The sweet video of an Australian Shepherd doing yoga with her owner features Secret and Mary Peters performing a trained, synchronized routine of yoga-like behaviors. Secret uses a mat and follows Peters through positions including downward dog. The clip is best understood as positive-reinforcement training and “doga,” not spontaneous human yoga by a dog.
The video became widely shared in May 2021, when reports recorded different historical view totals on different platforms. Its appeal comes from the apparent teamwork between Secret and Peters—and from how much patient training sits behind a few polished seconds of footage.
Key takeaways
- Secret is a female Australian Shepherd trained by Mary Peters, her owner and handler.
- The viral clip shows a synchronized, trained routine that includes yoga-like positions such as downward dog; it does not establish that Secret is practicing human yoga in a medical or spiritual sense.
- The activity is commonly called “doga,” a dog-and-owner yoga or yoga-like practice.
- Daily Paws reported more than 3 million views in 2021, while The Indian Express reported more than 1 million Twitter views; both figures were historical publication-time counts, not current totals.
- Secret’s performance reflects years of positive-reinforcement training and an unusually close handler relationship, not a standard that every Australian Shepherd can reproduce.
What is the sweet video of an Australian Shepherd doing yoga with its owner?
The sweet video of an Australian Shepherd doing yoga with her owner features Secret and Mary Peters moving through a series of synchronized, yoga-like positions. Secret appears to use her own mat, follows Peters’ movements, and performs recognizable behaviors including downward dog. Reports describe the routine as trained cooperation rather than spontaneous human-style yoga.
The clip circulated widely in May 2021 after versions were shared across social platforms. The exact view total depends on the platform and the date of the report, so old figures should not be presented as a live count. Wide Open Spaces’ account of Secret and Peters also identifies the routine as the product of their established training relationship.
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Who is Secret the yoga dog?
Secret is a female Australian Shepherd owned and trained by Mary Peters. Peters began posting about Secret on Instagram in 2015, when Peters was a homeschooled teenager in Bellingham, Washington. The account associated with the pair is @my_aussie_gal, according to the reporting collected around the viral clip.
Daily Paws reported that Peters told Newsweek she had been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum and had spent a year training Secret as a service dog for her. That is Peters’ personal account as relayed through secondary reporting; it should not be expanded into a claim about medical outcomes, disability support, or Secret’s suitability as a service dog for other people.
Is the Australian Shepherd yoga video real?
Yes, the published reports describe a genuine video of Secret and Peters performing a coordinated routine, but “real” needs a precise explanation. The footage is evidence of a dog carrying out learned cues and body positions in a particular setting. It is not evidence that Secret independently understands yoga as a human exercise system or that dogs receive the same effects from the poses.
| What viewers may see | What the available reporting supports | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Secret mirrors Peters’ movements | Secret learned a synchronized sequence through training, repetition, cues, and reinforcement | That every movement is spontaneous imitation |
| Secret uses a yoga mat | Reports say she had been rolling out her own mat since 2016 | That a particular mat brand or model was used |
| Secret performs downward dog and other positions | Reporting names behaviors including cobra lift, side twist, child’s pose, and single-leg downward dog | That forced stretching, balancing, or weight-bearing poses are safe for all dogs |
| The routine looks calm and polished | It reflects a long-standing handler-and-dog training relationship | That doga treats, calms, rehabilitates, or medically benefits dogs |
What is doga?
Doga is a casual term for dog-and-owner yoga or a yoga-like activity performed together. In Secret’s case, doga describes a set of trained behaviors that are coordinated with Peters’ routine; it does not necessarily mean that a dog is following a human yoga curriculum or experiencing a clinical benefit.
The book Doga: Yoga for Dogs by Jennifer Brilliant and William Berloni is an early example of published doga material. A library catalog record describes sections on warm-ups, breathing, standing poses, lying poses, loosening poses, and cooling down. A bookseller record identifies the English-language paperback as 96 pages, published in 2003, with ISBN 9780811841672, and lists poses including Downward Facing Dog and Happy Puppy. Because the book is described as out of print, availability, condition, and price may vary. The book is a general doga guide, not evidence that Peters used it to train Secret.
How was Secret trained to do yoga?
Secret appears to have learned the routine through years of incremental, positive-reinforcement training rather than through an unexplained ability to copy a person. Daily Paws reports that Peters taught Secret a broad range of behaviors, including distraction training, painting, agility, dancing, jump roping, and scooter riding.
Daily Paws also reports that Secret had been rolling out her own yoga mat since 2016 and knew several named postures, including cobra lift, side twist, child’s pose, and single-leg downward dog. Those details suggest that “yoga” is shorthand for a cue-based performance assembled from individual behaviors and then practiced in sequence.
