Before day one
What happens at the Dogtown evaluation?
Every dog who comes to Dogtown for daycare, Dogtown Academy, an overnight stay or at-home walks starts with the same morning. Here is what that morning holds, what our team is looking at, and how to make it go smoothly for a Gloucester dog who has never been in a fenced group before.
The short version
A temperament test, then a few hours in a group: that is the whole appointment
The evaluation is not an exam your dog can study for. It is a structured first visit. One of our certified team members meets you in the lobby, checks the paperwork, and spends time one on one with your dog before any other dog is involved. That is the temperament test: a new person, a new building and a leash walk through it. Then your dog is introduced to a group that looks like a good fit and stays under supervision for a few hours while we watch the play.
It costs nothing, and it is required once. The same evaluation covers daycare, Dogtown Academy, overnight stays and at-home walks, so a dog who passes through it in September is cleared for a holiday stay in December. Grooming is the one service that never needs it: a bath or a full groom can be booked straight into the online calendar or the Dogtown app without a prior visit.
- A leash and a secure collar or harness
- Vaccination records showing Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella
- A current city dog license, or the receipt from the clerk
- The new customer form, sent before you arrive
How it works at Dogtown
The morning runs in six steps, from the form to the first booking
Book the slot by phone or through the new customer form and pick a weekday. Evaluations happen only between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, Monday to Friday, which is also the morning drop-off window, so your dog sees the building as it really runs rather than an empty room. If you commute on the Rockport line, an early slot leaves time to make a mid-morning train from the Gloucester station after drop-off.
Plan to stay a few minutes at the start while the paperwork is checked, then leave. Dogs read their people, and most settle faster once the person they are watching has gone. The front desk reaches you by phone or through the app if anything needs a conversation before pick-up. At pick-up you hear which group your dog joined, how the play looked and what we suggest next, whether that is a first half day at $33, a full day at $42, or a slower path.
- 01
Send the new customer form and book a weekday morning slot
- 02
Arrive between 6:30 and 9:30 AM with the leash, the records and the license
- 03
Your dog meets a team member one on one for the temperament test
- 04
A supervised introduction to a small group that looks like a good match
- 05
A few hours in that group with a handler watching the play and the rest
- 06
Pick up, hear where your dog fits, and book the first day with the code FIRST15
What we are watching
We are reading the greeting, the recovery and the settle, not the tricks
Nobody asks your dog to sit or stay. The team is looking at three things. How your dog greets: a loose body and a curious nose, or a stiff stance and a hard stare. How your dog recovers after a surprise: a squeaky pool toy, a bigger dog trotting past, a door opening. And how your dog settles once the first excitement fades, because a dog who can stand at a water station and breathe is a dog who will enjoy a full day rather than endure it.
Groups are put together by size, play style and temperament, typically 7 to 10 dogs, so those hours decide the room your dog walks into on day one. A dog whose only dog friends were met on the off-season sand at Good Harbor, where dogs are allowed on even-numbered days from October 1 until the plover closure on April 1, is often meeting a fenced group for the first time. We go at that dog's pace.
What it means for your dog
Puppies, adult rescues and seniors each get placed on what they show us that morning
A puppy arrives once the vaccine series and the rabies shot are done and the city license is issued, since the City Clerk at 9 Dale Ave will not license a Gloucester dog without a rabies certificate. Puppies are usually placed for a shorter first day. An adult rescue with an unknown history is where the evaluation earns its keep: we would rather discover a dislike of huskies in a supervised hour than in a full room.
Seniors are evaluated the same way and tend to be placed with the calmer players, with the quiet corners in mind. Dogs with known anxiety or selective reactions to other dogs should be flagged in advance on the form so the team can tailor the introductions. If the morning shows that a group is not the right setting yet, the front desk talks you through what comes next, which can include re-testing later or a training path first; the specifics are decided case by case.
- A puppy needs the full vaccine set and a license before the appointment
- Tell us about reactivity or anxiety on the form, not at the door
- A dog who is not ready yet is not turned away for good; ask the front desk about next steps
At Dogtown
What the evaluation unlocks
One morning clears your dog for daycare, Dogtown Academy, overnight stays and walks. Grooming never needed it.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
How long does the evaluation take?
Do I have to pay for the evaluation?
Can the Pup Van bring my dog to the evaluation?
What if my dog has never been around other dogs?
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
Book the free evaluation.
Weekday mornings between 6:30 and 9:30 AM at 210 Eastern Ave. Send the new customer form, bring the records and the license, and we take it from there.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
