Client Comments

Nancy M
Colorado Springs, Co.
My aussie, Quigley and I met Cooper, another aussie, at the dog park. They would run and play together with such joy. Cooper's family consisted of two little girls and his Mom. Mom married a new dad and he put Cooper out in the back yard, night and day. Cooper stopped eatting and drinking. He was so sad to be kept from his family, he didn't want to live anymore. We gladly rescued Cooper to the relief of his Mom. When Cooper came to our home he was so confused he was shaking and hyperventilating. I called Cindy right away and she soothed Cooper by telling him that he was now with his forever family and his forever family loved him and would always take good care of him. Almost immediately Cooper calmed down. He stretched out to his full length and fell sound asleep. From that moment forward he was our forever dog and he knew it.

(It is important to help new animals have a successful transition from shelter to new home, or from one home to another. Cindy and Kathleen McIntyre offer this service as a part of A Heads Up. Click here for more information).

Ah-ra Cho and Ever
S. Korea
Ah-ra Cho and her dog Ever have been longtime clients of mine from Seoul, South Korea. Sometimes we have e-mail consults and sometimes, in spite of a 13-hour time difference, we talk on the phone. Ah-ra called because she was leaving to go on vacation and Ever was going to stay with her parents. He had done this at other times and really enjoyed spending time with them. They previously owned a pub and Ever went there with them every day, enjoying the social life and a celebrity status. He was friendly and appropriate with the patrons. Ah-ra’s parents now own a restaurant and Ever had been very distressed with the transition. He barked incessantly, disturbing the guests and disrupting work for her parents and their employees. He had become so noisy that they often shut the door to the storage room where he stayed. Ah-ra called me because if he didn’t change his behavior, the only option would be for him to stay home alone for the long hours while her parents worked.

Ever greeted me with alarm, ”What’s going on? Why can’t I see my friends? It is so noisy! I’m frightened! I’m afraid I will be forgotten!” Ever explained that he was afraid he would be forgotten when shut in the storage area and that is why he barked and barked. He said that occasionally Ah-ra’s mom would burst into the room, grab something from the shelves, and rush back out ”forgetting him again”. Ah-ra translated that statement to her mom who confirmed that she did frequently burst into the room and rush back out. Ever was very distressed. I first explained the differences between the pub and the restaurant, and that his “job” at the restaurant would be different. Instead of greeting the patrons, he could keep an eye on everyone working in the kitchen. He would now be the ”kitchen manager”.

Ever requested that the door stay open so that he could watch what was going on. Ah-ra and her mom agreed that they could tether Ever in the room with his bed and food and water. That way he could watch the activity in the kitchen and be assured that he had not been forgotten. Ever also requested a small cardboard box that he could choose to get in to take a nap. He wanted a contained and quiet setting and the cardboard box would muffle the sounds. He explained that the kitchen clatter and shouted instructions were unsettling to him. He interpreted the kitchen noise as a constant emergency happening, and that in all the excitement, his people would leave him behind. We explained that the emotional voices were not about danger, but rather about preparing meals for people who are hungry and in a hurry.

Ah-ra set him up with all of his requests and he immediately settled down. She later e-mailed me from her vacation and said that her parents reported that Ever had stopped all the barking and seemed quite relaxed as he watched them from his cardboard box. Ah-ra’s father took Ever on errands so that he could see all of his old friends from his pub days in the village.

Ah-ra Cho frequently translates conversations with Cindy and So. Korean dogs and their people.  She can be reached at coffeecooler@naver.com.

Lisa S, Calliope & Thea
Boston
Thank you!!!

The dogs have almost completely stopped barking inside the apartment! The most incredible unbelievable change is they no longer bark when I come home!! Since our phone conversation with you, they greet me at the door with tails wagging, sneezes and kisses in silence!!! This is truly incredible!

Will you please tell them how much I appreciate this change and to keep up the their kind consideration for our neighbors!!??!!

And when they do go to the window when they hear an external sound from outside, they bark a bit, after which I thank them and tell them that's enough. Then they look at me with an understanding face and stop barking as if to say, "my job is done here." The change in us feels profound and happier!!

Meg, Savvy and Tyler Jones
Stuarts Draft, VA
I first contacted Cindy Smith on the recommendation of a friend for help reassuring my maiden broodmare Savvy about the upcoming changes in her life when the foal came. Her accuracy in each of Savvy's issues amazed me, and the way she described her personality made me laugh. Cindy was wonderful in connecting to her, and it was very comforting to be able to prepare her and address her concerns.

Then, after the foal came, I asked Cindy to help me prepare Savvy and her son, Tyler for weaning. Well, Tyler is now weaned, and everything went so smoothly. The horses never stopped eating or lost weight – just a bit if mild calling back and forth, but they have weathered it beautifully. Working with Cindy has made a big difference in how I handle my horses – I feel like I have much more insight into their personalities. Cindy's style is great – I will be calling again!

