The 43-year-old former engineer, who is now running Pet Park Groomers in Klang, has been training canines since 2003 and estimates that he has trained close to 1,000 dogs.
It all started when Suria bought Dan, a beautiful German Shepherd during a trip to Thailand. Because Dan was only semi-trained at the time, Suria made several trips back to Thailand to get his dog fully trained and to learn a little about dog-training himself from Dan’s previous owner.
“And I realised that he [Dan] became my teacher instead. When I told the dog ‘sit’, he showed me the perfect sit. When I said “down”, he showed me the perfect ‘down’. And when I told him ‘stay’, he showed me the perfect ‘stay’,” he told FMT.
Soon, Suria received requests from dog owners to train their pets. He agreed, and his foray into the dog-training business officially began.
When he first started, the dogs he trained boarded at his place during the entire month-long session. However, over time, he realised these dogs obeyed only him and not their owners.
Being away for so long also meant that there was no real bond the dogs could forge with their rightful owners.
“So, I requested that the owners bring their dogs in so that I can work with both of them, and it has been going well,” he said, adding that the success of dog training depended mostly on the dog’s owner, not the trainer.
Suria’s training covers three areas – basic obedience, protection, and agility.
He explained that basic obedience involved daily disciplines like getting your dog to obey you when you say, “don’t bark” or “don’t run out of the house” and other such commands.
Basic protection training on the other hand involved training a canine to become a guard dog. “If a thief enters your house, how should you command your dog to charge at the thief? Or if there is no one at home and someone breaks in, what should the dog do?”
Basic agility training meanwhile involved directing your dog through an obstacle course. Suria said this aspect of training was equally important as it helped build confidence in the dog.
Once again, he stressed the role of the owner. “The owner must be fit enough. If you ask the dog to jump, you should be able to run and keep up with him,” he shared with a laugh.
He also pointed out that it’s important to ensure that a dog is well socialised with other canines. “Take them to pet parks or grooming centres where they can meet other dogs as this can help to get rid of dog aggression,” he explained.
In the course of his dog-training career, Suria has also received a fair number of desperate requests from worried owners whose dogs have bitten family members.
“They would later reveal that the dog is always tied up. So, how do you think the dog would feel? When you don’t treat a family member with love and care, won’t they get frustrated? It’s the same for the dog because they are full of love,” he added.
Suria has also trained several dogs for dramas and movies. His first experience was with “I love Wing Chun”, a Cantonese martial arts comedy.
“Although I was only paid RM100 for that, I would have done it for free as it was a great opportunity,” he said, adding that he learned a lot from the experience.
The oldest dog he has trained was a nine-year-old golden retriever named Foxxy for a Tamil series on Astro Vinmeen titled “Ramarajan”.
‘Dogs are my best friends’
At his house hang beautiful paintings of the dogs he’s trained over the years, and it is evident they occupy a special place in his heart.
“When a dog passes away, I go into mourning. In this field, money is not the important thing for me. Rather, it’s the memories and happiness from training the dogs,” he shared.
“For me, dogs are my best friends. Although I have human friends, there’s nothing like having a dog.”
In addition to dog training, Suria also operates a pet grooming and boarding centre. His wife, Dr Nesa Wathi Subramaniam, runs Claws Veterinary Clinic, which is also located in the vicinity.
Suria also manages Braveheartz K9, where he breeds pedigrees and runs a shelter for rescued dogs in Jalan Bukit Kemuning, Shah Alam.
Pet Park Groomers (formerly Claws Pet Park)
No 3, Jalan Ramin 1/KS7
Bandar Botanic
41200 Klang
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Business Hours:
10am–7pm: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
10am–1pm: Sunday
Closed on Wednesday and public holidays.
Contact: 017-545 4152
Email: [email protected]
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