Roben Kennedy Reward The Calm Dog Training & Pet Concierge

12/06/2025

Excellent idea! I use a couple of RSMs but could definitely use more with my own two busy boys!

12/05/2025

These dogs taught me to slow down, listen deeper, and meet every dog where they are.
They’re the reason Reward The Calm Dog Training & Pet Concierge exists today.

Your turn — who’s the dog that changed YOU? Tag them, share a pic, or drop their name below. 🐾💛

PS please forgive the typo— autocorrect changed confORmation to confirmation! 🤦🏻‍♀️

12/03/2025

As dog trainers who specialize in dog, baby and toddler safety, this is something that we wish more parents knew…

You’d baby and toddler do not have the cognitive ability yet to understand what “be gentle” means!

We see many viral videos of parents or get calls from parents becoming frustrated at their child for hitting or grabbing the dog’s fun after they tell them to “be gentle” or not following simple instructions like “pet the dog nicely”

But why is this?

Your child’s pre-frontal cortex is not developed yet!

Everything that it is responsible for, such as emotional regulation and the executive functioning umbrella (for things such as self control and inhibition) doesn’t exist yet.

The ability to follow instructions reliably isn’t even developed until they are 3.5 to 4 years old. 

This is why we always say “dog and baby on the scene, a parent in between” as well share the 4 Pillars of Dog Aware!

It is our responsibility as parents to help advocate for our dogs as well as our children by implementing developmentally appropriate ways for them to safely engage with eachother!

Follow our page for a video tomorrow being shared about how we can help safely engage in developmentally appropriate activities to help teach our children about being Dog Aware!

12/03/2025

Sharing a quick training win with my Rottie, Fynn, who’ll be three on Christmas Day. (We adopted him almost 2 years from a local shelter & was found on the freeway!)

Fynn’s learning to file his own nails using a scratch board!

With clear marker training, even nail care becomes calm, confidence building & cooperative. If your dog struggles with grooming or handling, cooperative care can make a big difference.

Happy to answer questions anytime!

•Certified Family Dog Mediator
• Licensed Family Paws Parent Educator
•25+ Years Experience • Pet Sitting • Dog Walking •Cooperative Care

12/01/2025

Cooper’s 17-month old Rottie brain actually logged in today 😍🛜 He offered heel, fired off automatic check-ins, and chose connection over chaos!
That’s emotional regulation, babe, the REAL fix for reactivity and over-arousal. Impulse control from a teenage Rottie? Frame this moment! 😂🐾💛

12/01/2025

Age matters when puppies are removed from mama dog.

🩺🐶 It's hard to know when you should bring your puppy home. There are circumstances outside of your control such as when the breeder will let you take the puppy home and when you are at the shelter or rescue looking at puppies.

Sometimes, puppies are abandoned by the mother or found by rescuers and you may be adopting your puppy before six weeks of age or later than 12 weeks of age.

📚In this study, researchers examined 20 litters of German Shepherd puppies. They were all housed identically. Half the puppies were separated from mom at six weeks of age and the other half were kept with their mother at 12 weeks of age. All puppies were kept with their litters and socialized to humans in the same way. Puppies who were separated from mom at six weeks were more likely to get sick and/or die when compared with puppies who were separated from mom at 12 weeks. Also, they gained less weight (failure to thrive) when compared with pups separated at 12 weeks.

👉You don't always have control over the circumstances, but you can be aware of the effects of adoption at certain ages. If your pup was separated from the mother before 8 weeks, he or she may be more likely to be sick.

Some studies have correlated illness as a puppy with fear, anxiety and aggression. This may be due to the lack of socialization due to illness or some other factor that we have yet to discover.

Socialization leveled the playing field for these pups behaviorally. Socialization is sooo important.

📄Here's the research: The effect of early separation from the mother on pups in bonding to humans and pup health. JM Slabbert, OAE Rasa, Journal of the South African Veterinary Association, 1993;64:4–8. (See link in comments.)

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from your friendly neighborhood dog trainer & pet concierge!

We are incredibly thankful and grateful for all of our wonderful clients, past, present and future! May you all have a wonderful holiday with your family, both two legged and four!

*training *pet sitting *dog walking *transport

11/26/2025

This photo may not look like much, but after 18 months of patience, love and relationship-based behavioral exercises, Matilda FINALLY allowed her VERY FIRST LEASH! She was found in a field and trusts very few humans so this moment was A M A Z I N G! (I’ve edited out Matilda’s dad for privacy, so just imagine the joy & pride on his face!)

Her owner’s dedication has been incredible! Being able to watch this brave girl grow in confidence & learn to trust has been an incredible honor.

Working with Matilda on this so-called simple act has also been one of my greatest joys. She also took a treat from me and licked my hand… also a HUGE first… at this lesson. I’ve never asked her to even attempt to approach me so I teared up. Sometimes the teeny tiny things are the biggest accomplishments. Enjoy those moments!

These are the moments that remind us why calm, compassionate, behavioral-based training matters!

Congratulations to Team Matilda!

11/23/2025

Flashback to puppy Cooper at 8 months. He’s locked in like she hung the moon and signs his paycheck! 😂💛✨Future Dog Trainer in the making😍THIS is why we train with calm, relationship-based skills at Reward The Calm Dog Training🐾

11/23/2025

Dress rehearsal without the dog? Why YES! That’s an excellent idea!!!

11/19/2025

11/18/2025

Hey everyone! 💛🐾
After years of training, pet sitting, and supporting families and their dogs, I finally created my Google Business Page (yes… finally! 😅). My business has always been through word of mouth, but now I’m upgrading the “virtual” side. 😍

If you’ve worked with me in the past — whether through dog training, behavior support, Family Paws, Cooperative Care, or pet sitting — I would be so incredibly grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a quick review on Google (and here on FB too if you’re so inclined!)

https://g.page/r/CYN6XI7Xq-QyEAE/review

(You do have to log into Google first)

Your words help other families feel confident choosing gentle, relationship-based support for their dogs.

So thankful for my heart & soul ^Smokey^ Gone 4 years but NEVER forgotten!