Hawk Canine

18/06/2026

16/06/2026

Sometimes, I put far too much pressure on myself.

I need to get this organised.
I need to sort that out.
Am I doing enough with the dogs?
Am I doing enough with the business?
Where am I heading next?

I think a lot of this comes from the military mindset. We are always busy, always planning, always looking for the next thing to achieve. If I take 5 minutes to do nothing, there is a part of me that feels guilty because I’m not being productive.

And that’s when the doubts start creeping in.

It’s amazing how quickly your mind can make you feel like everything is falling apart, even when it isn’t. How quickly you can go from feeling like you’re making progress to feeling completely empty.

I forget the little things.

The things that actually matter.

That’s why these moments in the woods mean so much.

Just me and the dogs.
Training. Learning. Playing. Existing in our own little bubble.

Watching Flik understand something we have been working on for weeks instantly puts a smile on my face. Watching Ursula run around, still doing things her own way and keeping everyone in check, reminds me how lucky I am.

It brings me back to reality.

Because at the end of the day, it’s me and the dogs.

Everything else is a bonus.

With it being Mental Health Awareness Month, I thought it was important to share this.

For those who don’t know, I was medically discharged from the military 18 months ago after struggling with severe depression. These feelings still happen more often than I probably tell people.

Life is stressful.
Running a business is stressful.
Training two dogs, especially with one who is blind, brings its own challenges.
Living in a van brings its own challenges.

But we keep moving forward.

One thing I’ve learned is that moving forward doesn’t always mean pushing harder. Sometimes, it means recognising when you need to slow down, reset, and focus on the things that actually matter.

Nothing comes to the person who gives up.

But sometimes, we need to remind ourselves why we started the journey in the first place.

15/06/2026

Tracking isn’t just about the dog being “on” the whole way… it’s about the team.

Yes, Flik has to follow the track, but I have a job too. I need to understand when he is working, when he is unsure, and when he has genuinely lost the track.

The biggest part of tracking is learning your dog’s changes in behaviour. The moment I see that change, it’s down to me to remember the last point where I knew he was committed to the track, bring him back to that area, recast him, and let him work it out.

It’s not me telling him where to go… it’s us working together to solve the problem.

This was Flik’s first track over 300 metres, so I’ll be honest, I thought we may have overcooked it slightly. But the big lad had other ideas.

He absolutely smashed it.

Even when he lost the track, he trusted the process. We came back, found the last solid point, recast, and he got straight back to work.

That’s what it’s all about, building a partnership where both sides trust each other.

The dog isn’t just a tool. They’re your teammate. 🐺

If you’re in Hereford this Thursday, we’ll be down at HR4K talking about my career, business, dogs, mental health, and finishing off with a little demo of Flik’s training.

Come down, say hello, and see what we’re about.

For the equipment and tools we use to train like us, check out the link in the bio.

11/06/2026

Pros and cons of knowing where the track goes?

I think it massively depends on what stage of training you're at.

If you're starting out, knowing where the track goes is ideal. You need to know your dog understands the exercise and is genuinely following the track.

But the further on in training we get, I actually think tracking blind becomes important.

Because I start questioning myself…

Is Flik understanding and tracking, or am I unconsciously queuing him the whole way?

Am I only allowing him forward when he’s on the line I expect, holding him back when he’s actually right, or am I reading him properly and allowing him to work?

At the earlier stages though, if I have absolutely no idea where the track goes and Flik decides he’s tracking… I could end up just having a leisurely stroll through the woods and calling it training.

That’s the importance of learning as a team.

I need to read Flik’s body language.
Know when he’s lost the track.
Know when he’s actively searching for it again.
And know when to help him re-cast and let him solve the problem.

I think there are pros and cons to both approaches and, like everything in the dog world, everyone has a different opinion.

As the old saying goes:
“There’s only one thing two dog trainers agree on… the third one is doing it wrong.”

So I’d love to know what everyone else thinks.

Next step for us?

We’re getting people to run off into the woods and we’re coming to find you.

That’s when we’ll know if he’s truly tracking.

So if anyone wants to volunteer to get lost in the woods while Flik hunts you down… give me a shout.

Also, link in bio. We don’t just wander around the woods looking suspicious, we also make dog equipment.

20% off apparel still live, plus collars, leads, training jackets, harnesses, muzzles, and more in the works.

10/06/2026

The truth is, the majority of my training looks like this.

For me, playing and engaging with your dog is one of the biggest rewards you can give them. Finishing sessions with play builds the bond, builds engagement, and creates a dog that wants to work because they know what comes next.

So much of my training over the years has been built around play. Whether I was training patrol dogs, search dogs, or UKSF dogs, a huge amount of the work involved me getting involved with the dog, building that relationship, teaching new skills, and fixing problems along the way.

Flik is actually the first dog I've ever gone out and chosen for myself. Every dog before him was handed to me with the instruction: "Train this dog."

So where do you start?

You start by getting to know the dog in front of you.

What motivates them?
What makes them tick?
What are they willing to work for?

Understanding the dog in front of you is one of the most important skills you can develop as a trainer.

And when in doubt?

Get a toy out, act like an idiot, and see what happens.

You might be surprised by the reaction you get.

If you're looking for toys to build engagement and reward your dog, check out our Play Bundle via the link in our bio. Flik absolutely loves the foam ball and bite bar.

08/06/2026

Hey Team,

A few of you noticed all the shaven spots on Ursula and have been messaging asking what's going on.

I won't lie. When it comes to Ursula, my brain immediately jumps to worst-case scenarios. After everything she's done and everything we've been through together, seeing her unwell is never easy. But the good news is she's back with us, back to bossing the team around, and making sure Flik doesn't get too big for his boots.

As always, keeping busy was the key.

We've just wrapped up our latest giveaway, and the winner put together an awesome video for us. If you haven't seen it yet, go and check it out.

We've also got a big restock on the way with collars, leads, and a load of other bits that I've ordered and probably forgotten about already.

Planning is underway for our upcoming training day/seminar (we still haven't decided what we're calling it). As soon as we've locked in a date and location, we'll get all the details out to you.

We've also got a few speaking engagements coming up. The first is with Herefordshire Veterans Support Hub at HR4K, followed by a talk for new recruits during their Realities of War Day. We've also had a few businesses reach out and ask us to come and speak to their teams, which is something I'm really looking forward to.

And of course, the big lad's training is coming along nicely. Don't worry, I'll be climbing back onto the content train properly, so you'll all be able to follow his progress over the coming weeks.

Lastly, if you've somehow managed to forget, we're still running 20% off all apparel items as a thank you for all the support you've shown us recently.

Thank you all for sticking with us, supporting the journey, and being part of the Hawk K9 community.

Kieron, Ursula, Flik & the Hawk K9 Team

02/06/2026

25/05/2026

Hawk K9 bite table dropping soon 👀🔥

Our first bite table is officially built and ready to go. We started off with a few smaller scale versions to test what worked and what didn’t, if you came along to Crufts, you probably saw the early version in person.

But now… this is the real thing.

This is just a quick glimpse before the next phase begins.

Once we are happy with everything, these will start being produced right here in Hereford

One of the best parts? You’ll also be able to send in your own logo or design, and we can engrave it into the side of the table to make it personal to you, your kennel, or your team.

If you have any questions, want more info, or want to know when they’ll be available, send us a DM, and we’ll get back to you.

Built by dog people, for dog people. 🐾

Join the Pack🦅🐕

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