New customers
How do I become a Dogtown customer?
People ask this in two ways: what do I have to do, and how long will it take. The doing is short, an online form and one weekday morning. The waiting is mostly on your side, because vaccination records and a town license take longer to gather than the appointment itself.
The short version
One form, one weekday morning, then you book like everyone else
Dogtown asks every new dog to do the same thing before daycare, Dogtown Academy, an overnight stay or a walk: a free evaluation. It is a temperament test followed by a few supervised hours in a playgroup, on a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment. Before that morning we need the customer inquiry form, which tells us your dog's age, history and quirks, and we reply within one business day.
Two things speed it up. Ask your vet for the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella certificates now, since some practices take days to send records. And license your dog with your town: in Gloucester that means the City Clerk at 9 Dale Ave, $20 for a spayed or neutered dog plus a small fee, with a rabies certificate in hand, and late after April 30. Manchester-by-the-Sea's license year runs April 1 to March 31, at $20 or $25 for an intact dog.
- Send the customer inquiry form; we reply within one business day
- Book the free evaluation for a weekday morning, 6:30 to 9:30 AM
- Bring Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and your current town license
- After the evaluation, book online or in the app and enter FIRST15
How it works at Dogtown
The path from first message to first play day, in six steps
The form comes first because it lets us plan the right morning. A shy rescue and a bouncy adolescent lab get different playgroups to try, and your notes help our handlers set that up before you arrive. Once the form is in, book the evaluation online through MoeGo, in the Dogtown app or by calling 978 491-5922. The appointment includes a few supervised hours in a group, so ask the front desk when to come back.
On the morning, bring your dog on a leash with a secure collar or harness, the vaccination certificates and the license. Our team checks the paperwork, runs the temperament test and settles your dog into a matched group of 7 to 10 dogs. At pick-up you hear which group fits. From there daycare at $42 a full day or $33 a half day, Academy days, overnight suites at $78 a night and at-home walks are all bookable in the app.
- 01
Send the customer inquiry form with your dog's age, vaccination status and anything we should know
- 02
Book a free evaluation slot for a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM
- 03
Collect the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella certificates and your current town dog license
- 04
Arrive at 210 Eastern Ave with your dog leashed; we check the records and run the temperament test
- 05
Your dog spends a few supervised hours in a matched playgroup
- 06
Book the first visit in the Dogtown app and enter FIRST15 for 15 percent off
Service by service
Which services need the evaluation and which you can book today
The evaluation covers four services at once: daycare, Dogtown Academy, overnight stays and at-home dog walking. Pass it once in the fall and the same clearance carries into a holiday stay in December. Grooming sits outside the requirement completely. A bath, a full-service groom or a cat groom can be booked online or in the app the day you find us, and plenty of families meet Dogtown at the grooming studio first.
Training is different again. Programs from Tiny Tails Puppy School to board and train are led by our Director of Training, and enquiries go through the contact form, where we reply within one hour on business days. If your dog is already here for the evaluation, tell the front desk you are interested and we can talk goals the same morning.
| Service | Free evaluation? | How to start |
|---|---|---|
| Dog daycare | Yes | Inquiry form, then a weekday-morning evaluation |
| Dogtown Academy | Yes | Same evaluation as daycare |
| Overnight stays | Yes | Same evaluation; a daycare day first is a good rehearsal |
| At-home dog walking | Yes | Same evaluation; ask us whether we cover your address |
| Dog grooming | No | Book online or in the app today |
| Cat grooming | No | Book online or in the app today |
| Training | Enquire | Contact form; we reply within one hour on business days |
What it means for your dog
Puppies wait for the last shot, adults start any week, seniors and rescues take the slow route
A puppy can start as soon as the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella series is complete and the town license is issued, so ask your vet for the date of the final shot and book the evaluation for the first free weekday after it. An adult in good health with current records can go from form to first day inside a week if a morning slot is open, and a first half day at $33 is a gentle way to begin.
Rescues and seniors do better with a deliberate pace. Give a newly adopted dog a few weeks at home before the evaluation so we are meeting the real dog, not the one still decompressing. For a senior, mention stiffness, hearing loss or medication so the group we try is a calm one. If a dog does not settle on the first morning, we say so plainly and suggest a second try or a Dogtown Academy day with a trainer alongside.
- Puppies: book the evaluation for the first weekday after the final vaccine
- Adults: form on Monday, evaluation midweek, first daycare day the same week is realistic
- Rescues: settle at home for a few weeks before the evaluation morning
- Seniors: note medication and mobility on the form so we choose a quiet group
At Dogtown
What opens up after the evaluation
Daycare and the Pup Van are where most new customers begin; the same clearance covers Academy days, overnight stays and walks.
Pick-up & drop-off
The Pup Van comes to you.
Pup Van pick-up and drop-off is available for $10 each way in the Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea area. Not in the area? Ask us for pricing.
- Rockport
- Gloucester
- Essex
- Manchester-by-the-Sea
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Do I have to fill in the customer inquiry form before the evaluation?
How do I use FIRST15?
My dog is licensed in Rockport, not Gloucester. Does that count?
What if the weekday evaluation window does not fit my work schedule?
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
Start with the form.
Send the customer inquiry today, pick a weekday morning for the free evaluation, and your dog's first day at 210 Eastern Ave follows. FIRST15 takes 15 percent off the first daycare visit.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
