Pilates for pups? Pets treated to human-level care as they become core family members.

This article is by Woo Ji-won and read by an artificial voice. Balancing on a rubber-domed BOSU ball, Mary, a Pekingese, stands as if it were just another patch of solid ground. There is a slight wobble when she steps onto a donut-shaped balance ball, but she regains control at the Cadillac machine, placing her paws on its swinging straps to stretch the front of her pink-skinned thighs. She even squats with her paws placed on a reformer, before dropping into a set of the tiniest push-ups — all while her wide eyes and squished nose are fixated on a Pilates instructor's hand, where a treat is dangling just out of reach. She is rolling and balancing from one piece of equipment to the next to strengthen her weak joints. For the next 20 minutes, the two-year-old Pekingese moves across balance tools commonly used for canine exercise to human Pilates machines like the CoreAlign system. The routine is shorter than a human workout, but no less physically engaging. "If a certain part of the body is weak, that area becomes painful, and without enough muscle, joints can easily be damaged," said Pilates instructor Jeon Hyun-min, who runs the dog Pilates program at his Pilates studio in Gangnam District. "It's the same for dogs, especially small breeds, which are often born with weaker skeletal structures. Building muscle is essential." "They want to try Pilates as an additional option, and once they see improvements, they tend to keep coming," Jeon said. "The goal of pilates is similar to rehabilitation for building healthy muscles, but the intensity, difficulty and movements differ." Jeon's interest in dog Pilates began in a similar way, when his furry companion was diagnosed with stage-two patellar dislocation. "Rather than surgery, I thought exercise might be a better option," he said. "So I started studying it on my own." Each session runs about 30 minutes, assuming the dogs can stay focused that long. It was originally set at 50 minutes, but quickly trimmed to match their shorter attention spans. Beyond the studio, some pet owners are also trying simple exercises at home, often using gym balls, a trend visible on social media. The price for Jeon's Pilates session is around 80,000 won ($54), similar to that of human Pilates. Prof. Lee Shin-ho of the Department of Companion Animal Health at Tongmyong University said Pilates can be "highly effective" in building muscle and supporting overall physical management, as well as in managing orthopedic conditions. "Patellar dislocation is largely a genetic condition, so Pilates is more effective when used as part of postsurgical rehabilitation," Lee said. "In contrast, conditions like hip dysplasia can be better managed and even prevented from worsening through targeted rehabilitation exercises." With the number of pet owners in Korea exceeding 15 million — nearly one in three households has a pet — wellness services for dogs are becoming increasingly specialized and premium. This trend also aligns with the rapid rise of "pet humanization," the idea of treating pets as family members. "People who come [to Pilates class] truly love their dogs," Jeon said. "They treat them like their own children. In the past, not many people saw pets that way, [...] but now many do and so do I." According to a recent survey by data consulting firm PMI, 23.3 percent of 2,733 survey respondents described pets as "beings that require responsible care," while 22.6 percent said they were "precious like family," and 16.8 percent viewed them as "friends or companions." Here, dogs receive tailored massage care combined with aromatherapy using pet-safe oils. Therapist Lee Da-som first examines each dog's body, then works to loosen tense muscles, gently massaging weaker areas. After the session, dogs are treated with near-infrared therapy or time in an oxygen chamber. Many dogs visit for musculoskeletal conditions, rehabilitation, senior care or simply when pet owners sense discomfort in their pup despite no clea...