I've referred clients to her after exhausting all the physical possibilities for a problem – with fascinating results. The client's testimonials to me about their experience have been heart-warming. I was very skeptical in the beginning, but I have no more doubts. In short, I say, " Incredible but true".

Margo F and Zeus
My first conversation with Margo was about Katie, her Bearded Collie, who was having some health issues. Throughout our talk, someone else kept popping into the conversation. Margo identified that personality as her other dog, Zeus. She said, ”Zeus is a little Bischon with a BIG personality.” She asked me to tell him that he would get his turn in his own appointment, and that right now we needed to focus on Katie’s health. With that explanation, Zeus graciously backed off and just listened.

The next week we spoke to Zeus. Zeus is 11 years old and had always been leash aggressive to dogs and people, but only when he was with Margo. Zeus was playful and nonaggressive at doggie day care, the kennel, the groomer, and displayed good social skills when Margo wasn’t around Zeus. During these times he was, in his words, “off duty”. He was also often, but not always, very appropriate on leash around small, white dogs, but he was always aggressive with medium and large dogs. Zeus communicated very clearly that this 11-year behavior was to protect Margo from all dogs and people. He saw this as his job.

We first explained to Zeus that it was Margo’s desire for Zeus to choose a different job. In Margo’s words,“Zeus questioned every behavior change we asked for and was very clear that he would need a lot of help learning the new behavior since he had practiced "warrior dog" behavior for 11 years. I started using clicker training as well as releasing him from his leash when he was around small, white, non-aggressive dogs with the command "go play". He caught on very quickly and generalized to non-white dogs as well as medium sized dogs very quickly. Within less than a month, he had, in his words, adopted his new job of being "friendly dog".

He continues to have issues with some dogs and always remembers them and immediately reverts to old behavior when he sees them. However, he now calms within seconds rather than minutes and occasionally will, with my help, ignore them totally. In general, he has worked very hard at being "friendly dog". Our walks are now fun rather than a chore and he is clearly very proud of himself. He loves to have Cindy check in with him and tell him what a wonderful dog he is and, of course, he agrees and also always reminds her how cute he is!”

Over a series of sessions, we addressed his reaction to people working around the condos; people suddenly entering an elevator, and people wanting to pet him on their walks. Zeus was active in the behavioral planning, offering many ways to help him change his old habits. In every situation Margo and Zeus worked as a team, problem solving and determining exactly what she wanted him to do and what he needed from Margo to create these changes.

Cindy & The Elrod Gang
Frankfort, KY
Cindy Smith has helped me solve a lot of issues with my pets. I currently have 5 Boston Terriers – all rescues – and rescues come with their problems. Up until a short while ago, I also had a sheltie/chow mix (Rusty) and a terrier mix (Tracey). With Cindy's help, 12 year old Rusty and 16 1/2 year old Tracey were able to die with dignity.

In desperation, I asked for help with my latest problem – mice. With no cat here for the first time this winter, I think every mouse in the county moved in. They had eaten every bit of food in my house and were working on my clothes. Cindy told them they had worn out their welcome and it was time to leave. We suggested an area to them where they might find a barn. I feel like there were hundreds here and now they are gone. Cindy is now The Pied Piper of Frankfort!!

Angelika
Raleigh, NC
I had adopted 4 year old Lucie in March. It took her exactly one night to decide she liked her new home and that it was ALL hers now! But she needed a playmate. On June 2nd, I got Yona (3.5 year old very shy shelter mate). It took Yona two weeks to really open up to his new environment during which Lucie was nonchalantly apathetic toward him. After these two weeks though, she started attacking him – and I mean she went after him. I separated them during the day and let them be together at night. Nothing changed except that Yona got more withdrawn and barely came out from under the bed anymore. That's when I found Cindy on the web.

Cindy talked to Lucie: she thought she was about to be replaced because she wasn't working out. And she was having none of that. When Cindy explained to her that Yona was here for her and that Lucie would never have to leave this home her attitude took a 180 degree turn. That night, she let Yona lick her head!
When Cindy talked to Yona he showed her an orange little fur ball of a cat and asked what was happening to his friend. He was so worried. Indeed, Yona had left Charlotte behind at the shelter with whom he was best friends (3 yr old very shy cat). I also knew from the shelter that Charlotte was a bit sad herself and slept in the place where Yona used to sleep. Cindy immediately picked up a conversation with Charlie just to find out she was missing Yona terribly.

I've made arrangements to adopt Charlie as well. Lucie was not too thrilled about the 'crowd' but since she knew them both and 'we' had enough space to share with them, she was okay with Charlotte becoming another room mate. Yona and Charlie were so excited to be together again.