Peters’ account of trust training illustrates the relationship behind the performance. She wrote: “Falling backwards is a scary thing for most people, but even more for a dog: you can’t simply explain that you are going to be there to catch them.” The statement is useful context for the importance of trust, but readers should not attempt backward falls or other risky stunts with a pet.
Why does an Australian Shepherd fit this kind of training?
An Australian Shepherd is an energetic, athletic working breed that generally benefits from substantial daily exercise and constructive activity. The American Kennel Club describes Australian Shepherds as intelligent, energetic dogs that benefit from having a job, which helps explain why an individual Australian Shepherd might enjoy an extensive trick-training routine.
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Breed tendencies are not guarantees. The American Kennel Club also emphasizes early socialization and obedience training, and its training guidance says that the most effective reward can vary by individual dog: treats, toys, games, or praise may all work. Secret is an unusually trained individual, so her performance should not be treated as a promise that every Aussie will learn the same choreography.
| Approach | What it can reasonably involve | Evidence and limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Secret’s documented routine | Named cues, a mat routine, synchronized movement, and long-term practice with Peters | Reported for one highly trained Australian Shepherd |
| Beginner dog-and-owner activity | Simple voluntary behaviors such as settling on a mat, looking toward the handler, or offering a familiar position | Must be adapted to the individual dog; the dossier does not establish a universal doga protocol |
| Generic breed training | Early socialization, obedience, exercise, games, and reward-based learning | Supported as general Australian Shepherd guidance, but it does not guarantee yoga-like performance |
| Risky stunt training | Forced stretching, falls, precarious balancing, or unusual weight-bearing positions | Not a safe assumption from the viral video and should be avoided |
Can you teach your dog to copy yoga poses?
You can teach some dogs simple, low-pressure behaviors that look coordinated with a yoga routine, but copying Secret should not be the goal. Start with behaviors the dog already performs comfortably, reward voluntary participation, and stop when the dog shows reluctance, stress, pain, or fatigue.
- Build basic communication first. Use a familiar marker, cue, and reward system before introducing a mat or a new position.
- Choose the dog’s motivation. The reward may be a small treat, toy, game, or praise; AKC training guidance explains that reward preferences differ between dogs.
- Reward tiny, voluntary steps. Reinforce looking at the mat, approaching it, standing on it, or settling calmly rather than physically placing the dog into position.
- Keep the sequence simple. Practice one known behavior at a time before linking behaviors together.
- Protect the dog’s body. Do not force stretching, pull limbs into poses, require prolonged balance, encourage falls, or make the dog support human weight.
- Use professional help when needed. A veterinarian can address pain, mobility, or orthopedic concerns; a qualified humane trainer can help with cues and reinforcement.
A non-slip mat may be a practical accessory if a dog voluntarily works on a mat, but the reports do not identify the brand or model used by Peters and Secret. A mat is not a training method, and a product cannot make a dog ready for a pose.
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What does the viral video actually show?
The video shows a memorable partnership: Mary Peters has trained Secret to participate in a carefully practiced, synchronized set of yoga-like behaviors. The most defensible explanation combines cue recognition, body-position training, reinforcement, repetition, and trust. The clip is charming precisely because it records an exceptional dog-handler relationship—not because it proves that dogs universally understand or benefit from human yoga.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the name of the Australian Shepherd that does yoga?
The dog is Secret, a female Australian Shepherd owned and trained by Mary Peters. Peters has been posting about Secret since 2015 through the account associated with @my_aussie_gal.
Is the Australian Shepherd yoga video real?
The Australian Shepherd yoga video is genuine in the sense that Secret performs the behaviors shown with Mary Peters. The routine is trained and rehearsed, however, rather than proof that Secret spontaneously understands human yoga.
What is doga?
Doga is an informal term for dog-and-owner yoga or a yoga-like activity. In Secret’s case, doga refers to synchronized, trained behaviors performed alongside Peters.
Can I teach my dog to copy yoga poses?
You can teach a dog simple, voluntary behaviors that coordinate with your movement, but you should not force stretching, balancing, falls, or unusual weight-bearing positions. Use positive reinforcement and stop if the dog shows reluctance, stress, pain, or fatigue.
The Bottom Line
Secret is a trained Australian Shepherd, not a spontaneous canine yoga instructor. The viral routine is best understood as positive-reinforcement trick training and synchronized doga, and anyone inspired by the clip should prioritize voluntary, comfortable behaviors over forced poses or stunts.
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