ABC Dog Training Caroline Bird Cpdt - Ka

Home
Canada
Saint John, NB
ABC Dog Training Caroline Bird Cpdt - Ka

Caroline Bird CPDT-KA Certified trainer with 16 years of class teaching experience with dogs and owners. offering classes in obedience, puppy and agility.

Private sessions both in home and at my boarding kennels near st martins.

07/11/2025

Our latest graduating basic obedience class for July 2025. Now that the warm summer weather is finally with us all these dogs can be outside showing off their new skills, l know they are going to enjoy the opportunity.
Our next new basic obedience class starts Thursday 21st August at 6.30pm
Our next new puppy class starts on Sunday 10th August at 5.30pm
to register for any classes, go to the website www.abcdogtraining.org

07/06/2025

UPCOMING EVENTS AND CLASSES FOR JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER.
Sunday 27th July starting from 3pm onwards is the mock Canine good Neighbour test. This is for any dog that might like to try out the content of a test, there are 12 parts to the test, your dog does not need to be perfect , if they fail it will be feedback for me to know what we need to work on in class time so that can be successful if they ever want to retry the test.
the cost to take the test is $25.00 per dog, this includes the hst.

Saturday 9th August is our annual AGILITY FUN AFTERNOON. this event is held every August at my kennels near to saint Martins. It is for any dog with or without agility experience as it is fully supervised. No registration is needed to attend. lots more information will be coming out about this event on the page so do check in.

Sunday 10th August will be our next new puppy class. A set of 7 classes for pups aged 3-5 months old. The class includes a theory section and then 6 classes that include an introduction to basic commands plus many more puppy related games. Cost is $140.00 plus hst.

Thursday 21st August is the next new basic obedience class. A set of 10 classes that include all the basic skills such as focus, loose leash walking, sit, stays, down and recalls. It is longer than your average commercial set of classes as we do add extra games to make sure that the dogs and owners do really understand what is being taught. Cost is $180.00 plus hst.

Wednesday 10th September is the new pre-agility class. This is a set of 8 classes. It is not on the equipment but he more to get students learning about the many skills needed before a dog even starts to go on the equipment. It is a very busy set of classes with so much to learn.

Uptown Manners class will be starting in September on a Saturday afternoon. The date will be confirmed soon. This is a of 5 classes for anyone who wants to continue their learning with their dogs in a different environment other than the class room. It includes some new skills that would be needed in an uptown area , then we start exploring the uptown area as we walk together as a group.

registration is via the website www.abcdogtraining.org.
if you are doing the canine good neighbour test then register under the heading of OTHER.
All the indoor classes will be held at the training1250 Latimore Lake Road. saint

Classes are being added all the time so do check in on this page to keep updates.

07/05/2025

This video is of a dog called Oakley, aged around 8 months old. He was registered for coming into the present basic obedience class but he never even made it to the first class because he was far to reactive to be around people.
I have to admit that the first session with him was not an easy one. we spent some time during the lesson talking about possible scenarios that would be causing this issue in such a young dog, was it genetics, not enough exposure to certain stimuli in his earlier time with his owners, the kind of environment he came from, some kind of medical issue that the owners where not yet aware or even the fear period that some dogs go through around six months of age.
Nothing seems to answer the question so we continued onwards using what knowledge l have gained over the years to help him become more excepting of strangers around him.
He seems to be doing much better now, l can not say it is because of the work he has been doing with me as this is only his fourth private session. I set up this video not just because l wanted people to see how he is progressing but to give a few tips to people who might be having the same issue. Oakley did a lot better than l expected especially with the check in with the owner after the turns around the pylons
Check in meaning looking up at the owner instead of focusing on what is happening in the environment around them. I deliberately set the pylons up like that so that the owner could do a figure of eight pattern around them. the more turns a dog does the more they will check in with their owner as they have just lost eye contact as they went around the corner. Working in just a straight line would cause the dog to become more aware of surroundings as it would need have more time to look around.
This was set up in a non-distracting and by now familiar environment for Oakley so at this stage i am not expecting to have this much success in a new environment.
But l am going to take every little success as a win, there is no way you can rush things with this type of problem.

