Should I tip at a dog boarding facility?

Etiquette guidance on pet care is patchy. The Emily Post Institute's holiday tipping guide suggests up to the cost of one session, or a gift, for a groomer who sees your pet all year, and up to one week's pay, or a gift, for a dog walker. It has nothing to say about boarding kennels or overnight facilities, so anyone quoting a standard percentage for a boarding stay is offering an opinion rather than a rule.

The same guide makes two points that apply to any service. You should not feel obliged to go beyond your budget, and a tip or a gift should come with a short handwritten note. For businesses it also suggests a simple step when you are unsure: call the front desk and ask what the company accepts. That is the right first move at Dogtown too, before you are standing at the counter.

Whatever you decide about a tip, the stay itself is priced in full. The suite is $78 a night and covers the daycare playgroups, daily exercise and 24/7 monitoring. The Dogtown Classic costs $10 more a night and brings a daily homemade pupsicle or puppy cup, plus 10 percent off grooming. Dogtown Deluxe costs $15 more and brings a gourmet stuffed Kong or Toppl, daily treadmill or enrichment play, an orthopedic memory-foam bed and 15 percent off grooming.

Extras for a dog that needs more are priced too. Enrichment add-ons run from a $5 lick mat to a $10 treadmill session, and a groom before pick-up is priced by size, with a $20 behavior or handling surcharge where a dog needs slower, more careful handling. None of these figures assumes a tip on top. A gratuity, if you choose to give one, is a personal thank-you rather than part of the bill.

Thanksgiving, the weeks around Christmas and the night of the July 3 fireworks in Gloucester are stays many owners want to mark. The same principles hold: stay within your budget, add a note, and ask the front desk first what is accepted. The etiquette guide adds that if you already tip at the time of service, you can skip a year-end tip or make the holiday thank-you more modest, which suits a dog that stays several times a year.

Regular guests have another way to show confidence in the team: booking the next stay as they leave. For families with a dog in daycare most days, the Unlimited Daycare Membership at $700 a month includes priority holiday overnight-stay reservations among its benefits. Either way, our overnight stays page lists what the nightly rate includes, so you know exactly what you have paid for before you decide on anything extra.