ABC Dog Training Caroline Bird Cpdt - Ka

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

08/16/2024

a better photo of the jumpers course.

08/16/2024

The course maps for Saturday 17th August. There will be printed copies available on Saturday . One is for the standard course that everyone will be doing fully supervised. The cost for two times around the course is $10.00, then if you want another challenge we have the jumpers course, this would be an extra $5.00 . the jumpers is not supervised, if a experienced person wants to follow the numbers you will see it is a master's level course so lots of chances to try out the more advanced skills.

08/15/2024

making progress this Thursday evening, the jumpers course is set up, and getting there with the standard course in the other area. More tweaks on Friday and then we should be ready for Saturday starting at 1.30pm.
Course maps will be posted later on this page.
Please note, this is a drop in event so no registration is needed. It is for dogs and owners with pr without experience.

08/15/2024

2 in 1. After all the rain last Saturday the grass has grown so much. Lola is in for training , so its a awesome opportunity to train with distractions.
Will continue setting up the course after this chore is completed. Hope to see lots of eager dogs and people on Saturday 17th August starting at 1.30 and into the afternoon.

08/14/2024

A bit of a longer video than normal, but we wanted to show people how the changes happen throughout the basic obedience course with the walking of dogs, we included the before and after as students often forget about the learning they put into achieving their final goal of having a dog that can be so much easier to own when they can understand what they need to be doing in different situations.

08/14/2024

Our latest graduating basic obedience class from last Thursday evening.
We will post a video following this showing the students progress with walking skills. Showing their first session and then the last. It was so good to see such progress with this group.

Our next new basic obedience starts Thursday 22nd August at 6.30pm. A set of 10 classes covering all the basic everyday skills that a dog needs to become a awesome canine companion.
Register via the website www.abcdogtraining.org
Next new puppy class starts on Saturday 21st September at 1.30pm
A set of 6 classes for pups aged 3-5 months old.

08/13/2024

For anyone who wants to get a little practice in at their own home before this Saturday FUN AGILITY AFTERNOON that is being held at my boarding kennels near to st martins, here is a video from my you tube channel that you will find very useful.
As a reminder NO EXPERIENCE is needed to attend this event, it is fully supervised by experienced agility helpers who will guide you through the course.
no pre-registration is needed as this is a drop in event.
If anyone does want to get any extra practice in before Saturday 17th August then you can book for a half hour private training session with me . cost is $30.00 tax included.

Are you considering looking for ways to keep your high energy dogs entertained and have considering doing agility in your own home. If so you will find the f...

08/12/2024

UPCOMING CLASSES for ABC DOG TRAINING

BASIC OBEDIENCE CLASS....THURSDAY 22ND AUGUST at 6.30pm. A set of 10 classes covering all the basic essential skills for dogs of any age or breed. A set of 10 classes . cost is $175.00 plus hst

PUPPY CLASS... SATURDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER. 1-30-2.30pm. A set of 7 classes for pups aged 3-5 months old who have had at least 2 sets of shots. Includes social playtime, theory and a introduction to basic obedience skills. Cost is $135.00 plus hst.

UPTOWN MANNERS...SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER.3-4PM. A set of 5 classes held in the outdoor area and streets of Uptown Saint John. An awesome opportunity to continue a dogs training in a environment outside of the traditional classroom. Cost is $110.00 plus hst.

PRE-AGILITY CLASSES. MONDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER. This is the first step towards learning all about the skills needed to help in agility classes. It is not on the equipment (that happens in the following set of 6 classes) , but is more about learning many essential skills that both dogs and handlers will benefit from once they start using the equipment. Cost is $140.00 plus hst for the set of 8 classes.

To register for any of the above classes go to the website www.abcdogtraining.org Replies will be sent out once the registration is received.
Classes are held at 1250 Latimore lake road. Saint John. A spacious fully equipped, air conditioned and heated room.