07/04/2025

Not your usual kind of dog information post but i am thinking that many like minded crazy dog people like me might find this amusing.
First a bit of background information so you can get the idea of what the post is about. About a year and a half ago l got my middle finger on my hand trapped under a dog collar when a dog spun around on me when l was moving him from one kennel to a different kennel.
I ignored the discomfort in my hand for many months but eventually went to the doctors when my finger was defiantly not getting better and the swelling was spreading across my hand. I visited the doctor, had x rays, blood tests and eventually was referred to a specialist to see why is not was not getting better.

This is where the post should really start for many people who spend far too much time with their dogs as they can probably relate to this will end up smiling to themselves.
The day of the appointment started with me planning enough time to get a shower in before i was going to be around people who probably would not appreciate my normal odour from walking dogs for 3 hours, then kennel cleaning , feeding and poppa scoping. This normally would not be a priority as my thinking is that the dogs find my personal body odour really interesting as they like to sniff out what dog l have just been with, do l have treats in my pocket etc, they are not offended by my smell in the least, they like a familiar smell , lol
Next came the thoughts of what i would need to wear, have l got any clean jeans that are not covered in dog hairs even after they have been washed.
Then we have the t shirt choice, l settled on one of my favorite ones with a picture of a dog on it.
After that came the question of what would i need to take for reading material in case l was stuck waiting a long time to see the specialist. Normal magazines would not contain anything of interest to me unless i was into buying jewelry, perfumes, fashion clothing etc, so l settled on taking one of my border collie books, plus a pen and paper in case i wanted to make our notes from information inside the book.
After waiting for a while l got to see the specialist and where asked questions, l explained what had happened to cause the problem, the specialist then asked me if l had any problems with holding onto things with my hands to which l replied that l had problems holding onto the dog leashes when walking the dogs, especially if they pulled.
I think the doctor must be a dog lover as he just smiled at the answer. he asked me other questions but everything l gave back was always dog related (not purposely dog related but it seems that my life revolves around dogs).
He gave me two injections in my finger to help with the swelling and a prescription for some anti-inflammatory tablets" he said that after the injections l would need to take it easy for a few days so that they can take effect.
I did offer that l would still need to walk the dogs but l had now adapted to wrapping the leash around my wrist instead of in my hands so that would take some of the pressure off my finger.

When he told me taking it easy what was going through my thoughts was, its July at my kennels, its the busiest time of year for dogs coming in as their owners take vacations, how am l going to be able to take it easy!
He then talked about getting Physico therapy on my finger and asked about would l be able to get to the Physico appointments as it would mean traveling from st martins regularly, l think he was getting the idea that l have a very busy life scheduled around dogs, but then he did say that if l could get in with a few appointments that l could at least carry on with whatever exercises they gave me in my own time at home.
We wrapped up the appointment with a date for a follow up in 3 weeks to see how things are progressing with my finger, but this is the best part of the visit as l am sure the doctor understood me really well. As l went out of the door, he reminded me to try and take it easy this weekend, l just smiled at this and he said, sure l get it, dogs don't take weekends off.
He was not a young doctor, so l am sure that during his career he has met many people who do not follow the usual lifestyle, but mostly l think he just loves dogs and totally gets me and my crazy dog life.

07/02/2025

UPDATE ON THE CANINE GOOD NEIGHBOUR MOCK TEST.
The date for this test will be SUNDAY 27th JULY starting at 3pm.
Other dates can be added depending on the levels of interest.
As a reminder this is NOT the real test as l am NOT a certified evaluator. However, if after this and the follow up classes there will be opportunities to register for a test with a real evaluator.
I will be doing the real test with the dog called Bear who is currently in training to be a service dog, but this is only after l have worked on any of his weaknesses that l can discover by doing the mock test.
People can now register for this event through my website which is www.abcdogtraining.org
Please register under the heading of OTHER classes.
When you have registered l will reply to you with the information for the days event.
The cost for each individual dog is $25.00 , this includes the hst.
Remember that this is not a real test so your dog does not have to be perfect. From the testing you will be able to know which part you need to work on more for any future tests.
i.e l know for sure that my own dog would not pass the being groomed section, someone else's dog might not be able to sit still while being petted by a stranger.

