A love for animals inspired Penny Tai to become an animal behaviorist. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The experiments taught him that the best way to train a pet is to reward it with encouragement and incentives when it shows improvement, he says, not simply to scold it or beat it if for disobeying.

At the time, many animal owners in Taiwan frequently punished their pets, and it was common to see a dog owner hold a stick while walking, ready to use if the dog disobeyed, Tai says.

After graduating in New York, he returned to Taiwan and resumed his position in the pet hospital. When pet owners complained to him about their disobedient pets, he would ask for details, analyze the behavior and give suggestions.

The main advice was to love, care and reward the pets, and he helped many owners solve their problems, gradually gaining a reputation for being able to "read pets' minds".

Tai saw a common thread in many of the problems pet owners faced, and in 1997, in the earlier years of the Internet, he became somewhat of a pioneer by setting up a website offering free consulting on how to raise pets correctly.

In 2001 he published a book, Dog's Wonderful World and that exposure led to numerous radio and television appearances.

Tai says he has delivered many speeches and given free training to pet owners and college students free over the years, and he is particularly proud of having set up the Taiwan Animal Behavior Resource Center in 2012, which helps owners train pets and sets down standards for professional trainers.

The center's certification program follows internationally recognized standards, and trainers need to go through strict theory and practical examinations to obtain certificates, Tai says.

Xiao Qi, 28, who has a poodle and turned up early for the event in Beijing, says she has been a follower of Tai's Sina Weibo for a while and appreciates his clarity and humor in teaching pet owners.