Overnight stays
Do you send updates during an overnight stay?
The hardest part of a first stay is the silence between drop-off and pick-up. Dogtown fills it with report cards, photos and a message line to the front desk, all inside one app. Here is what arrives, when to expect it and how to read it.
The short version
Report cards, photos and a message line, all in the Dogtown app
Updates run through the Dogtown app. Your dog's report card, which the app calls a pawgress report, tells you how the day went; the photos show it; and the messages tab connects you to the front desk if you have a question or a change of plans. The same app books the stay, adds enrichment and shows the weekly deals, so everything about the stay lives in one place.
The updates are the same for one night and for a fortnight. Whether you are at a wedding in Essex or on a flight out of Logan, the app works wherever you have a signal. If you would rather talk, the front desk answers the phone during opening hours, 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM on weekdays and 8 AM to 6 PM on Saturdays. Sunday is drop-off and pick-up only, 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM.
- Report cards, called pawgress reports, on how the day went
- Photos of your dog in the group or settled in the suite
- Messages to and from the front desk inside the app
- The phone line for anything urgent during opening hours
How it works at Dogtown
Set the app up before the first night, not from the departure lounge
Install the app from the App Store or Google Play and sign in with the details from your new customer form. If a partner or a Rockport neighbor should also hear from us while you travel, tell the front desk and they will confirm how additional contacts are recorded. Then book the stay in the app, including any enrichment add-ons, so the record is complete before drop-off.
At drop-off, mention anything you want the report card to cover: appetite, a sore paw from a week of Wingaersheek walks, a habit of skipping breakfast on the first morning away. The more specific the note, the more useful the update. Then leave. Replaying the lobby in your head does no good; the first report card will tell you more.
- 01
Download the Dogtown app from the App Store or Google Play
- 02
Sign in with the details from your new customer form and turn on notifications
- 03
Book the stay in the app and add any enrichment, such as a lick mat or a frozen Kong
- 04
At drop-off, tell us what you want to hear about: appetite, sleep, a particular playmate
- 05
Watch for report cards and photos, and reply through messages if anything changes
- 06
Message before the last day to add a bath or a full groom before pick-up
What it means for your dog
Read the report card for appetite, sleep and play, in that order
A puppy's first report card should tell you two things: whether it ate, and whether it slept. Puppies away from home for the first time often skip the first meal and make it up at the next one. A report that says the pup ate dinner and slept through is the whole story; the play details are the bonus.
For an adult, look at who your dog played with and for how long. Playgroups are 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, so the names that recur are your dog's circle. A report card that shows the same two or three playmates across a stay is a sign the group is right. A quiet report is not a bad one; some adults spend the day sniffing and napping.
For a senior or a dog with a health condition, the report cards are a record you can hand to your vet: appetite, water, stiffness after the day, how quickly they settled at night. If a report says something you did not expect, message the front desk straight away rather than waiting for pick-up. That is what the message line is for.
- Puppies: ate and slept is the headline; play is the bonus
- Adults: recurring playmates mean the group is right
- Seniors: keep the report cards as a record for your vet
What a report card is
A report card is a handler's account of the day, not a live feed
The update you can count on is a handler's account of the day, with photos, from the people who were on the floor with your dog. For an owner three time zones away, that is usually more reassuring than a camera pointed at an empty corner of the yard. If you want to know whether anything beyond the report cards is available, ask the front desk at the evaluation.
Timing follows the day. Ask the front desk when to expect the report card; as a rule of thumb, an empty app mid-morning means the day is in progress, not that something is wrong. Nor'easter days are the exception: when the roads are bad, the team's first job is the dogs, and updates may land later than usual.
| You see | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| A pawgress report | How the day went: play, rest, appetite, mood |
| Photos | Your dog in the group or in its suite, taken by our handlers |
| A front desk message | A reply to your question, or a note we need you to see |
| Nothing yet, mid-morning | A normal day in progress; check again after the afternoon window |
At Dogtown
What the report cards are reporting on
Playgroups by day, a suite by night, and the enrichment you can add from the same app that sends the updates.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
How often will I hear from Dogtown during a stay?
Can I message my dog's handler directly?
Do I need the app, or can I get updates by text or email?
Will the report card mention if my dog did not eat?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Watch the stay unfold from wherever you are.
Book the free evaluation, download the Dogtown app, and your dog's first report card is a night away.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