This test is not for any dog that shows aggression to other people. We can work on this issue in class time but in the interest of safety to any people helping me on the day you must inform us, and we can bypass this part of the test for your dog.
If anyone does have any questions do comment below and l will reply as soon as l can.

06/30/2025

MARK YOUR CALENDAR if you have ever wanted to give your dog a try on a real agility course.
Every year we hold our annual fun agility afternoon at my kennels which is near to Saint Martins. The event this year will be held on Saturday 9th August starting at 1pm
The event is open to any dog with or without agility experience. For anyone new to this sport you will be fully supervised while in the safe fenced in area.
We will be setting up two courses, one will be fully supervised, the other more advanced course will be set up separately, it is an optional extra for anyone who wants to try out a jumper's course in their own time.
The cost for the main course which will be supervised is just $10.00, then the optional extra jumpers course is $5.00.
No pre- registration is needed to attend. But if you do want to comment or reach out to me then it would be appreciated as it gives me some idea of what numbers of dogs to expect.
Bring along your own chairs and enjoy watching the event from outside of the main area. Lots of grass or shaded woodland areas are available for anyone who wants to view the afternoons activities.
The address of my kennels is at 721 BIG SALMON RIVER ROAD, BAY VIEW, NB.
Rain date will be the week after if we do need to cancel.

06/28/2025

Do you have a collie or collie mix, or any other kind of herding dog, if so this playing with the ball may seen in this video may look very familiar to you.
I frequently do privates with owners who have an issue with their dog chasing cars, cycles, skateboards or something similar. I have to explain to the owners about how some dogs are bred to do a job, the behavior is in their genes, you cannot change their genes, but you can get the behavior under impulse control.
But if you read on your can at least understand what is going through a herding dogs brain once he finds a target that he or she can then herd.
If no sheep are available then they will find something else to herd. It could be a ball, passing traffic cyclists, insects, dust, water or even a household broom.
EYEING
This marks the beginning of the working sequence, typically it is an intense stare focused on the chosen moving or moveable object.
APPROACHING THE TARGET
The dog is gathering information using its eyes that send messages to the brain about the exact nature of the target he intends to work. A typical trained sheepdog knows this process well and will listen to instructions from its owner about what to do, but an average pet dog will make a mess of this stage as they move straight from eyeing to chasing far too soon.
FOCUS
The next stage of eyeing is when you might notice the dog go into a trance like state so that they can anticipate the earliest signs of weakness or possible movement in the chosen target. With a typical pet dog he may decide for himself what to do which would be the chase or restraint.
EXERTING PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE
The final stage of the eyeing is to exert pressure on the target so that it feels the need to move. Yes, this even applies to a stationary ball, stone or even plastic bottle. It means that in its past experience he has seen it move, even if was you or the wind that made it move. the only thought in his brain is that it can be made to move.
STALKING
After the eyeing comes the stalking, they will approach the target slowly and stealthy in stalking mode as they need to get as close as possible before the target moves away.
THE CHASE
As soon as the target moves, the chase is on. The faster the target moves, the faster the chase will be. The chase fires high amounts of adrenaline into the dog's body which will fuel the speed and stamina he will require to keep up with the target.
This can become so ADDICITIVE for him as the whole adrenaline buzz of chasing is what a herding dog lives for. Think of how many dogs are addicted to chasing a ball and will continuously bring the ball back to you so that you will throw it for them to chase. They will literally keep chasing for as long as you are prepared to throw it
even he they have gone past a safe state of playtime.

There is more to this post but for now l will finish here and continue another time. So far, this post has been produced with the help in part from the awesome books by Carol Price who has owned many border collies, l do recommend anyone who has a herding type of dog to read her books, so is so much to learn from this awesome author.

