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Vaccines and license

Vaccination requirements for board and train

The list is short, but the timing trips people up: a booster given the day before drop-off, a license that lapsed on April 30, a puppy partway through its series. This page covers the list, the law behind it and how to plan the dates.

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

The list

Three vaccines and a license, checked once at the evaluation

Dogtown asks every dog that stays overnight or joins a playgroup for the same records, and a board and train dog does both. Rabies protects against a fatal disease that state law covers directly. DHPP, or an equivalent distemper combination, covers distemper, adenovirus type 2, which protects against hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza. Bordetella targets one of the main bacteria behind kennel cough. Check that each stays current through the last day of the program, not just on evaluation day.

The license comes from your own city or town. In Gloucester that is the City Clerk at 9 Dale Ave; the 2026 application lists $20 for a spayed or neutered dog and $25 for an intact dog, each plus a $2 processing fee, with renewals due April 30, renewals online and new licenses by mail or drop box. Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea issue their own. Fees change, so check your town's page before you renew.

  • Rabies, current through the stay
  • DHPP or an equivalent distemper combination
  • Bordetella, current through the stay
  • A current dog license from your city or town

Massachusetts law

State law already requires the rabies vaccine and the license, and kennels must keep license records

Chapter 140, section 145B of the Massachusetts General Laws requires the owner or keeper of a dog 6 months of age or older to have it vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian, and revaccinated at the intervals the manufacturer recommends. The vet issues a certificate and a tag, and the owner must attach the tag to the dog's collar or harness. An unvaccinated dog brought into the state has 30 days after arrival, or until it reaches 6 months, whichever is later.

Section 137 requires a license for any dog over 6 months, issued where the dog is kept, and a license is granted only against a vet's certification of rabies vaccination or an exemption. Section 137A requires commercial boarding or training kennels to keep records of each dog's license. Ollie's Law, signed on September 20, 2024 and in effect since December 19, 2024, asked MDAR to write kennel regulations due in 2026; as of the March 18, 2026 advisory committee minutes they had not been released.

Timing

Give boosters well before drop-off, because protection takes time to build

A vaccine given the morning of drop-off does little for that stay. The AKC's page on the Bordetella vaccine says intranasal and oral versions typically protect within three to five days, while the injectable version needs two doses several weeks apart and does not protect until at least five days after the second. It also warns that a dose given on the morning a dog goes to a boarding kennel will not help much. Ask your vet how far ahead your dog's booster should go.

Puppies need the most planning. VCA Animal Hospitals describes the distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus combination as a series given at least three times, about 3 to 4 weeks apart, usually starting at 6 to 8 weeks and finishing at or after 16 weeks, with rabies often given between 12 and 16 weeks. A puppy under 6 months may not need a license yet. We confirm the youngest age for a stay at the consult, because the vaccine dates are part of that decision.

  1. 01

    Write down the program's start and end dates

  2. 02

    Check each vaccine's expiry date against the last day of the stay

  3. 03

    Ask your vet to give any booster that falls due well ahead of drop-off

  4. 04

    Check your town license; in Gloucester it is due each April 30

  5. 05

    Send the updated records to the front desk, or bring them to the evaluation

  6. 06

    Keep the rabies and license tags on your dog's collar

Beyond the list

Canine flu and leptospirosis are not on the published list, so ask your vet about them

Dogtown's published list stops at Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella. Canine influenza is not on it, and our answer page on the flu vaccine explains when vets recommend it. Leptospirosis is not on it either, although VCA notes that the American Animal Hospital Association now counts it among the core vaccines it recommends for all dogs. Whether either suits your dog is a conversation for your vet, based on where your dog walks and how often it mixes with other dogs.

No vaccine prevents every cough. The AKC notes that the Bordetella vaccine cannot prevent every respiratory infection, though it can make one less severe. A dog that starts coughing before a stay should stay home and see its vet, and the front desk needs to know. The rules on returning after an illness, on exemptions and on titer tests are confirmed at the consult rather than printed here, and a list can change during a local outbreak, so ask for the current one when you book.

  • Not on the published list: canine influenza
  • Not on the published list: leptospirosis
  • Coughing before the stay: stay home, call the vet, tell us
  • Exemptions, titers and returns after illness: confirmed at the consult

At Dogtown

One set of records for every service

The same three vaccines and license cover board and train, daycare, Dogtown Academy, overnight stays and walks.

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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

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

Which vaccines does my dog need for board and train at Dogtown?
Rabies, DHPP or an equivalent distemper combination, and Bordetella, all current, plus a current dog license from your city or town. They are checked at the free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM. Canine influenza and leptospirosis are not on the published list; ask your vet whether they suit your dog.
We live in Essex. Does our town license count?
Yes. A current license from the city or town where your dog lives meets the requirement, because Massachusetts has each community issue its own. Essex, Rockport and Manchester-by-the-Sea each set their own fees and calendars, so check the expiry date on your paperwork against the dates of the stay.
What if my dog's Bordetella booster expires partway through the program?
Ask your vet to give the booster before drop-off, leaving time for it to work. The AKC says intranasal and oral Bordetella vaccines typically protect within three to five days, while the injectable version needs two doses. Send the new record to the front desk so the file is current before your dog arrives.
Will you accept a titer test or a vet's exemption?
Our published requirement is the three vaccines on file. Massachusetts law does let a licensing authority exempt a dog from rabies vaccination for a medical condition a vet certifies. If your vet recommends a titer or has signed an exemption, bring the paperwork to the consult and we will tell you how it applies.
Why does a training program ask for a dog license?
Partly because state law asks it of kennels: section 137A of chapter 140 requires commercial boarding and training kennels to keep records of each dog's license. A license also confirms a current rabies vaccine, because towns grant one only against a vet's certification. It is the same requirement our daycare dogs meet.

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.

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