Overnight stays
What are the Sunday pick-up and drop-off windows?
Weekend stays live or die on Sunday logistics. Here is how the two Sunday windows work, how to plan a Friday-to-Sunday stay around them, and what to do when you are stuck in Route 128 traffic on the way back from a long weekend.
The short version
Two windows on Sunday: 8 to 10 in the morning, 4 to 6 in the afternoon
Sunday is not a daycare day at Dogtown. The playgroups do not run for day guests and the front desk is not open for walk-ins. What does happen on Sunday is overnight-stay traffic: dogs arriving for a stay that begins Sunday night, and dogs going home after a weekend or a longer trip. Those movements happen in two fixed windows, 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM.
Choose your window when you book. It tells us when to have your dog ready, bathed if you added a groom, and at the door with its things. Outside the windows the building is running the overnight guests' day and there is no one at the desk to hand a dog over. If you know you will miss both, the answer is a phone call to 978 491-5922, not a hopeful knock.
- Sunday morning window: 8 to 10 AM
- Sunday afternoon window: 4 to 6 PM
- Overnight guests only; no daycare on Sundays
How it works at Dogtown
A dog collected Sunday afternoon has had a full Sunday with the group
Overnight guests still have their day on Sunday. The dogs in residence go out with their groups, on the turf when the weather cooperates and on the indoor floors when it does not, so a 4 to 6 PM pick-up means your dog comes home having played, eaten and rested rather than having waited by the door since breakfast. Morning pick-up between 8 and 10 AM suits owners who land at Logan late Saturday and want the dog home for the day.
Sunday drop-off works the same way in reverse. A dog dropped between 8 and 10 AM joins the overnight guests for the day and settles into its suite that evening; a dog dropped between 4 and 6 PM has dinner and an early night, then a full day with the group on Monday. Either way, bring pre-portioned food, medications and one small comfort item.
Planning a weekend
A Friday-to-Sunday stay fits neatly around the windows
Two nights, Friday and Saturday, is the classic Cape Ann weekend stay: a wedding in Vermont or a couple of nights in Boston without a dog in the hotel. The Sunday afternoon window is built for the drive back. If your plans put you on the Rockport line, note that at the time of writing the MBTA allows leashed dogs on the Commuter Rail only at off-peak times and at staff discretion, never on seats, so many owners let the Pup Van handle the last mile instead.
- 01
Friday: drop off in any weekday window, 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM or 4 to 6:30 PM
- 02
Friday night and Saturday: a suite at night, a playgroup by day
- 03
Saturday: add a bath or a full groom for Sunday if you want your dog home clean
- 04
Sunday morning: pick-up 8 to 10 AM if you are back early
- 05
Sunday afternoon: pick-up 4 to 6 PM if you are driving back from the Cape or the mountains
The Pup Van
The van covers four towns, and the front desk confirms Sunday runs
The Dogtown Pup Van collects and returns dogs for $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, and it can be added to an overnight stay when you book. Whether a van run is available inside a given Sunday window depends on the day's schedule, so ask the front desk when you reserve rather than assuming. Outside those four towns, ask us for pricing.
For owners coming back to Manchester on a Sunday evening or landing in Rockport after a week away, the van removes the one hard part of the weekend: being at Eastern Ave between 4 and 6. Confirm it early, especially on holiday weekends such as Labor Day, when the Schooner Festival fills Gloucester's harbor and the roads around it.
All the windows
Every drop-off and pick-up window, by day
Sunday's two windows sit inside a weekly pattern. Weekdays have three windows and the longest hours, Saturday has three shorter ones, and Sunday has the two for overnight guests. Booking inside a window is what keeps the playgroups calm; a dog arriving mid-group changes the room for everyone, which is why we hold to them. Sunday is the strictest of the three because it is the only day the desk opens for the windows alone.
| Day | Windows | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM, 4 to 6:30 PM | Daycare, Academy and overnight guests |
| Saturday | 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM, 4 to 6 PM | Daycare, Academy and overnight guests |
| Sunday | 8 to 10 AM, 4 to 6 PM | Overnight guests only |
What it means for your dog
Pick the window that matches your dog, not just your drive
A puppy collected at 9 AM on Sunday has slept in its suite, had breakfast and a first play, and comes home ready to nap through the afternoon. An adult collected at 5 PM has had a whole day with its group and will be asleep before you have unpacked. Seniors and dogs who find transitions hard do better with the same window every time, so the sequence becomes familiar: suite, group, door, car.
- Puppies: morning pick-up gets them home for a nap and a normal afternoon
- Adults: afternoon pick-up after a full Sunday with the group means a quiet evening at home
- Seniors: choose the calmer window and tell us if a slow hand-over helps
At Dogtown
The stay and the ride
Sunday windows belong to overnight guests, and the Pup Van can cover the drive in four Cape Ann towns.
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 Dogtown open on Sundays?
What if I cannot make either Sunday window?
Can the Pup Van pick up or drop off on a Sunday?
Can I drop off on Sunday for a stay that starts that night?
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
Plan the weekend around two windows.
New to Dogtown? Book the free weekday-morning evaluation first. Then Friday drop-off and Sunday pick-up are a few taps in the app.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
