About
One man, one van, and a growing pack.
Hugo's Dog Club was founded in 2026, but it started in a basement flat in Clifton, where Hugo lived with his wife and his ridgeback, Rafiki. City life meant the same old walk around the Downs, the same parks, the same dogs, the same lamp posts. He also kept seeing the same thing: groups of dogs milling about while their walkers stood around chatting or looking at their phones. No movement, no purpose, no enrichment — and that did not sit right with him.
It was only after moving further out into the countryside that he realised how much a dog gets from being properly stimulated — real exercise, genuine engagement and proper care. The trails around the Bristol countryside are perfect for both: the dogs run freely, socialise with their pack, sniff and explore woodland trails, charge through long grass and splash around in the streams and ponds. Each outing is a full adventure rather than a simple walk.
The dogs are not just exercising their bodies. They are engaging their senses, forming social bonds and satisfying the natural instincts that city life often suppresses.
Hugo is originally from Bath and has lived in Bristol for the past ten years. He grew up with all sorts of dogs — naughty beagles, bounding boxers, clever retrievers, even feisty chihuahuas, which his 55kg ridgeback is scared of. When he is not out with the pack he is golfing, mountain biking or trail running — most of it with Raf.
Why six
Six dogs a walk. Never more.
Plenty of walkers take eight or ten. It is more money for the same hour, and the dogs still come home tired, so on paper it works.
With six, Hugo can watch all of them at once. Temperaments can actually be matched, so a nervous dog is not spending an hour avoiding a boisterous one.
The boring but important part
Checked, insured, and happy to prove it
You are handing over a key and a member of your family. Ask to see any of this and Hugo will show you the paperwork without question.
Confirmed
Enhanced DBS check
Current, and on file. He will show you the certificate at the first visit.
Confirmed
Public liability insurance
Covering your dog while in his care, in transit and out on the trail.
Planned
Canine first aid
Not held yet — Hugo is looking to complete a canine first aid course in the coming months.
Straight answers
What Hugo does not do
Being clear about the limits is more useful than pretending there are none. If any of this is a problem, better to know now than three weeks in.
He does not take more than six
If the pack is full, you go on the list. He will tell you straight rather than squeezing you in.
He does not do solo outings
Pack walks and pack runs only. The pack is the point — the socialising, the learning from other dogs, the belonging.
He does not send a stand-in
It is Hugo or nobody. That is the point of the club, and it does mean a missed week when he is away.
He will say if a dog is not suited
Puppies join from 6 months, bitches in season sit the week out, and a dog who stays nervous or reactive around the pack will not keep coming — the safety of every dog in the pack comes first.
He cannot take aggressive dogs
We take pride in your dog's safety — unfortunately that means Hugo cannot walk any dog that is aggressive or has a history of biting.
Enquiry
Come and see for yourself
The first visit is free, at your door, and there is no obligation at the end of it. Bring the lead.