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Board and train policies and contract

Terms and agreement

Board and train policies and contract

A board and train agreement covers a week or two of your dog's life and a significant sum, so it deserves a careful read. This page sets out what we can state today, what an agreement like this normally decides, and the questions to ask before you sign anything.

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Last reviewed October 9, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · reviewed by Gabriella Pope, Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist

Already fixed

The program, the method, the updates and the lessons are already set

Some parts of the agreement are fixed by the programs themselves. Foundation runs one week and covers basic obedience and leash skills, place, stay and recall, impulse control, crate and household manners, and daycare integration and enrichment. Advanced runs two weeks and adds distraction proofing, real-world outings, neutrality, confidence building and structured socialization. Both include daily updates. Foundation ends with one go-home lesson, and Advanced includes two scheduled coaching lessons. Gabriella Pope leads both.

The method is fixed as well. Dogtown's training is fear- and force-free and built on positive reinforcement, so no prong collar, choke chain or shock collar is used at any point, in line with AVSAB's 2021 position statement. The entry rules are fixed: the free evaluation on a weekday morning, Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella on file and a current dog license. And the price follows the assessment, with Dogtown training sessions starting from $94.

Program and length: Foundation 1 week or Advanced 2 weeks
Method: force-free, no prong, choke or shock collars
Daily updates and one or two go-home lessons
Evaluation, three vaccines and a dog license before the stay

Confirmed at booking

Deposit, cancellation, illness and extension terms are confirmed when you book

These are the terms we have not yet published, and we would rather say so than guess. A board and train holds a trainer's time and a place for a week or two, so many programs take a deposit and set a cancellation window; what Dogtown asks, and whether any part is refundable, is confirmed at booking. The same goes for what happens if your dog falls ill before or during the stay, whether a program can be extended, and what changes if you collect early or late.

One fee is already public and often gets mixed up with these: a grooming appointment carries a $10 cancellation fee, which belongs to the grooming studio, not to a training program. The table lists what each training term usually decides and the question to put to us. Ask for the answers in writing, and read them at home rather than at the front desk.

Term	What it usually decides	Ask us
Deposit	How your dates are held, and whether any part is refundable	How much, when it is due and when it stops being refundable
Cancellation	What happens if you cancel or move the dates	How much notice is needed and what is returned
Illness	What happens if your dog is unwell before or during the stay	Who decides on a vet visit, which practice, and how you are reached
Extension	Whether more nights or more training can be added	Whether a longer route, such as Canine Campus, fits better
Early or late pick-up	What changes if the stay ends sooner or later	How the go-home lesson is rescheduled
Photos and video	How images of your dog are used	Whether anything is published, and with what permission

Reading it

Read the agreement with these questions in hand

The AKC's advice for any board and train is to discuss the methods, the equipment and the behaviors your dog will be taught, and to get them in writing. Whole Dog Journal adds that it is a red flag when a trainer will not say whether aversive tools are used, or when a program claims problem behaviors will be eliminated. Use the steps below on our agreement as you would on anyone's, and raise anything missing before you pay.

One thing you will not find is a promise of results. Dogs learn at their own pace, and the AKC tells owners to be wary of anyone who promises an outcome. What an agreement can commit to is the work: the program's skills, the method, the daily updates and the coaching that hands the skills to you at the end.

01
Check the program name, its length and the start and end dates
02
Find the method and the equipment in writing, with no aversive tools
03
Read the deposit and cancellation terms, and note any dates that change them
04
Read the illness clause: who decides on a vet visit and how you are reached
05
Check the go-home lesson dates and what happens if you miss one
06
Look for how photos and videos of your dog may be used
07
Write down any question the agreement leaves open, and ask it before paying

Health and safety

The health rules sit inside the agreement, and your vet's details belong in it

Every board and train dog arrives with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella current and a dog license on file. Massachusetts law requires commercial boarding and training kennels to keep a record of each dog's license, and Ollie's Law, in effect since December 19, 2024, asked MDAR to write regulations for those kennels, due in 2026; as of the March 18, 2026 advisory committee minutes they had not been released. A dog that is coughing or unwell should not be dropped off; tell the front desk and call your vet.

Give us everything we would need on a bad day: your vet's name and number, a local contact who can make decisions if you are away, and any condition or medication that matters. Ask at the consult how a veterinary need during the stay is handled and who pays for it. Writing those answers into the agreement now saves a difficult phone call later, especially if you will be traveling while your dog is with us.

Your vet's name and phone number
A local contact who can decide if you are unreachable
Medical conditions, medications and recent vet visits
How a vet visit during the stay is handled, in writing

Logistics

Windows, Sundays and the Pup Van belong in the agreement too

Drop-off and pick-up run inside published windows: weekdays 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6:30 PM, and Saturdays 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6 PM. On Sundays the building opens only for overnight guests, from 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM, so ask whether your program can start or end then. Put the agreed drop-off time, pick-up time and lesson dates in writing with everything else.

If you live in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex or Manchester-by-the-Sea, ask whether the Pup Van, $10 each way, can handle drop-off; outside those towns, ask us about pick-up. If you will be away during the stay, name who will collect your dog should your return be delayed. Our board and train page sets out the two programs, and the booking and availability page covers how dates are held.

At Dogtown

The programs the agreement covers

A board and train agreement covers a Dogtown training program and the overnight nights that come with it.

Australian shepherd sitting attentively during training

Dog TrainingFrom $94 per session · Explore

Golden retriever resting on a cozy bed in a Dogtown boarding suite

Overnight StaysFrom $78 · Explore

Every price on one page

Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

How much is the deposit for board and train at Dogtown?

It is not published yet. Deposit, cancellation and extension terms are confirmed when you book, alongside the quote that follows your dog's assessment. Ask for them in writing at the consult and read them before you pay anything. Training sessions start from $94, and the program itself is quoted after the assessment.

What happens if my dog gets sick before the stay?

Keep your dog home, call your vet and tell the front desk as soon as you can. A coughing or unwell dog should not join other dogs. How the dates move in that case is part of the terms confirmed at booking, so ask about it at the consult rather than finding out on the morning.

Can I extend board and train if my dog needs more time?

Ask at the assessment. Foundation is one week and Advanced two, and whether extra time can be added is confirmed with the terms at booking. Sometimes a longer program fits better: Canine Campus runs up to 6 weeks of day training with nights at home, and Polished Pup runs 10 weeks and 20 sessions.

Can I pick my dog up early?

Talk to us first, because an early pick-up also moves the go-home lesson, and that lesson is where the training becomes yours. What happens to the remaining days is part of the terms confirmed at booking. If something at home has changed, message the front desk through the Dogtown app and we will talk through the handover.

Will you post photos or videos of my dog online?

Graduate stories are published only with the family's written permission and in their own words, and your daily updates are for you. If you would like your dog's story shared after the stay, tell the training team, and we will agree in writing exactly what goes out before anything is published.