08/11/2024

AGRESSION DISPLAYS AND TRIGGERS. To a person who does not know the background of this dog, or who does not understand about certain triggers for dogs then do read on to learn more.
There is always a reason why dogs do anything, and for this dog it means she is using her survival instinct in an attempt to make me go away.
l was warned about this by the owner and when l found out why l do totally understand why this normally cute, friendly little dog (outside of her kennel area) will act in this way.
She was rescued from a meat market in China or maybe it was Vietnam, but either way her past memories have now become her triggers for her to survive as certain sounds, and situations can cause the old memories to come back.
When l close the metal door to her kennel sleeping area she throws herself at my fingers as l push the latch down , she nipped me yesterday when l was not fast enough. The trigger for this would have been the memory of being crammed into a metal holding pen before being sent to market, she is very reactive around food as she probably had to compete with other dogs for food or may just not have never be feed during her time of being held before the market day.
Removing her leash from her collar is impossible if she is around her kennel area, downstairs by the main door is no problem, but around her kennel it brings back memories of being bound up with tape on her legs and mouth to prevent her from biting anyone before she is killed for meat.
I am sure she has come a long way from the time she was adopted by her owners who were working in this country. We expect so much of dogs without stopping to think about what is causing their present reactions. Like humans they also have triggers that will bring back memories, nothing just happens for without a reason.

08/10/2024

AGILITY FUN AFTERNOON ON SATURDAY 10TH AUGUST IS POSTPONED UNTIL SATURDAY 17TH AUGUST.
Same time, same place, but hopefully with lots of sunshine next Saturday afternoon.

08/10/2024

Due to rain, we will make a decision by 11am on Saturday if we are going ahead with the agility fun event.

08/09/2024

08/08/2024

Gigi update post , its been a while since l last posted about Gigi, When she arrived at my kennels a few months ago she was the most depressed and scared dog l have ever seen in my 18 years of working with dogs.
l have a few videos of her progress on my you tube channel but l need to post more as in the past weeks she has started to make amazing good progress and we are hoping that we will now be able to find her a forever home.
She is a rescue dog from the group A LITTLE AT A TIME RESCUE, so if after reading this post you might be interested in possibly being her new forever home then you would need to contact this group. They are not asking a rehoming fee for her, but that does not mean we will not be picky about where she is going to.
She is making amazing progress but she for a while will need to in a home that has a secure fenced in yard area and is reasonably quiet. She needs a home where people can give her the chance to come to them in her own time as opposed to overwhelming her with too much attention.
She is 10 years old and seems to be in good health, we have not be able to do a vet checkup yet due to how scared she was of everything. Being moved from place to place is traumatic for any dog so adding a vet visit to this stress was not a fair thing to do to her.
I am prepared to do meet and greets with SUITABLE people at my training center in Saint John, we need to do this right as we need a final forever home for her.
So far she does well among big and small dogs, she has recently made friends with the shepherd dog in the attached photo, but until a few days ago her usual stance was just to stand away from other dogs and not try to interact with them.
She leash walks out with dogs every morning and loves it, she has gone from tail tucked under, throwing herself on the floor to avoid being walks, trying to hide to avoid having a leash put on to transforming to a dog that loves walks, tail up high and now wagging because she loves the experience.
I have been hand feeding her every evening since she has been at the kennels, this has really paid off for her as she will now take treats and food from my hands. Before she would run away and hide until l went away, then she would come out and eat when she thought it was safe.
Touching any part of her body was impossible when she first arrived, she would flatten herself on the ground and shudder if anyone touched her, she would also pooh herself out of fear in the early days, I can now massage her ears, rub her chest area, massage her chin and hold eye contact with her during this process. She still tries to move away a bit but is gradually starting to relax when i bring my hands towards her.
I am hoping in a few weeks' time she will be even more ready to go to a new forever home. If you have read this far and are interested to reach out.
l will try and get together a few more videos of her progress.

08/07/2024

Following the weather trends for this Saturday afternoon, it is not looking good at the moment, but may change!!!!
keep CHECKING in, especially on Saturday morning for any updates.
If we do need to cancel because of the weather we have a new date for the following Saturday.

08/06/2024

NEW PUPPY CLASS starts on Saturday 21st September 1.30pm. For pups aged 3-5 months old. www.abcdogtraining.org

08/05/2024

Roxy and Tazzy had lots of fun on Saturday afternoon when they came to try out the agility equipment in a private half hour supervised session. It was a great confidence booster for them.
If anyone else wants to try this out before the agility fun afternoon on Saturday 10th August, held at my kennels near to saint Martin's then l have a few spots available on Wednesday afternoon and one spot available on Thursday evening from 8.30-9pm.
message me if you are interested.
This is not needed if you want to come along on Saturday for the fun afternoon, it's just a extra option for anyone who thinks it would benefit their dogs to try it out before Saturday or even just for a dog that likes to have a little supervised fun. the half hour private is $30.00 , this includes the hst.

