This story is based on an interview with Jillian Loustaunau, 36, the owner of a Pilates studio in Kailua, O’ahu. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I never imagined that my efforts to help my beloved dog, Weasel, regain his mobility would a) be so successful and b) lead to the launch of my new business.
But here I am with a much healthier companion and an enterprise that encourages other animal lovers to help their pets in a similar way.
My dog couldn’t walk in a straight line
Weasel, who turns 16 next month, has always been an active, energetic golden retriever. Before his red coat turned gray six years ago, people would ask me how old he was.
“Ten,” I’d reply. They nearly always took it to mean 10 months because he looked and behaved like a puppy.
One day in May, however, he seemed really off. We were walking home from lunch, just around the block, and he couldn’t walk in a straight line.
It was almost as if he were drunk, and I wasn’t sure if I needed to carry him.
Courtesy of Jillian Loustanau
It was hard to get a formal diagnosis at the vet. A client at my Pilates studio, a surgical vet, took a look, as well. She did a test where she flipped Weasel’s back paw under, and he kept it like that.
She said that a dog without neurological issues would want to flip the paw back and encouraged me to start acupuncture and physiotherapy. It was the best way to preserve the mobility he hadn’t lost.
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We got a little wagon for his back legs, but soon realized he needed to move on his own as much as possible. The PT made me laugh because he said he was going to show Weasel what a plank was.
I had the idea that we could use some of the Pilates equipment to help him
He didn’t know that Weasel was already familiar with the move. He’d often do them alongside my clients, and I’d occasionally let him hop onto one of the machines, too.
The physiotherapy involved planking, turning sideways, and backward walking. At one point, I had the idea that we could use some of the Pilates equipment to help him.
It took a while for him to get used to it, but he started on the reformer, then the Cadillac, chair, CoreAlign, and ladder barrel. We saw results almost straightaway.
Courtesy of Jillian Loustanau
His stance and mobility improved dramatically, and he got his spark back. My friends and clients commented that he’d gone right back to being a puppy.
I began recording his progress for the PT and put the footage on my Instagram account. I wanted to tell people, “Hey, we do Pilates here. And if I could teach a dog, I could teach a human.”
Before I knew it, Weasel and his rehab exercises had gone viral. I now have 29.1K followers. Many wanted to copy the techniques and apply them to their own dogs, especially senior ones.
You don’t need specialist equipment
It seemed like a great business opportunity, and I launched “Pawlates 101.” I did my first Zoom class in August, with 40 attendees from as far afield as Greece, England, and India.
I showed owners how you didn’t need specialist equipment like mine, but could use something as simple as a bottom step for planking.
Since then, we’ve had monthly classes, attracting around the same number of pet owners. I charge $30 for the hourlong live session, when I demonstrate the moves on Weasel.
Courtesy of Jillian Loustanau
You also get access to a pre-recorded session that shows modifications and alternatives based on where your dog is in their rehab journey.
The success of the initiative has been a fun surprise, and I want to build on it. So many owners feel hopeless when their dog gets older. We’re conditioned to believe that we should stop exercising them when they reach a certain age. The opposite is true.
I want to develop an app
I don’t yet have a formal enterprise plan. My dream scenario is to develop an app that helps you choose which equipment you may prefer. It will gauge what you’re looking for your dog to accomplish each day.
The app would also include elements like tracking their water intake, bathroom habits, and pet food supplements.
I’m excited — and so is Weasel. I get him, and he gets me. He’s the best business partner I could ever wish for.