What started out as a hostile environment ended up becoming this peaceful and happy Trio! It wouldn't have been possible without Cindy's warm and caring help! Thank you so very much!

Sharon W. and Huckleberry
St Simons Island, GA
Huck is doing really well. Once you explained that the lead changes were only practice for "working the cows", he executed them perfectly! Rusty, his trainer, was pleased with the dramatic change in his behavior. See you at the next show!

Deranda McDade with Mr. Cassandra and Bella
Portland, OR
Thanks to Cindy for the unbelievable results achieved from talking with my dog, Bella. Bella was aggressive and barked and lunged excessively at all other dogs. It had gotten to the point that I was uncomfortable and afraid to even take her on walks. I had worked extensively with Bella with a couple of dog trainers. Though we had tried de-sensitization and counter-conditioning, she definitely still had a problem that was not improving and, in fact, getting worse. It is truly a miracle to me the change in her behavior after one session with Cindy. She changed immediately. We had agreed upon the key word, of "neighbor" to let her know that this person or animal would mean no harm and not to react to it. She is totally calm now when we are out walking and we have had "neighbor" cats, dogs, squirrels, children on bikes, etc. go by right in front of us and Bella remains calm!! I truly feel that this difference has saved my dog from a life of fear and frustration and an increasingly smaller world.

Laura Anthony, Licensed Massage Therapist
Asheville, NC
You have such a gift! My cat, Sprocket had been suffering with digestive problems for two years. I took her to two animal hospitals where several tests were run that gave us no answers. I called you as a last resort because I was very skeptical about animal communication. Knowing nothing but the name of my cat and what she looked like you accurately identified the problem after one session. She apparently had an allergy to her food. After switching cat food, she is feeling better than ever. Both Sprocket and I are forever grateful to you!

Jo F.
Rio, Wisconsin
Barn cats Chuckles and Shirley were constant companions for ten years. He was hit by a car last fall and now Shirley says she has a "hollow feeling" and "needs some help out in the barn!". Cindy has helped me have many conversations with our 5 cats and 2 dogs, especially when a new one comes to stay. Shirley is the link between them bridging their differences with her sweet nature. I credit Shirley and Cindy with how well our cats and dogs get along with each other.

Nina and Jessie
Asheville, NC
With Cindy’s help, I was able to perform the sad task of saying good-by to my buddy Jessie in a way that felt like Jessie and I were deciding together. I was able to feel my bond with Jessie more strongly than I had before and trust my sense of what the best timing would be. The last hour that I shared with Jessie was peaceful and complete for both of us. It probably wouldn’t have happened that way if I hadn’t had Cindy’s help.

Michelle C & Eve
Washington, PA
I purchased Eve off the race track in June of 1999. Over the years we created a great bond, however Eve always loved to buck while cantering. I sought veterinary care, an acupuncturist, an acupressurist, a massage therapist, a chiropractor, a professional saddle fitter and had bought and sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 saddles trying to fix her bucking problem.

After one conversation with Cindy, her bucking problems disappeared (and are still gone 1 year later!). It seems Eve thought her bucking was how she should convey to me her feeling of happiness!

Cindy also helped me feel so much better about the loss of my dog Tyson. She was able to communicate with him and assure me that he was doing fine.

Elizabeth & Jazzy
Asheville, NC
You did a "tele" pet communication with me and my dog Jazzy. It went GREAT! And the results have been GREAT! Jazzy has not pooped in the house again! She barks to go out.

She told you she didn't like to be crated at night and you told her why she was being crated (elimination in the house). After our conversation, I did not put her in the crate and we've had no accidents since! She now sleeps on her dog bed in my room. Thank you so much for your time. Jazzy and I are very happy!

Susan Robbins, Paradigm Kennel
Bessemer City, NC
I have raised dogs, cared for race horses, and breed and show Shetland Sheepdogs. I first contacted Cindy when one of my Sheltie's became lost. Her images were so strong, I could envision them myself. Since then, Cindy and I have talked to many of my "fur-kids". Together we have addressed some behaviors that changed immediately for the better. I have used other communicators. Cindy Smith is without a doubt the best!

Laura Pierce
Charlotte, NC
My dog Souki licked her feet constantly and I tried multiple things including changing her diet several times. Nothing helped. I asked for Cindy's help and she told me it was the laundry detergent I used. This confused me because I already used dye free detergent. But I just tried switching to another brand and did a double rinse when washing Souki's bed. Now she doesn't lick her feet anymore. I was shocked – such a simple solution for such a confusing problem. Now I can't believe I ever spent so much time on trial and error when Cindy nailed it a matter of minutes.

Liz Norris and Mr. O'Malley
Napa, CA
Words can not describe how thankful I am that you have established a connection between me and my beloved horse. It's going to be a long process rebuilding that trust again, but at least you have opened the door for me and Mr. O'Malley and I will continue to build from that.