08/04/2024

Throwback photos from last years fun agility afternoon sent to me by Karie. Her dog called Sidney was then 9 months old, and after the event he joined the agility classes and is still loving all the opportunities to learn even more about this fun sport.
Just a reminder that to attend this fun afternoon event you or your dog do NOT have any agility experience It is fully set up with supervision for new and experienced dogs and their owners.
No registration needed, just come along and join in with the fun, bring a chair and enjoy our beautiful scenery in the bay view area.

08/04/2024

UPTOWN MANNERS CLASS. Saturday 14th September at 3-4pm. A lot of people have been asking about this class so l will explain the details in this post.
It is only being held once this year starting In September. This is a set of 5 classes, cost is $110.00 plus hst .
This is NOT an obedience training class; it is for dogs who have the basic skills and are continuing building on their skills in a new environment outside with lots more new distractions.
If you are new to basic obedience training then it is best to register for our new class starting on Thursday 22nd September, this would be held at the training building at 1250 Latimore Lake road. Saint John.
The uptown manners class is held at Queens Square, uptown area. We do a little bit of learning for new skills that will be needed in a city street environment, then we do group walks to lots of different places in the uptown area, each week will be a different location with a new challenge for the dogs and their handlers.

So if you are looking for a new learning challenge with your dog do sign up. Registration is via the website www.abcdogtraining.org.
Register under the section of OTHER CLASSES and leave at the bottom of the form that it is for uptown manners. l will reply when l receive the form.

08/02/2024

AGILITY FUN AFTERNOON. Saturday 10th August, starts 1.30pm. No experience needed. See Our page for details.

08/02/2024

New UPTOWN MANNERS CLASS. Saturday 14th September at 3pm.
www.abcdogtraining.org to register.

08/02/2024

New BASIC OBEDIENCE CLASS starts Thursday 22nd August.
register at www.abcdogtraining.org

08/01/2024

Our latest puppy class that started on Monday evening, So many cute new faces and waggy tails, all so eager to play and learn.
For older dogs our next new basic obedience class starts on Thursday 22nd August. To register go to the website www.abcdogtraining.org
New uptown manners class date to be announced soon.
new pre-agility class date to be announced soon so do keep checking in.

07/30/2024

l have no classes to teach this evening, so my time was instead used to make a start on preparations for the agility fun afternoon that will be held on Saturday 10th August, at my kennels which is near to Saint Martins.
Did the first part of the cutting the grass surface in the main fully fenced in area. Got some fencing put up for the area where we are going to hold the second jumpers' course and starting doing painting on the equipment we will be using on the standard course.
So much more to do, but at least l have made a start.

07/29/2024

Lily the golden retriever is on for board and training. I thought this was going to be easy, But by this second session l have discovered that is not case. I am having to brainstorm some ideas for her, here is the first one i came up with.
This is the first ever golden retriever l have come across who does not love treats , Lol

Lilly , Sunday 28th August . Thought she would be a easy dog to train, but for her i am going to have to think outside the box to get her motivated.

07/22/2024

A few of the students from last weeks class as we introduced and then tested out how much fun it is to listen the word COME. It was then tested out by adding distractions to see if the dogs preferred the toys on the ground as opposed to the coming to their owners when called.
The COME command is a thing that l regularly here people express a desire for their dogs to learn when they sign up for the class. It takes us two classes to thoroughly cover this word and make it fun for the dog to respond.
IF this is something you need help with then do considering registering for our next basic obedience class starting on Thursday 22nd August at 6.30pm
register via the website www.abcdogtraining.org

07/20/2024

Our latest graduating Monday evening puppy class group.
So proud of them all. Wishing them lots of fun this summer as they get to go out exploring the new world, they are now in with their new paw parents.

