Cost and value
Is dog daycare worth it?
Worth it is really two questions: does the money buy something your dog needs, and is there a cheaper way to buy it? This page sets real Dogtown prices against the alternatives, then sorts dogs and households into the ones for whom daycare pays and the ones for whom it does not.
The numbers
Two full days a week cost $304 for four weeks; five days cost $700 a month
Daycare at Dogtown is sold by the day, the pack and the month. A single full day is $42 and a single half day $33; the 10-packs bring them to $38 and $29; and for a dog who comes every weekday, the $700 unlimited membership costs less than any pack. At-home walks are $25, $35 and $55 for 20, 30 and 60 minutes, and the 30-packs take a 20-minute walk to about $21 and a 30-minute walk to about $30.
The table sets those prices against a four-week month. It is deliberately not a like-for-like comparison: a walk buys 20 or 30 minutes of company and a bathroom break, while a daycare day buys a day of it. A sitter who comes to the house sets their own rate, so ask for a written quote and add it as another row. Staying home alone costs nothing in dollars, and for some dogs it costs nothing at all.
| Option | Per day or visit | 2 days a week, 4 weeks | 5 days a week, 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daycare full day, 10-pack | $38 | $304 | $700 on the membership |
| Daycare half day, 10-pack | $29 | $232 | $580 |
| 20-minute walk, 30-pack | About $21 | About $170 | About $425 |
| 30-minute walk, 30-pack | About $30 | About $238 | About $595 |
| Home alone | $0 | $0 | $0 |
When it pays
Daycare is worth it when it turns a long day alone into a day your dog enjoys
The case is strongest for a social, healthy dog who would otherwise spend nine or ten hours alone. For that dog a full day is company, exercise and a reason to sleep through the evening, at a little under four dollars an hour on a 10-pack if the day runs from a 7:30 AM drop-off to a 5:30 PM pick-up. Young adults with energy to spare, and adolescents whose energy has nowhere to go during a workday, are the other clear fits.
It also pays in the months when the free options disappear. On Cape Ann that is summer: at the time of writing, Gloucester closes Good Harbor to dogs from April 1 and Wingaersheek, Plum Cove and Cressy's from May 1, all until September 30, and Rockport keeps dogs off its public beaches from June 1 to September 15. The dawn beach run that tired your dog in March is gone, and a day on the turf yard with the pools replaces it.
- Social with other dogs, and relaxed after play
- Alone for more than eight hours on workdays
- Young, fit and short of a daily outlet
- A summer week with no beach mornings
When it doesn't
It is not worth it for a dog who dislikes groups, or for a household home by lunch
Daycare is wasted money, and sometimes worse, for a dog who does not enjoy other dogs. A dog-selective dog, a dog frightened by a busy room, or an older dog who prefers a quiet house spends the day coping rather than playing. The free evaluation, a temperament test followed by a few supervised hours in a group, exists partly to find this out before you buy a pack, and our team will tell you if a group is not the right place for your dog.
It can also be more than a household needs. If someone works from home or is back by early afternoon, the dog is not alone for long, and a 20-minute walk at $25, a 30-minute walk at $35 or one half day a week covers the gap for far less. Walks are solo, led by Dogtown staff, with a photo and a note afterward. They need the evaluation too, and whether we cover your address depends on where you live and the season, so ask us.
- Dog-selective or worried around other dogs: a solo walk instead
- Home by early afternoon: a walk or one half day a week
- A senior who prefers home: a short walk at a slow pace
- A dog who needs a job more than a crowd: an Academy day
By household
Match the purchase to your week first, then check it against your dog
Households fall into a few patterns. A commuting couple on the Rockport line, gone from before 7 AM until after 6 PM and unable to take a large dog on the train at peak hours, is the clearest daycare household. A hybrid worker with two office days needs two daycare days, not five. A retired owner with a young dog may buy daycare for the dog's sake rather than their own: a day or two a week of play the dog cannot get at home.
Add the Pup Van if the drive is the obstacle: it runs $10 each way in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, so a round trip adds $20 to a day. New customers can use FIRST15 for 15 percent off the first daycare visit. Then judge the month by what your dog does with it, not only by what it costs; the cheapest plan is the one your dog actually uses well.
- 01
Book the free evaluation and hear the team's read on your dog
- 02
Write down how many hours your dog is alone on each weekday
- 03
Mark days over eight hours as daycare days and the rest as walk or home days
- 04
Price the month on 10-packs if your dog will come twice a week or more
- 05
If the full-day total passes $700, switch to the unlimited membership
- 06
After a month, keep, trim or add days by how your dog seems at home
By dog
Puppies and seniors get most from half days; adults from a steady rhythm
A puppy, once its vaccines are done and the evaluation is passed, usually gets the most from half days: a morning of play, then the long nap at home. The half-day 10-pack at $290 keeps that to $29 a session. A healthy adult in its prime is the dog a full day suits best, two or three times a week. An older dog is often happiest on a half day or a short walk, and a dog who is bright but easily bored may get more from a Dogtown Academy day, $89 full or $69 half, than from another play day.
The real measure is your dog that evening and the next morning. A dog who comes home tired, eats, sleeps and wakes up keen is getting value from the day. A dog who comes home wired, irritable or sore is getting too much of the wrong thing: try half days, fewer days or a more structured Academy day, ask the team what they saw, and talk to your vet if soreness persists.
At Dogtown
Every way to buy a Dogtown day
Daycare by the day, the pack or the month, solo walks from your door, and the Pup Van for the drive.
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.
Is dog daycare worth it for one day a week?
Does the membership make daycare worth it for a five-day dog?
My dog comes home tired but grumpy. Is daycare still worth it?
Can I try daycare before buying a pack?
Is daycare worth it if I work from home?
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
Find out if your dog loves it.
The free evaluation tells you whether a group suits your dog before you spend anything. Weekdays between 6:30 and 9:30 AM at 210 Eastern Ave, and 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
