The Story of the dog CLub
Hi, I'm Gavin.
Before founding 11 Acres, I completed a PhD and spent several years working in academia. During that time, I also spent two years volunteering with the Guide Dogs charity.
Although my career changed, one thing never did: I've always been fascinated by understanding how things work and how they can be improved.
That curiosity soon became an obsession.
I found myself spending more and more time just watching dogs - how they interacted, how they learnt from one another and how different environments influenced their behaviour.
The more time I spent observing dogs and the dog care industry, the more I realised I wanted to build something different. A place designed around dogs rather than simply accommodating them.
It all started with my Labrador, Luna. Like most owners, I wanted to give her the very best life possible.
Dogs deserve more than simply being looked after. They need opportunities to learn, explore, socialise and express the behaviours they were bred for.
My Philosophy
That simple idea became the foundation of 11 Acres | The Dog Club.
I set out to build the place I wished existed for my own dog.
A place where dogs experience changing seasons; where Labradors retrieve, Spaniels follow their noses, and every breed has the opportunity to express the instincts that make them who they are.
A place where calmness and confidence are built through experience, not chance.
A place where every decision starts with the same question:
"Does this genuinely improve the dogs' lives?"
That question still shapes everything I do.
Everything you'll see today has evolved from that question: the woodland paths, the training areas, the enrichment spaces, the Dog Club cabin with its log burner, and even the way each day is structured.
Every project has been hand built, tested, refined and often rebuilt with one purpose: to improve the lives of the dogs that spend their days here.
That's the philosophy behind 11 Acres | The Dog Club.
It's always been about the dogs.