07/20/2024

Puppy class, 22nd July, Basic Obedience 22nd August. AGILITY FUN DAY, 10th August. Face book page abc dog training caroline bird

07/19/2024

A while ago we were almost finished with a class course that l was teaching and one of the students asked me if she needed to prepare for some kind of test for the graduation week.
My reply was that nothing extra was needed for that week because we had to use the time to get lots more learning done in class time.

Dogs never stop learning, its go on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, It is our job to make sure they have good learning experiences.

I offer a variety of classes, and are always adding more that are created around many different dog personalities and people's ability so do keep follow or check in on this page so that you do not miss out as the new classes are announced.

Address

1250 LATIMORE LAKE Road
Saint John, NB
E2N1Y8

Website

http://www.abcdogtraining.org/

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Videos

2 in 1. After all the rain last Saturday the grass has grown so much. Lola is in for training , so its a awesome opportunity to train with distractions. Will continue setting up the course after this chore is completed. Hope to see lots of eager dogs and people on Saturday 17th August starting at 1.30 and into the afternoon.

AGRESSION DISPLAYS AND TRIGGERS. To a person who does not know the background of this dog, or who does not understand about certain triggers for dogs then do read on to learn more. There is always a reason why dogs do anything, and for this dog it means she is using her survival instinct in an attempt to make me go away. l was warned about this by the owner and when l found out why l do totally understand why this normally cute, friendly little dog (outside of her kennel area) will act in this way. She was rescued from a meat market in China or maybe it was Vietnam, but either way her past memories have now become her triggers for her to survive as certain sounds, and situations can cause the old memories to come back. When l close the metal door to her kennel sleeping area she throws herself at my fingers as l push the latch down , she nipped me yesterday when l was not fast enough. The trigger for this would have been the memory of being crammed into a metal holding pen before being sent to market, she is very reactive around food as she probably had to compete with other dogs for food or may just not have never be feed during her time of being held before the market day. Removing her leash from her collar is impossible if she is around her kennel area, downstairs by the main door is no problem, but around her kennel it brings back memories of being bound up with tape on her legs and mouth to prevent her from biting anyone before she is killed for meat. I am sure she has come a long way from the time she was adopted by her owners who were working in this country. We expect so much of dogs without stopping to think about what is causing their present reactions. Like humans they also have triggers that will bring back memories, nothing just happens for without a reason.

AGILITY FUN AFTERNOON ON SATURDAY 10TH AUGUST IS POSTPONED UNTIL SATURDAY 17TH AUGUST. Same time, same place, but hopefully with lots of sunshine next Saturday afternoon.

WE do show a lot of videos of the agility group that has been training for over a year now and are still going strong. But we rarely show the progress that the newer group from this year have been making. This was taken a few weeks ago, the new skills they are learning every week is really starting to show. Our next new pre-agility class will start in the fall time of 2024, date will be announced in mid-August, but until then do not forget about our annual fun agility afternoon that is being held at the st martins dog kennels on Saturday August 10th. All dogs of with or without agility experience are welcome to the agility fun afternoon.

When it is to hot to be running around to do training with a dog l have in for board and train, then it is a good idea to do it sitting down! But really all training should be done with the owners in all sorts of different positions, if l only ever recalled the dogs while in a stand position they would think it only applied when l was in the stand position they had always used. This is why l always train everything with a verbal word so if they get confused they can respond to the words they have learned.

Luna is making good progress as she has been coming for private training sessions at my kennels. Her owner is noticing how much easier it is for her to chill out now at her home. She is loving her training sessions as she is learning impulse control, now we just need to get her to listen when she is in a heightened state of arousal when she is around other dogs. So this is why she is practicing taking commands when she is in a excited state of mind. She thinks it is fun as she follows her owner's instructions much more quickly than she usually would. And for all of her quick responses she gets to chase her favorite ball.

Our annual AGILITY FUN afternoon will be held on Saturday 10th AUGUST 2024 at my boarding kennels location near to Saint Martins. For this year l am looking for feedback for anyone that might want to do a 1/2 hour private lesson with me one week before the event. This would be a session so that l could safely introduce your dog to the equipment before you try out the real set up course at my kennels on the following Saturday. For dogs attempting a tunnel, a-frame, dog walks etc it can be a very daunting experience, with this time we could go through many of the common parts of the equipment that dogs struggle with in the beginning. Cost would be $30.00 for the session, this includes the hst. Spots would need to be booked in advance. The Fun agility event at my kennels is open to any one or any dog with or without agility experience. More details will be posted in the coming weeks for the event so do keep checking in.

