A full day
What does a day at Dogtown look like?
People ask this in two moods: curious before the first day, and slightly worried after their dog came home and slept for twelve hours. Here is the shape of the day, window by window, where it happens inside the 10,000 square feet, and how add-ons and Dogtown Academy change it.
The short version
Play in a small group, rest, play again, home with a report card
A Dogtown day is not eight hours of running. It alternates: a burst of play, a water break and a settle, another burst, a longer rest around midday, and a final stretch before the afternoon pick-up. The group is the constant. Your dog spends the day with the same 7 to 10 dogs, chosen at the evaluation for size, play style and temperament, with a handler who stays with them.
What you get back at the end is a dog who has had exercise, socialization and a bit of mental work, plus a report card and photos in the Dogtown app so you know who the friends were. A full day at $42 includes the pieces listed below; a half day at $33 is the same day cut at the midday window.
- Supervised playgroups all day, 7 to 10 dogs
- Exercise, socialization and enrichment, outdoors and in
- Rest breaks and water stations between play blocks
- Report card and photos at pick-up, in the Dogtown app
How it works at Dogtown
The day runs on three windows: morning arrivals, a midday changeover and afternoon pick-up
Arrivals run from 6:30 to 9:30 AM on weekdays, so a Rockport line commuter can drop a dog at 6:45 and still make an early train from the Gloucester station; the MBTA bars dogs from the train between 7 and 10 AM anyway, so the dog stays with us. Groups form as dogs arrive; the first play block is often the liveliest. Saturdays start later, with arrivals from 8 to 10 AM, and Sunday has no daycare, only overnight-stay pick-up and drop-off.
The 12 to 1 PM window is the hinge. Morning half-day dogs go home, afternoon half-day dogs arrive, and full-day dogs get the longest rest of the day while the room reshuffles. Afternoon play follows, then pick-up from 4 to 6:30 PM. A dog booked on the Pup Van, $10 each way in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, rides home inside that window.
- 01
6:30 to 9:30 AM: drop-off and groups form
- 02
Morning: first play block, then water and a settle
- 03
12 to 1 PM: half-day changeover and the longest rest of the day
- 04
Afternoon: second play block, enrichment add-ons where booked
- 05
4 to 6:30 PM: pick-up, report card and photos in the app
Where it happens
Ten thousand square feet means the weather decides the room, not the day
The outdoor turf yard with its splash pools and platforms is the main stage from spring to fall. On a July afternoon the pools and the shade do the cooling, and handlers watch for heavy panting and slow the group down, following the AVMA's heat guidance. The yard is still used on dry winter days, and snow days are a favorite with the huskies and shepherds on our Gloucester roster.
When a nor'easter is coming up the coast, or the turf is iced, the indoor play floors take over and the day keeps its shape. We watch the National Weather Service Boston forecast like the rest of Cape Ann. If conditions force a closure or a change to the windows, the front desk contacts you directly, so keep your number current.
Add-ons
Six add-ons and Dogtown Academy change the shape of the day for a few dollars
A standard day is play and rest. Enrichment add-ons slot into the rest blocks: a frozen Kong for $6 or a lick mat for $5 after the morning play, a puzzle game or the sniff room for $7 at midday, a supervised treadmill session for $10 before the afternoon group for a dog who arrives wound up. Book them online, in the app or at drop-off.
Dogtown Academy is the other shape. For $89 a full day or $69 a half day, the play blocks become a rotation of training, enrichment, fitness and play, with a training session with our trainer and a report card on what to practice at home. It suits puppies building confidence, adolescents with energy to burn and older dogs who like a job.
| Add-on | Price | Where it fits in the day |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen Kong | $6 | After the morning play block, for a calm settle |
| Homemade pupsicle | $6 | Hot afternoons, or a nervous first visit |
| Puzzle game | $7 | Midday rest, ten minutes of problem solving |
| Lick mat | $5 | After play, or a mid-day reset |
| Treadmill session | $10 | Before group time for a dog who arrives wound up |
| Sniff room | $7 | A quiet room of find-it games during the midday rest |
What it means for your dog
Puppies take the half day, adults the full day, seniors the quieter version of both
A puppy's day is best cut at noon: in at the morning window, out at 12 to 1 PM, nap at home. An adult dog with a household out at work, or a commuter owner on the Rockport line, takes the full day and comes home ready for dinner and the couch. At four or five days a week, the $700 unlimited membership is worth pricing against the $380 10-pack.
Seniors do the same day at a slower speed. The team places them with the calmer players, the rest blocks are longer, and a half day is often the better fit. A senior who walks Ravenswood with you on the weekend and does two Dogtown half days midweek has a full social life without a stiff Sunday. Tell us about joints, hearing or eyesight on the form.
- Puppies: half day, morning window in, midday window out
- Adults: full day; the membership at five days
- Seniors: calmer group, longer rests, often a half day
At Dogtown
The day and the extras
Full or half days in matched groups, with enrichment add-ons that slot into the rest blocks.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Can I pick up my dog outside the windows?
Does my dog go outside every day?
Is a full day too long for my dog?
What does my dog need to bring for the day?
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
See the day for yourself.
The free evaluation is a real morning inside a real group. Weekdays 6:30 to 9:30 AM at 210 Eastern Ave, Gloucester.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
