These Dogs Are Better At Yoga Than All Of Us

It's not enough for the athletic people of the world to be better at yoga than you, now their dogs can do it, too. Dog trainer Dai Aoki has taught his dogs to do yoga, according to the Independent, and it's so cool that I can't even be jealous. All "downward dog" jokes aside, Aoki is training his border collies to do some pretty advanced poses, including some that I still haven't mastered after practicing yoga for an embarrassingly long time. In my defense... actually, there's really no excuse, I'm just shockingly uncoordinated. Aoki's YouTube channel, Positive Dog Care, is devoted to sharing his adventures in training his two dogs, Holly and Ace, although he prefers not to frame it that way. "I actually don’t really use the word 'training' – we are just having a good time together and learning new things," he told Puppy Tales. The trainer only uses positive reinforcement, and clearly, his methods are working. According to Puppy Tales, Ace was named Australia's Smartest Dog last year, and a video of the two border collies playing a ball game has more than 37,000 views. In addition to typical tricks such as playing dead and catching objects, Aoki's channel features the dogs as they learn acrobatics that look like they belong in a Cirque du Soleil show.

In addition to handstands and "ninja squats," there are several videos of the dogs "sitting pretty," in which they perch on increasingly physics-defying areas of Aoki's body. One clip shows both dogs sitting on Aoki's oustretched leg, three feet above the ground, and in another, Holly balances on Aoki's foot as he holds his leg in the air.

Does this mean we'll see dog shows adding a yoga component? Probably not, but I can't be the only one who desperately wants to see a Pomeranian doing a handstand now.

Check out a few of the videos below, and to see more, head over to the Positive Dog Care YouTube channel or Instagram.

Images: Positive Dog Care/YouTube (3)