Celebrating our area's four-legged, feathered and finned friends

By Patience Renzulli

November 1, 2009

Jack Young, the Pilates Pooch

Meet Jack Young.

Stretch! Lengthen that spine! Reach!

Need a little encouragement to get through your Pilates routine? Enter Jack, a 3-year-old Rottweiler/Australian Shepherd who helps Pilates/Yoga instructor, Physical Therapist and Massage Therapist Emily Young of Studio e.

Most of greater Paducah is in love with Emily, an iList Paducah sponsor, and everyone who loves Emily, just plain adores Jack.

Jack joined Emily when he was 6 months old.

“He’s the first dog I’ve had that I’m with 24/7, and that makes me closer to him,” Emily says. “He’s become my best friend, and he’s the official guard dog of Studio e.”

Emily’s first Pilates class starts arriving and Jack does the whole-body-wiggle in greeting. Client Caryl Bryer Fallert responds, by doing a whole-body-wiggle back, the two of them face to face shaking some serious tail feathers! Guard dog?

Right about then, some fellows who are not clients appear on the sidewalk outside Studio e’s 415 North 7th St. picture windows. Jack’s entire posture changes faster than you could say “Downward Facing Dog.” His deep, menacing “Woof, woof, woof” is easily translated: Not. Here. Not. You. Bye. Guard dog.

Emily explains that first-time clients can be a little hesitant around Jack because “he does sound mean.” But once Emily tells him it’s OK, they are usually won over by his charm in about 30 seconds. “Some clients have had a bad experience with a dog, and for them I’ll put him outside. But that’s a rare exception.”

Most of the time Jack is a huge – literally huge – help. If Emily is working with a physical therapy client and the going is getting tough, Jack will roll on his back with all four legs in the air. “He turns a client’s grimace into a smile, which helps them to relax and breathe.”

And ever considerate, Jack will lie in the massage room, adding sighs and an occasional little snore. “I can feel the client sigh and release tension along with Jack.”

As the folks in the early-morning Pilates class arrive, each one greets Jack first, with a bright “Good morning” or “Hey Jack!” And each in turn is welcomed with a grin and that wiggle. When the ladies and gentlemen lie on their yoga mats, Jack lies on his own personalized mat. He watches to see who needs a gentle nudge, or goose, this morning.

Oh, and his name, Jack? Emily smiles and volunteers, “He’s named for Jack LaLane, of course!”

Rock on, Jack!