugh. A little trust. A warm body asleep on your lap. A reminder to stop rushing for a moment.
That is what Puppy Yoga means to us.
Not puppies being brought in for an activity.
But people being welcomed into the lives of puppies who are already being cared for.
Want to Experience a Different Kind of Puppy Yoga?
At Puppy Yoga Retreat in Cyprus, our rescue puppies do not arrive for a class and disappear when it ends.
For the time they are in our care, they are part of our everyday lives.
And during your retreat, you become part of that world too.
You may practise yoga with them nearby.
You may play with them in the garden.
You may watch one become more confident during the week.
And perhaps you will be the person a slightly shy puppy decides to trust.
Our guests come for yoga, sunshine, rest and puppy cuddles.
But many leave understanding that there is much more happening behind those cuddles than they first realised.
Come meet our foster puppies, slow down with us in Cyprus and become a small part of their journey towards a future home.
