Trial nights
Should I do a trial night before a long stay?
The AKC passes on a simple piece of advice from Dr. Mary Burch: if you have time, board your dog for one night in advance of your trip. Here is who benefits most, how to book the night at Dogtown, what it costs with and without extras, and how to read the result.
Who needs one
A trial night earns its keep for first-timers and long trips, and regulars can often skip it
The long stay should not be the experiment. A single night ahead of time turns the open questions, whether your dog eats away from home, settles in a suite and comes home with a settled stomach, into things you have seen. The AKC's version is the same: one night first lets you see how your dog fares on a short stay before committing to a longer one.
It matters most for dogs who have never slept away from home, puppies, newly adopted dogs, seniors on medication whose routine needs testing, and any dog booked for ten nights over the holidays. It matters least for a dog who stayed with us recently and came home happy. If your dog spends two days a week in a Dogtown playgroup, the trial night is about the suite and the evening, not the building.
- Strong case: a first night away, a puppy, a new rescue, a senior on medication
- Strong case: any stay of a week or more, or a holiday stay
- Weaker case: a dog who stayed with us recently and did well
How to book
Book it like any one-night stay, inside a window, two to three weeks before the trip
The free evaluation comes first if your dog is new, on a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30 AM. After that, book the night online, in the Dogtown app or on 978 491-5922, and tell the front desk it is a trial before a longer stay so the notes from the night are useful to you. Choose a night that lets you pick up in a normal window: a weekday 4 to 6:30 PM drop-off with a next-morning pick-up, or a Friday night ending on Saturday between 8 and 10 AM.
Pack it as a dress rehearsal, not a sleepover. Bring the same food you will send for the long stay, pre-portioned, the same single comfort item, and any medication with written instructions. If you live in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex or Manchester-by-the-Sea, the Pup Van can do either leg for $10 each way, which also tests how your dog handles the van before the real trip.
- 01
Finish the free evaluation if your dog is new to Dogtown
- 02
Pick a night two to three weeks before the trip, with a pick-up inside a window
- 03
Book online, in the app or by phone, and say it is a trial night
- 04
Pack the exact food, comfort item and medication planned for the long stay
- 05
Add any bundle you mean to use on the trip, so nothing is new later
- 06
Collect your dog, read the report card and watch the next two days at home
Cost
The trial itself is $78, and every extra is the same price it will be on the trip
There is no special rate for a trial and no surcharge either. The night is the standard overnight suite at $78, and that price already includes the daycare day in a playgroup of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, daily exercise and 24/7 monitoring. Anything added to the trial costs what it will cost on the long stay, which makes the trial a fair preview of the bill as well as the experience.
If you plan to use a bundle for the trip, put it on the trial. The Dogtown Deluxe, $15 a night on top of the suite, brings the orthopedic memory-foam bed and a stuffed Kong or Toppl, and both are better met on a short visit than discovered on night one of ten. A lick mat at $5 added to the stay is a cheap way to see whether an extra activity helps your dog settle.
| Item | Price | On a trial night |
|---|---|---|
| Overnight suite with the daycare day and 24/7 monitoring | $78 a night | The trial itself |
| Dogtown Classic bundle | +$10 a night | Add it if you plan it for the trip |
| Dogtown Deluxe bundle | +$15 a night | Tests the memory-foam bed and the stuffed Kong |
| Lick mat or frozen Kong | $5 or $6 | For a dog who may struggle to settle |
| Pup Van, four Cape Ann towns | $10 each way | Tests the van before the real trip |
| Bath before pick-up | From $55 by size | Optional; no evaluation needed |
What it tells you
A trial night answers four questions: did your dog eat, settle, play and recover
Eating comes first. Because the meals are pre-portioned, what was eaten is easy to see, so ask at pick-up. A dog who skipped dinner but ate breakfast is showing the kind of dip VCA links to stress and a changed routine; a dog who ate neither needs a plan before the long stay. Settling and play come next, and the report card and photos in the Dogtown app cover how the day in the group went.
Recovery is the part only you can see. VCA lists stress following travel or boarding among the causes of diarrhea in dogs, so watch the stool and the appetite for two days. A dog who is back to normal by the second morning is ready for the trip. A dog who struggled on any of the four counts is a candidate for a second trial night, a few more daycare days, or a conversation with us about what to change.
- Ate dinner and breakfast: book the trip with confidence
- Skipped dinner, ate breakfast: common on night one; note it for the long stay
- Struggled to settle: try a second trial night or an enrichment add-on
- Upset stomach for more than two days at home: call your vet before the trip
Timing
Book the trial and the trip on the same day, especially for the holidays
If the long stay falls over Thanksgiving, the stretch from Christmas to New Year, or a summer weekend such as St. Peter's Fiesta in late June or Labor Day, book both at once, because holiday availability is confirmed when you book and cannot be assumed. Put the trial night in a quiet week and the long stay on the dates you need. Unlimited daycare members, at $700 a month, have priority for holiday overnight reservations.
Leave room for a do-over. Two to three weeks between the trial and the trip means a hard first night can be followed by a second one, or by a few daycare days, without pushing up against the departure date. Avoid making the trial a noisy night on Cape Ann, such as July 3 when the Gloucester fireworks go up; you want to learn about your dog, not about the fireworks.
At Dogtown
What a trial night can include
The overnight suite, the evening enrichment you plan to use on the trip, and the Pup Van for either leg.
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 a trial night cheaper than a regular night?
Does my dog need daycare days before the trial night?
Can a daytime visit replace the trial night?
What if the trial night goes badly?
How far ahead of the trip should the trial night be?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- AKC: planning your dog's care when you leave town
- VCA: diarrhea in dogs
- VCA: anorexia in dogs
- Discover Gloucester: festivals
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
Book the trial and the trip together.
New to Dogtown? Start with the free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, then book a trial night and the long stay.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
