Umvikeli K9

09/16/2026

Umvikeli’s Fergus of Storm Dogos
February 17, 2021 – August 20, 2026

Fergus captured my heart in a way I did not fully understand until he was gone. His passing left a hole in me I did not know could be so large.

He was negligently taken before his time. Five years was not enough.

Fergus challenged me, tested me, and pushed me to my limits. I wish I could say I always responded with the patience and understanding he deserved. I did not. There are things I would give anything to go back and do differently.

But Fergus never held yesterday against me.

Every day was a new day. Somehow, despite being the person who was arguably the hardest on him, I was also the person he came running to without hesitation.

My last memory of him captures exactly who he was.

I was leaving for work, and my wife was trying to call Fergus inside from a potty break. He wasn’t ready. I jokingly called his name in my ridiculous happy-go-lucky high voice.

He immediately sprinted across the driveway, charged up the stairs, and leaped onto a dog table so we were the same height and I could love on him without bending over.

He came to me without hesitation.

More than that, he came with joy.

I didn’t know it was goodbye.

Fergus taught me something I will spend my life trying to teach people about dogs: they do not ask us to be perfect. They ask us to show up. They forgive us when we fall short and somehow love us while we are still learning how to deserve that love.

Fergus gave me that grace over and over again.

That is my cross to bear, knowing there will not be another tomorrow, another chance to do something differently, or another opportunity to call his name and watch him come running.

My final memory of him will always be Ferg running toward me.

No hesitation.
No resentment.
Nothing held against me.

Just pure joy because I had called his name.

I hope I end up wherever good dogs go when they leave us, that I get to call his name once again, and that I get to see him running toward me.

09/15/2026

What you are to me

07/05/2026

This makes me happy!

Thanks to Ryan I was able to walk my dog on trails and he didn’t respond to one single dog or human even when they rubbed up against him. We even had lunch at wild ride without even a tug!! Blessed

06/04/2026

The Power of Box Feeding

Although I am still undecided on what Zuri’s final detection odor will be, I have decided that at 8 months old and full of chaos, she needs to begin some form of formalized training. I chose box feeding as her first structured lesson, because this brain needs to learn to focus/think vs just act all the time.

Right now, she is still in the early stages. She only has to touch the activator with her nose to earn her food. Even at this foundational level, the work is massively paying off.

The most noticeable improvement has been in her impulse control and decision-making process around my wife’s very expensive Maine C**n cat. In this short video, you can see the cat actively pushing the buttons of a very young bullherder who, not long ago, would have gladly chased and has successfully caught the cat. Not because she’s a bad dog, but because she’s a young dog experiencing a massive prey-drive trigger.

I like to say that you cannot truly have a good well trained dog unless your dog has the opportunity to make bad choices and then chooses to make good choices.

05/20/2026

Two intact male mastiffs learning how to work together through mutual stress work. Controlled, managed, and mitigated exercises, while embracing the suck together, build the strongest teams.

Here we have a young semi-reactive male mastiff in a board & train program working alongside my personal demo mastiff, learning neutrality while under stress. This is the foundation of my program: building strong, stable dogs capable of going anywhere and doing everything with their handlers.

The beauty of controlled stress work is that regardless of the trigger, whether it’s intentionally orchestrated in training or imposed unexpectedly by the real world, the physiological cascade happening inside the dog is the same. Training dogs to think, regulate, and remain neutral under pressure creates reliability when it matters most.

Stable dogs aren’t born. They’re built through clear leadership, communication, exposure, accountability, and trust.

“A well-trained dog is a nuisance to no one.”

04/22/2026

Umvikeli K9 Signature Leather Leashes are officially live on the website.

Built in partnership with Harmon Leather Works, these 4-foot leashes are crafted from thick, premium leather and offered in red, natural, and black. They carry over all the functionality of our tubular nylon leashes, including the ability to be worn crossbody or around the waist—giving you hands-free control without sacrificing structure or reliability.

Every dog should have their own dedicated equipment, but when it’s time to work any dog, under any condition, this is the leash I reach for.

Purpose-built. Clean. Functional. Reliable.

Purchase here: https://www.umvikelik9.com/shop/p/umvikelis-premium-leather-4ft-signature-leash

04/03/2026

Small dogs deserve real training. Period.

Too often little dogs get labeled as “cute” instead of being held to a standard—and that’s where behavior issues start. At Umvikeli K9, we believe every dog, regardless of size, deserves clear communication, structure, and the opportunity to become a confident, well-behaved companion.

And that standard doesn’t stop at training—it extends to the gear they wear.

What you’re looking at here:
• A 1.5 mm Cobra Prong — built specifically for small dogs with precision and clarity in mind
• A 3.2 mm Cobra Prong — the same craftsmanship, scaled for larger, more powerful dogs

Both handmade by me with the same goal: give handlers the ability to communicate clearly, fairly, and effectively—no matter the dog in front of them.

Small dog. Big standard.

03/09/2026

I wholeheartedly believe that the vast majority of dog owners should pursue some type of certification with their dog. It gives you a clear, structured goal and practical steps to get there. More importantly, it gives you something to work toward together. Training with a shared objective builds communication, trust, and real teamwork between dog and handler.

Today, K9 Speirs earned his Canine Good Citizen certification.

The CGC is a structured behavior and obedience test that promotes good manners in public and responsible dog ownership. It’s also a common benchmark for working dogs as they move toward greater access, responsibility, and opportunity.

03/03/2026

Of my personal or long term foster dogs:
•Azula saved
•Mnandi unlocked (we went through 4 trainers before we found HK9)
•Speirs made
•Zuri in the making

All because of this program. I knew I found something special when I saw the vast community of stable dogs with HK9 at the center. Which prompted me to go client-> student-> instructor.

People online love to say…

“Huffman K9 is the best… but they’re expensive.”

I disagree.

Expensive is hiring multiple trainers who fail to get results — and eventually ending up here anyway.

Expensive is paying someone who makes the behavior worse, more dangerous and more difficult to deal with.

Expensive is not hiring us at all… and your dog bites a child, a neighbor, a delivery driver, or your mother-in-law.

Expensive is spending thousands on hourly consults with a “behaviorist”, heavy medication, scattered kibble on the floor, and being told euthanasia is the only option.

That’s expensive.

The truth?

We are one of the least expensive options out there.

Yes — our hourly rate on paper may look higher than some. But you’re not paying for time. You’re paying for results and here, you will get them.

We work quickly.
We work safely.
We work effectively.

And we get it done.

Huffman K9 specializes in producing some of the highest-performing working dogs in the world — and working with some of the most extreme cases out there. We never turn a dog away. No matter how dangerous the behavior. No matter how complicated the situation.

When you train here, every dollar is tied to progress.

You’re not buying sessions.
You’re buying peace.
You’re buying reliability.
You’re buying predictability.
You’re buying harmony in your home.

You’re buying happiness. You’re buying peace of mind.

If you want cheap, there are options out there but trust me, it’s deceivingly costly.
If you want it done right, we’re here.