A couple of weeks ago, I walked into my parents' house to find my nearly 60-year-old mother lying flat on her back on the floor. She had a squeaker toy in one hand and she was passing it back and forth through the air over her stomach as her little dog hurdled from one side of her abdomen to the other.

"What on earth are you doing?" I asked, both glad that she didn't need me to call for an ambulance and dying for a reasonable explanation for this ridiculous scene.

"Exercising," she replied with a stone serious look as she continued to pass the squeaky bunny.

It took a second to register that she was joking because I wasn't expecting this reply, but then both of us belly laughed so hard that we almost peed on the floor without hitting the newspaper.

"When the doctor suggested that you get more daily exercise, I donn't think that he had this in mind," I giggled. "What?" she replied with that doggy's-got-a-bone grin, "Well I am working up a sweat and my arm's getting tired!" And she was spending quality time her dog. A recent study conducted at Queens University in Belfast, Ireland has determined that dog owners are healthier than cat owners. The study suggested that this was due to the fact that dog owners get more physical exercise and have a higher level of social interaction during physical activity. In short, doggercising creates a buffer to stress that leads to healthier living.

I'm not the athletic type, but I do love to get out and have fun with my dog. Whenever the weather allows, I take my dog for a two-mile walk through the city. On weekends in summer, she wears her doggy life-jacket and we go dog paddling together. This week, we've been running around playing "tag" in the backyard until it gets dark.

"Sorry," I told my mom, "But I don't think that waving the squeaky bunny qualifies as exercise. Perhaps exercise for the dog, but certainly not for you."

Still, I could see that mom and her pooch were having fun, and watching their unconventional exercise program got me to thinking about how I might be able to integrate my own pup into my daily yoga routine. I did some investigating and found out that it's called "doga," and it's the latest rage on the West Coast. In this innovative form of exercise, people partner with their dogs while holding various poses that strengthen the body and mind. Sometimes the dogs integrate with the stretch, and sometimes they simply support the pose.

I tried some doga stretches at home with my own pooch. After a little practice and a lot of laughs, we both found it to be great fun. I'd love to teach mom these cool new moves, but she's currently recovering from a sports injury. Apparently, waving the bunny gave her tennis elbow.

Wags, Tracie

TRACIE LALIBERTE-BAILEY of Attleboro is a professional lecturer, educator and published writer on the subject of dogs. She is pursuing a doctoral degree on the human-canine bond. You can contact her with any dog-related questions at tracie@dogpawse.com.