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Board and train FAQ: every question in one place
These are the questions families ask before booking, answered in a sentence or two each, with a pointer to the page that goes deeper. Where something is decided case by case, we say so instead of guessing.
The short answers
Board and train at Dogtown is a one- or two-week overnight stay with daily training, and each topic has its own page
What is it? Your dog stays with us at 210 Eastern Ave, sleeps in an overnight suite with 24/7 monitoring and trains through the stay with Gabby and the training team, and then you learn the skills yourself at a go-home lesson. Foundation, one week, is for puppies, young dogs and missing manners. Advanced, two weeks, is for adolescents and dogs who know the cues at home but lose them everywhere else.
How is that different from an overnight stay? An overnight suite is $78 a night and includes playgroups by day and monitoring at night, but no training plan. Board and train is a training program, and the nights come as part of it. The table below gives the one-line answer to the questions we hear most and names the page that explains each one properly, starting with our board and train page for the programs themselves.
| Question | Short answer | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| What happens each day? | Arrival, short training blocks, rest, enrichment, a playgroup when ready, a daily update | Board and train: what to expect day by day |
| Which methods and tools? | Force-free: markers, food, play, a long line; no e-collars or prong collars | Force-free board and train |
| What does it cost? | Training sessions from $94; stays quoted after the assessment | Board and train cost |
| How is progress shown? | The program's skill list, the daily updates and the go-home lesson | Board and train results and graduates |
| Coming from Boston? | About 60 minutes up Route 128 outside rush hour, by our estimate | Board and train near Boston |
| A German Shepherd? | Advanced is built for the adolescent stretch | German Shepherd board and train |
Before you book
Before you book, your dog needs the free evaluation, three vaccines and a license
How do I start? Send the training form; the team replies within one hour on business days. A short assessment with Gabby, our Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist, chooses the program. Then comes the free evaluation, on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment: a temperament test and a few supervised hours in a group, which also tells us whether your dog is ready for a playgroup during the stay.
What paperwork? Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella on file, and a current city or town dog license; in Gloucester that comes from the City Clerk and is due each April 30. How old must a puppy be? We confirm the minimum age at the consult, because it depends on vaccines and the puppy's stage; for pups of 8 to 16 weeks, Tiny Tails Puppy School is the program built for that age. How far ahead should I book? Ask the front desk, since it varies with the season.
- Training form first, then a short assessment with Gabby
- Free evaluation on a weekday, 6:30 to 9:30 AM
- Rabies, DHPP, Bordetella and a dog license on file
- Minimum age and lead time confirmed at the consult
Cost and terms
Board and train is quoted after the assessment, and training sessions start from $94
What does it cost? Training sessions at Dogtown start from $94, and every program, board and train included, is quoted after a short assessment, because the plan depends on the dog in front of us. The evaluation is free. Ask for the current figure on the training form. What is included? The overnight suite, the training, daycare integration and enrichment as each program lists them, the daily updates and the go-home lesson or lessons.
What about deposits, cancellations and extensions? Those terms, and the rules for early or late pick-up, are confirmed when you book; ask for them in writing and read them before the stay. Two dogs from one home is also a question to ask directly, because pricing and pairing depend on both dogs. The AKC adds one more thing worth having in writing from any program: the methods and the equipment it will use.
Methods and the stay
Every stay is force-free, sleeps in a suite and joins a playgroup only when the dog is ready
Do you use e-collars or prong collars? No. Dogtown's training is fear- and force-free and built on positive reinforcement, so there are no shock, remote or prong collars, no choke chains and no leash corrections, in line with the 2021 AVSAB position statement. Who trains my dog? Gabriella Pope designs and leads the programs with the training team. Where does my dog sleep? In an overnight suite with 24/7 monitoring, the bedding provided.
Will my dog join daycare? Daycare integration is part of both programs when appropriate, in groups of 7 to 10 matched at the evaluation. What updates will I get? One every day of the stay, and we confirm at booking whether it comes as photos, video or a written note. Can I visit? Ask at the assessment. What do I pack? Pre-portioned food, medications with instructions and one comfort item. Can my dog be groomed? Yes, book a bath or full groom before pick-up.
- Force-free: no shock, remote or prong collars, no choke chains
- An overnight suite with 24/7 monitoring
- A playgroup of 7 to 10 only when the dog is ready
- An update every day; the format confirmed at booking
After the stay
After the stay, the go-home lessons and a follow-on program keep the skills working
How many go-home lessons? One with Foundation, and two scheduled coaching lessons with Advanced, held at Dogtown with you handling your own dog. Do results last? As long as the practice does: a cue that stops paying fades, which the AKC warns about too. We do not promise results, and the AKC's advice is to be wary of any program that does.
What comes next? Dogtown Academy days, $89 for a full day or $69 for a half, include a training session every day. Canine Campus offers 2, 4 or 6 weeks of day training while your dog sleeps at home, and private sessions start from $94. Is board and train right for reactivity, anxiety or aggression? Usually not as a first step; React Less, Relax More, Polished Pup and Calm & Connected keep you on the leash from day one, and Gabby will point you to the right one.
- 01
Take the go-home lesson, with the leash in your hand
- 02
Practice the cues daily in easy places for the first week
- 03
Add one harder place or distraction at a time
- 04
Message the front desk through the Dogtown app if something slips
- 05
Book Academy days, Canine Campus or private sessions to keep going
At Dogtown
The services behind the answers
Board and train combines our training programs with an overnight stay in the same building.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Is board and train cruel?
Can my dog stay longer than two weeks?
Can the Pup Van bring my dog for board and train?
Do you offer board and train for cats?
Is board and train the same as an overnight stay with some training added?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- AKC: board and train programs, what to know
- AVSAB position statement on humane dog training (2021)
- Gloucester dog licensing
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
Still have a question?
Send it on the training form. We reply within one hour on business days, and Gabby answers the training questions at the assessment.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
