Doga – doing yoga with your dog
I did yoga a few years ago but if the philosophy of this discipline appealed to me, I did not manage to appropriate it on a daily basis… Little by little, I gave up. For some time now, I have been hearing about “doga”: making yoga with your dog. I read a few things here and there on this new activity to share with your dog. As it's the height of the holidays, I think it's the perfect time to start a new activity with your dog. Everyone is relaxed, it's time to experiment with new things to add a new activity to the back-to-school schedule that will allow you to enjoy your dog and strengthen your bond. Wow Good! I wanted to know more so I decided to interview a doga practitioner: Andreea!
Let me introduce you to Andreea who agreed to tell me more about the doga she practices with her two dogs, Whiskey and Loulou. Andreea is a dog and sports lover. She has two dogs: Whiskey, a border collie 5-year-old hyperactive soon and Loulou a French Bulldog 3 years old, in love with her sofa. She gave them little nicknames that made me laugh: Whiskey is the lieutenant of the Hundred Sheep Army and Loulou is the whoopee cushion!
She and her husband adopted Whiskey because they wanted a dog that could follow them in their activities: a dog full of energy, tough and above all intelligent. A sporty dog! Her husband knew this breed well because he had one as a child and Andreea loved the character of sheepdogs. So the border collie was kind of an obvious choice. For the bulldog, it was a crack on his part 😀 They had a cat, picked up from the street, but she was very old and when she left them, Whiskey was alone and sad to have lost his playmate. So they thought it would be nice to have a permanent friend for Whiskey and grow together. They wanted another cat. A second dog was out of the question at that time…. Loulou, the bulldog, came into their lives somewhat by chance. They were in the countryside for the weekend and a friend took them to see her uncle's German shepherd farm. He had several breeds, including bulldogs, and one puppy's story touched her deeply. She was an only daughter (like Andreea), the last litter of a female dog who was about to retire. Unfortunately, she had a heart problem. The breeder hadn't found anyone who wanted to adopt this little bit with his worries of the heart. She was going to have to be euthanized. Andreea therefore called her husband from the road, telling him that she wasn't coming home empty-handed 😀 Impossible for her not to give this cutie a little chance to live... Andreea is not a big fan of small dogs Basically, but the bulldog made him melt quickly with his cheerful little clown character, his ability to cuddle all day long and his funny little face.
Now that you know everything about Andreea and her four-legged family, let's get to the heart of the matter: the doga. Through this interview, you will learn a lot about this new activity to do with your dog. I hope this will make you want to get started….
What is doga?
Doga is simply do yoga with a dog (dog in English). It is a sporting and spiritual activity that brings a lot of happiness to its practitioners and strengthens the bond between man and animal.
Not yet very well known in France, this activity which comes to us from the United States is very popular on the other side of the Atlantic, several gyms already offer this type of course there! They are lucky to be able to do yoga with their dog.
Yoga: a dog-friendly sport
I have always played sports with my dogs. They have always felt concerned by what I do 😀 In my garden, as soon as they see me take out a sports mat, they are by my side. To lick my face while I'm doing push-ups, to go between my legs when I'm doing squats, to jump with me when I'm jumping rope. Sometimes I have fun taking them in my arms or on my shoulders, like weights, and that amuses them a lot.
One day, a friend told me that it resembled a discipline called doga. So I learned about this activity and I really liked it.
I had already tested the yoga all alone but without much success… I can't stay still and gentle activities frustrate me more than anything else. But sharing a moment of tranquility with my dogs, I love that so I got back to it thanks to them.
The best place to practice yoga remains, from my point of view, where you feel the best and for me this place is my garden with my dogs. It allows me to feel comfortable and relaxed enough to control my breathing, which is easier said than done.
Dogs are real emotional sponges, they sense when their master is agitated and when he is calm and, most of the time, they adopt the same attitude.
Mine are real electric batteries by default. Moments of calm are rare and I have found that when my heart rate drops because I am focused and relaxed during a yoga or stretching session, they are calmer too. And it feels good. So I thought that if I gradually integrate them into my routine, it could soothe them too. And it works quite well!
I often watch doga videos on Youtube and try to practice the poses at home. Books are also a good source of inspiration and information on this still poorly exploited subject, in particular those of Mahny Djahanguiri (book in English).
Equipment for your dog
That's the beauty of doga, you don't need anything other than his good humor and the desire to spend time together, otherwise. And for humans, a yoga mat is welcome. Otherwise feet in the grass, that's fine too.
Like any activity that we share, doga helps to build a deeper relationship based on mutual trust. I feel closer to my dogs since we have fun together taking completely improbable poses and laughing.
I think my favorite part is the bond you develop with your dog. We learn to trust each other and that strengthens the bonds.
There are no rules in doga and I love that. The dog is free to participate, to let it go or to go away, to sleep or to be manipulated.
We often forget in the practice of yoga to have fun above all. The doga does not take itself seriously, the goal is to have a good time.
Doga: for all dogs?
Definitely. Small dogs (finally light dogs) are more easily manipulated in certain postures, but nothing is impossible. Above all, doga is fun and relaxation. It's made for everyone, dogs and masters alike.
Personally, I do not integrate rewards into the practice of doga, because for me it is completely different from dressage. We spend a moment of complicity and exchange with the dog, he must do it because he wants to, not because he is in a learning approach.
Doga is even recommended for dogs that are injured or elderly. This practice is gentle, it involves a lot of massage, light stretching and sometimes big dodos. Above all, do not disturb the dog if he decides that he wants to sleep during a session.
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I don't know about you dear Wouafer's but it made me want to take out my old yoga mat, launch a Zen music playlist and try a little session with Musher. I watched some videos on the net to spot some postures, there's more! I'm even going to complicate things a bit by testing a session on my stand up paddle with my dog. I'll tell you all about it soon...
I would like to thank Andreea who shared her beautiful doga experience with her darlings and her beautiful photos. I had fun interviewing him and discovering his little 4-legged family! If you want to know more about them, I advise you to take a look at their blog (runwithurdog.com) where Whiskey and Loulou share their moods and/or follow their Instagram account @runwithurdog where you will discover very nice photos of these 3 athletes!
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