Overnight stays
Can I bring my dog's own food and bed?
Owners packing for a first stay tend to bring too much. Here is what a Dogtown suite already has, what we ask you to bring, what to leave in the car, and how food and bedding actually work across a stay at 210 Eastern Ave.
The short version
Bring the food, one comfort item and the medications; leave the bed
The what-to-bring list for an overnight stay is short on purpose. Food, pre-portioned into meals. Any medications, with instructions. One small item that smells like home. Everything else, including bedding and enrichment, is here. That keeps the suite uncluttered, keeps your things from getting lost in the laundry, and keeps the hand-over at the door to about a minute, which matters when you are dropping off at 6:30 AM before the train.
A bed from home is the thing people most want to bring and the thing the suite least needs. Every suite has bedding already, a raised cot or bed with a blanket. If there is a reason your dog must have a specific bed, an orthopedic condition or a vet's advice, tell the front desk when you book and ask whether it fits the suite. Otherwise the Deluxe bundle is the built-in upgrade.
- Food: yes, portioned by meal, labeled with your dog's name
- Medications: yes, with written dosing instructions
- One comfort item: a blanket or a toy that smells like home
- A bed: not needed, bedding is provided; ask before bringing one
- Bowls and toy bags: not needed, we have plenty
How it works at Dogtown: food
Your food, your portions, our schedule
Keeping a dog on its own food during a stay is the best way to avoid an upset stomach, so we ask you to bring it rather than switching to a house diet. Portion each meal into its own bag or container and mark the number of meals. That way the handler feeding your dog on Sunday morning is not guessing at a scoop size, and any change in appetite is easy to see and tell you about.
Bring a day more than the stay needs. Nor'easter weeks on Cape Ann close Logan and Route 128 with very little notice, and a stay that was meant to end Thursday can end Saturday; a spare portion or two means we are not improvising. Raw, fresh or refrigerated diets, supplements and anything with special handling should be flagged to the front desk when you book so we can confirm what we can accommodate.
How it works at Dogtown: bedding
Every suite is already made up
The suites at Dogtown come with bedding: a raised cot or a bed and a blanket, cleaned between guests. A dog does not walk into a bare room. Your one comfort item goes on top of that, and a blanket that has been on your couch in Rockport for a month does more for a dog's sense of home than a whole bed does, because scent is what dogs read.
The Dogtown Deluxe bundle, $15 a night on top of the $78 rate, swaps the standard bedding for an upgraded orthopedic memory-foam bed and adds a gourmet stuffed Kong or Toppl, a daily treadmill or enrichment session and 15 percent off grooming. For seniors, heavy breeds and dogs recovering from a hard beach season, the bed alone is often the reason people choose it.
Packing
Pack the stay in five minutes the night before
Everything goes into one bag with your dog's name on it. Hand it over at the door inside your window and tell the handler anything that is not written down. If the Pup Van is collecting your dog, $10 each way in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, the same bag goes in the van, and the driver passes on your notes at the desk.
- 01
Count the nights, add a day, and portion each meal into a labeled bag or container
- 02
Put medications in their original containers with a written schedule
- 03
Pick one comfort item: a worn blanket or a favorite toy, nothing precious
- 04
Write down your vet's name and your travel contact for the front desk
- 05
Check the collar tag and leash; that is all your dog wears in
- 06
Leave bowls, beds and toy bags at home unless the front desk asked for something specific
What it means for your dog
Familiar food and one familiar smell are what settle a dog
Puppies get the most from consistency: the same kibble at the same times, and a blanket from the crate at home. Bring the puppy food you are feeding now, not the adult food you are planning to switch to next month. Adults are usually fine with the standard bedding and a single toy; the daycare day tires them enough that the suite is for sleeping, not nesting.
Seniors are where the bedding question is real. Arthritic hips do better on a thicker surface, which is what the Deluxe bed is for, and a senior's medications and diet need to be written down in detail. If your older dog eats a prescription diet or takes something at odd hours, say so at booking and again at the door.
- Puppies: current puppy food, portioned, and the crate blanket
- Adults: standard bedding plus one toy is enough
- Seniors: consider the Deluxe orthopedic bed; write out medications and diet
- Any dog: pack a spare day of food for weather delays
At Dogtown
What the suite comes with
Bedding is standard, and the enrichment menu covers the chews and puzzles you might otherwise pack.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Do you feed a house food if I do not bring any?
Can I bring my dog's crate for the suite?
What counts as a comfort item?
Will you follow a special diet or a raw food during the stay?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Keep reading
Next step
Pack light. We have the rest.
Food, medications and one comfort item. Book the free weekday-morning evaluation and we will show you the suite your dog will sleep in.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