We added a new challenge for the agility group students. They were asked to complete the set up BUT this time with their hands in their pockets or behind their backs. There are a lot of different ways that students communicate with dogs during a run, take one of these communication tools away and it really tests the other skills that the students now have to use. It was really interesting to watch how the dogs and students worked through this new challenge.

Just wanted to give a shout out to these two students and their dogs who graduated the basic obedience class last week. They both had individual reasons for coming to class . Oliver the duck Toller was almost on his way back to the breeder because of his behavior issues, but we did some privates and then the group class. l am very happy to say that now Oliver will now be staying with his owners forever. The little dog called Roxy came to class because her owner wanted to help her get over her issue of always barking at everyone. She did so well, now to test out if she can be as calm when she is at the owner's holiday cottage around lots of new challenges around her. The classes are not just about sits, downs, stays, comes etc. It has so many other benefits for the dogs. if you want to join in our next class it will start on Thursday 22nd August. The next new puppy class is Monday 22nd July. to register go to the website www.abcdogtraining.org

Gigi update for anyone that saw the post last week about her. It has been over a month now and so far when we go to take her for a walk she always pulls back, and we have to coax her to go through the kennel door to the outside area. We take her with other dogs in the hope that one day she will get used to being relaxed around other dogs and enjoy their company. Today's big SMILEY moment happened when she decided to go out of the dog first, all by herself without being coaxed out. So many people would not even think of this as an issue, for Gigi it is a scary thing to cross that threshold, but it looks like her daily walks are becoming more rewarding as they mean only positive things are now happening in her life. We are hoping in the future to find Gigi a forever home, but until then we will continue to help her forward in her rehabilitation while searching for that new home.

Just a reminder that we have our annual AGILITY FUN AFTERNOON happening on Saturday August 10th, open to anyone with or without agility experience. More details will be following in the next month about this event. Our next set of pre-agility classes will start in September 2024, message me if you want to be put on the notification list for any agility related events. On the subject of this video, really impressed with my dog as she usually demolishes most jumps that are in her line of sight, lol.

Piper is from is making it look so easy to do the STAY on your matt exercises, we were low on dog distractions for this part of the training so we substituted a few other common distractions, plus my own dog. In the back ground is Trapper who benefited from the opportunity to practice the DOWN with only a few distractions in the room. Kudos for a great learning job with both of the dogs.

Working with Summer the lab dog who has impulse control issues around some dogs. You do not need another dog present to get started with teaching a few impulse control exercises (The other dog you can hear in the video is my own dog who is in her crate, but is bark protesting because she wants to be able to catch the ball that l am using as a distraction for Summer.

To be able to help the students to the best of their ability my class helpers get to work with other people's dogs when they get the chance. Every dog is a individual with different personality so a chance to work with CJ the shepherd is always a good opportunity for both my helpers and CJs owner.

Addison happily graduated from the level 2 basic obedience class on Thursday evening. This is what she has to say about the course. I do not translate doggy singing so l will just take it that she was very happy about the class and its content. lol

Life is always more run when you get to practice the COME command with a new friend. Pyrson the Pyrenes (or the big white fluffy one) is in for training and loves this training method.

the students did not know it last night in class, but they were running a masters standard course work!!!! wow, what a difference a year makes for the training for all the dogs.

A few weeks ago our introduction to the agility equipment class students finished up the course work by putting together everything that the dogs have learned so far. This week they will be moving onto the next agility section which is all about their handling skills. They will have a year of classes ahead of them where they will be many high and lows as they make progress with their dogs, but if they put the effort in the result will be amazing. Looking forward to working with the new students in class time. If anyone was in the skills classes last year and had to stop for any reason , but would like to rejoin again then message me as l have a few spots available in the new groups.

Most of the time people just look at the final video of the finished behavior. They hardly ever think back to the beginning stages. This is some of our new agility class students being introduced the A frame for the very first time, for some it was a challenge, but they trusted in their owners (who are also new to this sport) and together it will be awesome to see their confidence grow with each passing class.

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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