"Having had our village dog, Bacco, for 3 years with no problems, we were disturbed when he suddenly started breaking out of our ground floor patio area and we suspect that he had been badly frightened by a wild pig trying to break in (we live in the Sai Kung area). After that, the problems escalated, with Bacco breaking through all our efforts to keep him in. He became increasingly agitated and cut himself on the fence in his attempts to get out, as well as destroying pot plants and other things in the process.

Our attempts to secure him in the patio area were clearly not working and he was getting himself worked up to the point that he was hurting himself. He was also becoming increasingly anxious and agitated when daylight started to fade and night-time approached. It was very distressing to see him like this but it also had a major impact on our lives, as essentially he could not be left alone.  

We made contact with Cynthia and arranged a consultation, which was immediately useful in identifying the likely root causes of his problem of separation anxiety and also some other issues he had. The initial consultation also highlighted some of our behaviour/actions/reactions which probably made things worse.

Working from Cynthia’s detailed report, we now have Bacco on medication and a long-term training programme, both of which are already showing positive effects. Also, we have started a diary of progress and this has helped us to work with Cynthia to refine the initial programme to suit Bacco’s development, as well as our lifestyle.

We still have a long way to go with Bacco, but the main thing is that we now feel in control of the situation, rather than worrying about what we’ll find when we get home. We would have no hesitation in recommending Cynthia for any pet behaviour problems and we would also suggest working closely with her to develop solutions to suit you and your pet".
                                                                                                                                                                                            Colin
                                                                                                                                                                                            Sai Kung

"In April 2010 we were given Joe, a Miniature Pinscher, by his owners, who were having to move home to rented accommodation where dogs were not allowed.  Joe was about three years old and had lived all his life with an older Labrador and Boxer.  He also lived much of the time in the yard when the owners were out.  

When we took him home to our apartment, he escaped the next morning and spent two and a half days lost in the neighbourhood.  After he was found and returned to us, he was very traumatised by the complete change in his circumstances.

Without his dog companions and the family he had lived with, he was very nervous and fearful.  He began trying to bite anyone who entered the home including my husband.  We felt very sorry for Joe and wanted to keep him but knew we needed professional help.

Fortunately I was put in touch with Dr Cynthia Smillie. She came to our apartment and spent four hours with all of us and Joe the first time we met her.  She analysed Joe’s behaviour and our interaction with him.  She gave us extensive advice explaining that Joe’s aggression was based on fear and anxiety.  She gave us practical suggestions how to immediately contain the situation.  She later sent us her detailed case notes and papers on training and behaviour modification.  She also put us in touch with Ms. Rose Tang, a professional dog trainer.

Dr Smillie came several times to observe Joe and see his progress.  We also sent her reports.  She has always been available to answer our queries through e-mail or telephone and give us advice.

Today, a year later, Joe is a happy dog again. It has been hard work, but it has been worth it as Joe is firmly a part of our family.  He enjoys his life as long as it does not have too many surprises.  He can sit, lie down and do several tricks.  He still does not feel comfortable with strangers, but we know how to deal with that.

Dr Smillie gave us hope in a situation which at times felt hopeless.  All of us are extremely grateful to Dr Smillie for her expert advice when we were absolutely desperate for help.  I strongly recommend her services to anyone who has a problem with a pet".                     
                                                                                                                                                                                Lady Patricia Mirrlees
                                                                                                                                                                                Tai Po, Hong Kong

“My husband and I were dealing with a truly disheartening situation: our two female dogs, Juno and Pancakes, were getting into fights that were so violent that both they and I were getting injured.  Our veterinarian told us that we could be dealing with a very sad situation that would've literally broken my heart.  One of them would most likely need to be re-homed, or the dogs were likely to wind up fighting to the death.  My girls are truly my sunshine, and the mere thought of losing one of them to another family would bring me to tears.  Needless to say, when I had the great fortune of hearing about Dr Smillie, I immediately picked up the phone.

We had seen endless trainers who tried their best to mitigate the situation, but none were able to turn Juno and Pancakes behavior around 180 degrees.  After spending four hours in our home carefully observing the girls, Dr Smillie was able to tell us more information about Juno and Pancakes than we ever thought possible.  Many of the "tricks" we were using to stop them from fighting were actually making the situation worse, and thanks to Dr Smillie's immediate observations, we were well on our way to stopping those.  Additionally, her later report which went into detail about both Juno and Pancakes personalities gave even further explanation about how to help the stress and upset that Juno (in particular) was experiencing.

Amazingly, neither Juno nor Pancakes have gotten into a single fight since our visit from Dr Smillie!  Our entire household is happier!  The humans are no longer concerned that the girls will wind up getting into a brutal, blood-letting fight, and (much to our utter surprise) the dogs have become fast friends and spend endless time playing--not competing!

I'm not one to gush about things, but I will be straightforward in stating that Dr Smillie literally saved our household by making it possible to keep both Juno and Pancakes under one roof.  As someone who works in the pet industry, has participated in charitable organizations with animals, and has spent a lifetime with dogs, I strongly recommend Dr Smillie to anyone who is dealing with domestic animals that display behavioural problems.  Her insights are an asset to any pet owner, and I am indeed thankful that she is here in Hong Kong serving the needs of both our animals and humans”.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                     Lauren 
                                                                                                                                                                                     Mid Levels