Next Obedience Classes To Be Announced

Pleasant Valley's Dog Obedience classes are run in five week segments. Please call the office for the upcoming schedule.

Obedience Training Options

Puppy Training: Ages 8 Weeks to 6 Months

Limited to 4 puppies per class! Enroll early by sending in an application and payment to assure your spot in the class.*

Using positive reinforcement with treats and toys, we teach puppy manners to be used in the home and elsewhere. Lessons will be one hour long for 5 weeks, and we encourage “family” participation in learning about puppy training. You and your pet will learn the value of leadership within your family “pack” with focus on teaching the puppy to come when called, pay attention, stay, behave in the company of other dogs and people, walk nicely on lead, sit and down on command, and self-control.

Adult Dog/Beginner Training: Over 6 Months (With No Prior Training)

Please contact our trainer directly for dogs over 6 months old to set up the best possible training for your older puppy.

Private Lessons and Behavioral Shaping Also Available

Advanced Obedience/Agility/and Musical Freestyle Dancing Also Available

For puppies over 6 months of age, you can continue to advanced obedience, agility and more by contacting Jill Marie Fernando directly.

For more information about our next class sessions, please call PVAH at 610/346-7854 or inquire via e-mail. As always, we do our best to limit the class size to 4 dogs, so please enroll as soon as possible if you are interested. Note, that you may download Pleasant Valley's obedience training application form.

*You must send in application and payment to be enrolled in our puppy class. If we do not receive payment, you are not enrolled.

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Jill Marie Fernando - Our Obedience Trainer

Jill Marie Fernando with SG Drum Hill's Dark Nimbostratus CDX WAT (AKA Nimbo)
and U-CD Ch Jaroo's Patchy Fog 'n' Drizzle (AKA Drizzle)

Jill Marie Fernando has been involved in the world of dogs, showing and competing beginning with her first obedience dog Drum Hill’s Storm Carl Rottnispky UD, in 1991. Together they were ranked in the elite Top Ten List for several years, competed at the Cycle Dog Obedience Championships, and also performed their specialty; Musical Freestyle dancing for 5+ years for the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, Cycle Obedience events, at seminars, and for local dog clubs.

Her second canine companion, SG Drum Hill’s Dark Nimbostratus CDX WAT, earned a PERFECT heeling score in his first dog obedience trial, and was also seen doing Musical Freestyle at the same events. Her third canine companion U-CDX ChJaroo’s Patchy Fog N Drizzle UD TDI, Jill’s current partner, and together they have already make their mark by earning points in the First and Foremost and Delaney Systems, is the #3 ACD in Novice Obedience stats and have been recently qualified for “placement” in Front and Finish’s First and Foremost Rating Systems for Open and in 2005 Drizzle and Jill placed 7th at the <http://allstardogs.org>All Star Obedience Tournament in York PA.

Drizzle is also an official “canine therapist.” He has been visiting nursing homes since the age of 4 months old. He also performs Musical Freestyle and is Jill’s demo dog; helping to show what a well trained dog looks like.

Jill has worked with Rottweiler Rescue for many years, and has helped with aggressive dogs. Her current partner, Australian Cattle Dog Bryn Mawr’s Warning Light (aka) DUSK, who is three years old, has also began his Obedience career, and is well on his way to show-case the Australian Cattle Dog as a highly intelligent dog with superior work ethics! And her newest partner Hemlock's Indian Summer Rain (a Rottweiler pup) just 7 months old, is a Puppy Class Role-model....for all of her puppy classes at Pleasant Valley and her dog sports center in Quakertown.

Jill is a member of APDT, AKC, UKC and Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs. She is a TDI evaluator and Drizzle is a certified pet evaluator TEST dog.

Jill also has video available for viewing or purchase of Musical Freestyle with Storm, Nimbo and Drizzle on her website. Jill requests that questions about behavior should be sent to her e-mail address.

Rain, Dusk and Drizzle

Advanced Dog Sports by Jill Marie Fernando

Therapy Dog Work

Basic obedience skills needed to begin this class. It teaches the dog to be calm around wheel chairs, canes and in a nursing home environment. The dog must pass the Canine Good Citizen Test, first. (www.akc.org) After the age of one year the dog may be eligible for Therapy Dog Testing. The course involves advanced obedience skills: distance STAYS, distance RECALLS, LEAVE-IT (something dropped on the floor), HEELING on a loose lead, IGNORING other dogs working, and teaching FETCH of objects. *Your dog does NOT have to be able to fetch to pass the Therapy Dog Test.*

This course focuses on teaching the dog to heel for competition on and off lead with attention, stand for exam 6 feet away, group stays (1 & 3 minutes) in both the SIT & DOWN positions, and a recall with a FRONT & and FINISH. Next level is Open; ALL the work is done OFF LEAD; heeling, figure 8, DROP on recall, Retrieve on the flat (dumbbell work), Retrieve over the high jump, Broad jump and out of sight group STAYS (3 & 5 minutes). Next level is Utility; Signal exercise (no voice commands/totally off lead work) Scent discrimination (articles: finding your scent on metal and leather articles), Gloves (directed retrieve), Moving Stand for Exam, Directed Jumping.

Musical Freestyle

This course teaches fun and exciting moves and creating a choreographed routine to music in just 4 short weeks. Pick your favorite song, bring it along on week 3 either on cassette or CD, and “get down” with your dog. Heeling and Attention skills required for this class! This can be learned for fun, exhibition or competition (earning titles). No need to worry if you feel you have two left feet! After all, “your dog certainly does!"

Rally is advanced heeling/obedience skills put to the test in a horse dressage format. There are at least 15-20 signs on a course (ring size 40 X 50 ft) that you walk up to and then do the exercise on the sign. For example the sign says: CALL FRONT FINISH LEFT FORWARD This is a really FUN way to improve heeling skills, and keep attention sharp, but it is also really FUN for both the dog and handler. This can be done in competition or just for the joy of learning it.

Agility is teaching the dog to work along side the handler on a course of jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and more. This is fun and fast and your dog must be able to work reliably off lead. On-lead agility can be the first stage, but the dog must have a reliable recall in the company of other dogs, and must have attention. This is the most fun your dog will ever have. Again this can be learned for just plain fun and exhilaration, and also for competition (earning titles).

PVAH Opens New Training Facility

Now, all Pleasant Valley training sessions are held in our new Training Facility featuring professional training mats and sufficient room to keep the students from interacting with each other at inappropriate times. Ask for a tour the next time you're at the hospital.