The puppy yoga craze is spreading to several venues across Kent.

Classes see participants work out surrounded by tiny Toy Poodles, Dachshunds, French Bulldogs and Pugs.

Happy Puppy Yoga, run by Katie Tulip, is launching tomorrow (April 22) for those excited to book a place on next month’s first set of classes.

The 33-year-old from Strood has been a wedding videographer for the past seven years, but says recently the industry has become a lot slower.

She said: “I’ve had a bit of time on my hands, and I had taken part in puppy yoga before but found it was mostly London based.

“It’s more expensive to get there at the moment with train prices and ULEZ.

“I started off doing a bit of research, looked into breeders and it went from there.

“I set everything up in about a month – it’s gone quite quickly.”

Katie believes she is among the first to bring the trendy new activity to Kent, noting that the nearest class she went to was in Sidcup.

“After my initial post on social media everyone was getting really excited,” she added.

“The puppies do jump on people, they are a bit crazy!

“We have already done a trial class and my cheeks were sore from smiling.”

‘The puppies do jump on people, they are a bit crazy!’

Sessions will involve a number of beginner yoga poses taught by a professional, mixed in with time to play and take pictures with the puppies.

Katie says it is a fun way to de-stress, relieve anxiety, and improve your overall well-being.

She said: “Looking into it a bit more, there are studies showing how animals have a calming effect.

“The yoga part can be a bit daunting, but this is perfect for newbies.

“People can feel free to stop doing yoga at points and just have a cuddle with them.”

“Personally I’m a huge dog lover, but I can't have one for various reasons,” she added.

“So it is great for people who don’t have animals or those who have older dogs but miss puppies.

“You can experience it without actually owning one or committing.”

Not only are there benefits for those taking part, but also for the pets too.

“It helps the dogs with early socialisation,” Katie explained.

‘It is great for people who don’t have animals or those who have older dogs but miss puppies...’

“They get to meet new people, explore new places and get away from mum for a little while.”

The first hour-long classes will be held in two weeks time, at studios in Maidstone (Sunday, May 7), Rochester (Monday, May 8) and Penshurst, near Tonbridge (Tuesday, May 9).

It will involve a safety briefing on how to handle the puppies, as well as a 10 to 15 minute warm up and then 40 minutes of yoga and puppy interaction.

There will even be someone on standby to clear up any unfortunate accidents, with Katie saying it will “100% happen, as they are only just starting to be potty trained”.

“We aim to bring in around seven pups,” she said. “It’s hard to predict as it depends on the litter, and some will get sold before the classes.

“It helps as then they know each other and are from the same breeder.

“We currently have Toy poodles, Dachshunds, French Bulldogs and Pugs. I’m also chatting with local breeders who also have Dalmatians and Cockapoos.”

It costs £30pp, with around 15 to 20 people taking part per session. If you want to find out more, click here.

Katie says she is already looking to expand to new locations in the future.

She added: “I'm really excited to start this, I love dogs – I’m totally obsessed.

“Much of it is different to what I am used to, but running my own business previously has helped.

“I now plan on doing a bit of both, I have a few weddings booked this year that I will run alongside each other.”