Bow-wows at the Innskeep
by Nilma Dole
  Dotty the Dalmatian wags her
tail when doggie trainer Don Mervyn Quintus Wijesundera teaches her a
new trick. He is the first person in Sri Lanka to start the dog kennel,
where people keep their dogs for caring. He is also a dog breeder,
trainer, clipper and groomer.
He started his kennel Innskeep more than 30 years ago, as a young dog
lover. “I then became interested in breeding and learning about the
different types of dogs,” said Wijesundera who is the proprietor of the
One Stop Canine Centre. This is where he does most of the training.
Studying about dog habits and training from the time he was young,
Wijesundera said that dog love runs in the blood of his family. “Back
then, we were keen on the correct pedigree and breeding good dogs and
with this in mind, I thought of helping my fellow dog lovers whenever
they were away from the country to have a place to keep their pet
poochies” he said. Innskeep is a spacious kennel with a big garden space
where your doggie can run and exercise.
“We take care of the dogs and treat them like our own, feed them
three meals a day, give them exercises, train them and will show them to
our vet or take them to the owner’s vet, all at reasonable fee,” said
Wijesundera. The repeat clientele who come with their doggies rely on
the expertise of Wijesundera because he is qualified and has undergone
training in the UK. “We have a good friendship with not only the masters
but the dogs themselves because they wag their tail, knowing who I am”
he said.
The boarding kennel offers a dog a spacious room and a good routine
where they can be comfortable. They can also meet the doggie of their
dreams because when their masters are away, they can find romance in the
boarding kennel. “If I see a potentially good breed of dog boarded at my
kennel, I can talk to their respective masters to see if we can breed a
good kind of dog” he said. Wijesundera can also train dogs for people
with special needs and major doggie shows. “As companions, we can teach
the dogs skills like bringing the newspaper or helping around the house”
he said. In addition to this, advice on the best dog breed can be
provided by Wijesundera and he is also keen to solve all your dog
problems.
  Wijesundera has also taken care of sniffer dogs and the former
President’s pets on numerous occasions. Some of the popular dog breeds
are the Rhodesian Ridgebacks, St. Bernards, Boxers, German Shepherds,
Dalmatians, Doberman Pinscher and more. In fact Wijesundara was the
first person to have a specially-imported British Bull Dog which won at
the local dog shows a few years ago.
The advice Wijesundera gives hopeful dog kennel caregivers is: “First
of all, you have to be a dog lover in order to start a kennel. I give
training and advice for those who want to start their own but it takes
plenty of skill, experience and patience to do such a service.”
There are many who have started the kennel boarding after learning
the tricks of the trade from Wijesundera but he is the pioneer in this.
“I have no problem with people starting dog kennels but it should be
done properly according to a strict standard because there have been
some kennels where the dogs have turned violent over a small thing,” he
said.
Wijesundera invites all dog lovers to come and take a look at his
kennel at No. 7, Rajagiriya Udyanaya, Nawala Road, Rajagiriya to see if
they would like to keep their doggies in safe hands before they go out
of the country or outstation for a long period of time.
“We take care of your dog like our own” he said with a smile.
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