06/26/2025

This my dog, (who is practising to be a parrot in her next life , lol), she loves be my helper dog in some of the private sessions, but when she needs a chosen safe spot to be in if the dog is to high energy for her this is her favorite place to be, high enough so that the dog cant bother her, but she still gets the best possible view of what is going on around her.

06/25/2025

LOOKING FOR FEED BACK ON A POSSIBLE FUTURE EVENT. I have been doing lots of research because l want to put Bear the pyrenes that l have been working with to become a service dog for his owner through a Canine Good neighbour or Canine Good Citizen test.
He is progressing well in most tasks but l really want to do a mock test with him before l consider registering him to do the real test with a certified professional evaluator.
l was wondering if anyone else wants to put their own dogs though a mock test to see what areas they need to work on the most with their dog's everyday skill set.
A Canine Good Neighbor test would include the following 12 elements
1. Accepting a Friendly stranger.
2. Politely Accepts petting
3. Appearance and Grooming
4. Out for a walk
5. Walking through a crowd.
6. Sit and Down on command and stay in place
7. Come with called
8.Praise and interaction
9. Reaction to a passing dog
10. Reaction to distractions
11. Supervised isolation
12. walking through a door or gate.

I am hoping to do the mock test during this summer break, most likely on a weekend afternoon as l will need to ask for a few volunteers to help out with some parts of the test.
The mock test would be done individually with each dog so l still need to work out how long each test will take.
If there is enough interest following the mock tests l will have a good idea of what people will need to work on the most and can start to consider a possible future call in the fall time and how many sessions, we would need to cover all the 12 parts of the test.

just on a different note as people have been asking me about the uptown manners class, yes this will be going ahead starting in September. Dates will be confirmed in the next few weeks. Yes the annual dog agility fun afternoon is going ahead on August 9th, yes if time allows, we will do a level 2 obedience in the later part of this 2025, and yes the pre-agility will be starting in September. All dates will be confirmed within the next few weeks. I was hoping to do a movement games class this summer but are having problems finding a time schedule for the whole set of 8 classes so it may have to wait until the early part of 2026 .

Back to the reason for this post, comment if you are interested or if you have any questions. It is still in the planning stage so any feedback is welcome

06/24/2025

Now that we are officially into summer season, its a good time for me to bring out some of the clearance stock items .
l have these 4 life jackets which are SMALL sizes, i am selling them for 10.00 each. the biggest ones would fit a small size fog around the size of an Jack Russell of slightly bigger, the smallest size would be for dog around 5lbs .
l am at the building most evenings, message me if you want to come and try one of your dog.

06/22/2025

Welcome to our next new set of puppy students, all sorts of shapes, sizes and personalities. looking forward to seeing how they progress through the next six weeks of classes.
Our next new set of puppy classes start on Sunday 10th August at 5.30pm.
For pups aged 3-5 months old who have had at least 2 sets of shots
register via the website www.abcdogtraining.org

06/18/2025

A few of the students from the agility skills group. They are only on week 4 in this video, but the dogs are already moving forward with much more confidence.
FOR THOSE INTEREST IN JOINING ANY OF OUR AGILUTY EVENTS AND CLASSES.
information will be coming out this week for our annual fun agility afternoon that is being held this August 10th. It is an event open to any dog with or without agility experience.
The date for the next new pre-agility class starting in September on a Wednesday evening will be given out this week then registration will be open.
Until then if you do want to be put in the notification list then do message me with your email address.

Address

721 BIG SALMON RIVER Road
Saint John, NB
E5R1L2

Website

http://www.abcdogtraining.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when ABC Dog Training Caroline Bird Cpdt - Ka posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to ABC Dog Training Caroline Bird Cpdt - Ka:

Shortcuts

About my dog training services

Caroline Bird CPDT-KA is certified dog trainer who has been teaching classes in the Saint John area for the past 13 years. She is also the owner and operator of Saint Martins dog boarding and training kennels. Her classes that are held in Saint John include puppy class, basic obedience, advanced obedience, pre agility and advanced agility. her website for classes is www.abcdogtraining.org or for the kennels www.stmartinsdogkennels.com