The Cloud K9 Story

Meet Archie

Cloud K9 exists because of Archie, our rescue Dobermann, who we love more than anything in the world.

We brought him home at eight months old, a rescue Dobermann, and our first dog together. We’d both grown up with dogs, we’d done all the research, we were so set on the breed, but honestly, none of that really prepares you for the reality of a rescue Dobermann.

We didn’t know much about his background. It took him quite a while to settle and trust us. At first, he used to go and sit on the sofa in the other room away from us (he doesn’t leave us alone now 😂).

Then it came to training, and training was hard, like properly frustrating at times. We tried loads of things, worked with professionals, and for a while, it just felt like nothing was really clicking.

What we eventually realised is that training doesn’t work on its own. You can’t just focus on commands and expect them to stick. A dog needs enough exercise, proper mental stimulation, structure, consistency, all of it. And it’s only when you start getting those things right that training actually begins to fall into place.

But getting there showed us two big problems.

First was enrichment. Archie needed to chew, not just for five minutes, but properly. It’s a real need, especially for a dog like him. But everything we found was either rawhide, full of stuff we didn’t trust, or just didn’t last. And with a Dobermann, if it’s not right, it’s gone in minutes.

Second was treats. The usual supermarket ones just didn’t work at all. He wasn’t interested in the slightest, and if your dog doesn’t care about what you’re offering, training becomes much harder than it needs to be. We ended up making our own, cooking meatballs at home and taking them out for training sessions with us. It worked, but it’s not exactly ideal walking around with a bag of meat in your treat pouch. One thing it did show us is how important real ingredients are.

At that point, it was just like… why is this so hard to get right?

We wanted proper natural and high value training treats that dogs actually want to work for. And proper chews that last, made from ingredients you don’t have to second-guess. We couldn’t find everything we wanted in one place, so we just decided to do it ourselves.

That’s when we decided to start Cloud K9. The biggest thing we took from everything with Archie is how much easier it all gets when you actually understand what your dog needs. The right ingredients, proper enrichment, knowing why your dog is behaving a certain way and what genuinely helps. Get those things right and everything improves, for the dog and for you.

So Cloud K9 has always been about more than selling treats. We want to give owners the tools to make better decisions for their dogs, whether that’s through what they’re feeding them, how they’re providing enrichment, or getting the best out of training.

Our range of natural dog treats and chews has helped Archie and so many other dogs and owners since.

In August 2025, Archie was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a heart condition that Dobermanns are especially prone to. He’s on medication, and he’s doing well. When we got Archie’s diagnosis, it made everything we were already doing feel even more important.

We’re also really proud to be rated Excellent by the most trusted UK dog food reviewer, All About Dog Food.

James & Ella, founders of Cloud K9