Does breathwork actually calm my dog?

Our pet pup is basically my furry shadow. Whether I’m working at my desk or moving around the house, he’s right by my side. While he’s the sweetest companion, he can be a bit reactive. For example, the doorbell rings and suddenly I’m living with a tiny, fluffy alarm system.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

I’ve been noticing that as I do my guided breathwork, Cinminsky also gets chilled out.

Like, really chilled out.

His breathing slows down. He curls up into this perfect little cinnamon roll and melts into calm mode.

Now, this doesn’t happen when I do yoga. Yoga Cinminsky sees it as an opportunity to squeeze in and practice with enthusiastic face licks.

But breathwork? Breathwork turns him into a meditation master.

Is this actually a thing?

Naturally, I had to Google this. Turns out, researchers have actually studied this and found that both humans and their pups benefit from shared meditation experiences. Dogs monitor our breathing, heart rate, and emotional state way more than we realize.

The science behind it

Studies show that being around dogs can lower stress hormones and boost feel-good chemicals like oxytocin. It goes both ways. When I breathe intentionally and my nervous system shifts into relaxed mode, our pup feels that energy shift. Dogs can sense changes in vibration and energy, so we’re basically tuning into the same calm frequency.

But why not yoga?

The difference seems to be about attention and energy. During yoga, I’m moving. My focus is scattered between poses and breathing. He reads this as “human is active and available for interaction.”

During breathwork, especially guided sessions, I’m completely still and genuinely present. When I’m in that calm, focused state, he can feel it and join me there.

Try it yourself

If you want to see if your dog picks up on your calm energy too, here’s what’s been working for us:

• Find your spot: Choose somewhere you both naturally relax. Let your dog settle however they want.
• Try guided breathwork: There are so many apps and free meditations online. Focus on your own breathing and let them pick up on your energy naturally.
• Make it routine: Cinniminsky now knows that when I grab my phone and settle into position, it’s chillaxing time.
• Don’t overthink it: Some dogs might curl up next to you, others might watch from across the room. Both are totally fine.

The bottom line

What I love about this discovery is seeing how much our energy affects our pets.

Does breathwork help pets? In my sample size of one very loving cavapoo, absolutely yes. And it’s given me extra motivation to keep up with my own practice.