Overnight stays
What time is check-out after an overnight stay?
Hotels have an 11 AM check-out. Dogtown has windows, because the dogs are in playgroups between them. This page lays out the windows, what a pick-up day looks like, and how to get home on a Sunday when you would rather not drive.
The short version
Pick a window on the last day; the morning one is the natural check-out
The windows exist because Dogtown runs on playgroups. Between windows the dogs are on the turf or the indoor floors with their handlers, and pulling one out of a group mid-session unsettles the rest. Inside a window the lobby is ready for hand-overs, your dog's things are gathered and the handler can tell you how the night went.
For most stays the morning window is the natural check-out: the night is done, breakfast is done and your dog comes home ready to sleep off the stay. If your flight lands at Logan at noon, the 4 to 6:30 PM window works too. Ask the front desk whether an afternoon pick-up after a night is billed as a daycare day; the current terms are theirs to confirm.
- Weekdays: three windows, the last closes at 6:30 PM
- Saturdays: three windows, the last closes at 6 PM
- Sundays: two windows, overnight guests only
- Afternoon pick-up after a night: ask the front desk how it is billed
| Day | Pick-up windows |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM, 4 to 6:30 PM |
| Saturday | 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM, 4 to 6 PM |
| Sunday (overnight guests only) | 8 to 10 AM, 4 to 6 PM |
How it works at Dogtown
A pick-up day, from the last report card to the car
Your dog's last day starts like any other, in its playgroup from the morning. If you booked a bath or a full groom before pick-up, it happens on that last day so your dog comes home clean, with the bundle discount if you took one. Book the next grooming appointment while you are at the desk and you save $5 on it.
At the window, the hand-over is short by design. You get your dog, the leash, any leftover food and the comfort item, and a word from the handler about the stay. The report cards and photos stay in the Dogtown app, so you can read them in the car. Save any longer questions for a phone call later in the day.
- 01
Choose your window when you book, and tell the front desk if it changes
- 02
Add a bath or a full groom for the last day if you want a clean dog home
- 03
Arrive inside the window; the lobby is set up for hand-overs then
- 04
Collect your dog, any leftover food, medications and the comfort item
- 05
Read the last report card in the app, then let your dog sleep
What it means for your dog
Expect a long sleep, a big drink and a day of quiet
A dog coming off a stay has had days of company and play, and the first afternoon home is for sleeping. Water, a normal meal, a quiet house. If your dog is a puppy, expect it to be clingy for an evening and then completely normal; if it is a senior, expect some stiffness after the car and let it move at its own pace.
A dog that comes home and drinks a lot, sleeps hard and eats normally the next morning has had a good stay. If anything worries you in the days after, call your vet rather than us; we can tell you what we saw, and the report cards help, but we cannot diagnose. Most dogs are back to their normal selves by the second morning.
- Puppies: clingy for an evening, then normal
- Adults: a long sleep and a big drink are the signs of a good stay
- Seniors: stiffness after the car ride is common; call your vet if anything worries you
Sundays and the Pup Van
Sunday pick-ups are 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM, or let the van drive
Sunday is the day most weekend stays end and the day Dogtown is closed for daycare. The building opens for overnight guests only, 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM. Leashed dogs ride the Rockport line only off-peak and at staff discretion, never on seats, so many owners drive on Sundays anyway, or book the van. Whoever collects should know the two Sunday windows.
If you would rather not drive at all, the Pup Van returns dogs for $10 each way in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. Add it when you book the stay or call the front desk. It is a good answer for a Sunday afternoon when Route 128 is backed up, and for a Monday morning when you are back at work before the first window closes.
Early, late and missed windows
Call if you are running late; the window is a door, not a wall
Life on Cape Ann runs into the windows: a nor'easter shuts the roads, St. Peter's Fiesta fills downtown Gloucester in late June. If you are going to miss your window, call 978 491-5922 as soon as you know. The front desk will tell you the next option and whether anything changes on the bill; what we ask for is notice.
Early pick-ups work the same way. If you want your dog before the morning window opens, ask; the answer depends on the day and the front desk will say. Nor'easter closures are the one case where the windows themselves can move, so check the app and your messages before you drive out in a storm. A quick message costs nothing; a wasted drive does.
At Dogtown
The stay, and the ride home
Overnight stays end at a pick-up window. The Pup Van covers the days when getting to Eastern Ave is the hard part.
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 there a set check-out time like a hotel?
Will I be charged for daycare if I pick up in the afternoon?
Can someone else collect my dog?
Can I extend the stay on the morning of check-out?
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
Pick your window, we will have your dog ready.
Book the free evaluation first, then reserve the stay and tell the front desk which pick-up window you plan to use.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
