Two-dog overnight stays
Boarding two dogs from one home: sharing a suite at Dogtown
Two dogs are more than twice the logistics. One is a bouncy young lab, the other a settled ten-year-old; one eats anything, the other needs coaxing. This page covers how Dogtown handles a pair from one home on an overnight stay in Gloucester: the shared suite, the separate playgroups, and what to ask the front desk about the rate.
Who it fits
Two-dog households that suit a shared overnight stay
The pair that sleeps in a heap at home is the natural case. Two dogs who share a bed, a couch or a crate bring that comfort with them, and a shared suite means neither is alone in a strange room on the first night. Littermates, a dog and the puppy it raised, two seniors who have spent a decade together: these pairs settle faster together than apart.
Cape Ann has plenty of them. The Rockport couple with two spaniels who go to Florida in February. The Essex family whose two labs cannot come to the wedding in Maine. The Manchester-by-the-Sea household with a rescue and a puppy, heading to Logan for a fortnight. The Pup Van covers all four of its towns for $10 each way, and two dogs ride together.
Sharing suits a pair less well when one dog guards food or toys from the other, when one is much bigger and the smaller one gets flattened in a small space, or when the two have very different needs at night, such as a puppy that gets up at 3 AM and a senior that needs its sleep. In those cases we suggest neighboring suites; ask the front desk what is possible for your two.
- Pairs who already sleep together at home
- Littermates, or a dog and the puppy it raised
- Two seniors who have shared a decade
- Not for pairs who guard food or toys from each other
The stay
How a two-dog overnight stay runs, together and apart
Each dog does its own free evaluation, on a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30 AM. That is where we learn that your two are not one unit: the older dog may belong in a steady group and the younger in a livelier one. By day they go where each fits. Two dogs from one home are often placed in different playgroups of 7 to 10 dogs; each gets a day pitched at its own pace.
Meals are the moment most pairs need managing. Pack each dog's food pre-portioned and labelled with its name, and tell the front desk who eats fast, who needs to be fed apart and who takes a pill. Medications go with your written instructions; ask how they want them labelled. One comfort item per dog, or one shared blanket that smells of both of them.
At night the two settle into the shared suite with 24/7 monitoring. Handlers who have watched the pair all day know whether they curl up together or claim opposite corners, and if the sharing is not working, the dogs can be separated. Morning is breakfast apart, then back to their respective groups. The report card in the app comes for each dog.
- 01
Book a free evaluation for each dog, on the same weekday morning if you can
- 02
Tell the front desk you want a shared suite, and describe how the two sleep at home
- 03
Ask how the $78 nightly rate and the bundles apply to a shared suite
- 04
Pack each dog's meals pre-portioned and labelled, with feeding notes
- 05
Drop off in a regular window, or book the Pup Van for both dogs at $10 each way
- 06
Read both report cards in the Dogtown app each evening
Price
What two dogs cost per night, and what to ask about a shared suite
The published suite rate is $78 a night. How that applies when two dogs share one suite is a question for the front desk when you book. The bundles are per night as well: the Dogtown Classic at $10 for a daily pupsicle or puppy cup and 10 percent off grooming, the Deluxe at $15 for a stuffed Kong or Toppl, daily treadmill or enrichment play, the memory-foam bed and 15 percent off grooming.
With two dogs the bundles can be split by need. The senior takes the Deluxe for the bed, the young dog takes the Classic for the treat, or one gets single enrichment add-ons on the days it needs them: a frozen Kong at $6, a puzzle game at $7, the sniff room at $7. Grooming before pick-up is priced per dog by size, from $55 for a bath, and the bundle discount applies to the dog that holds the bundle.
| Item | Rate | Two-dog note |
|---|---|---|
| Overnight suite | $78 a night | Ask the front desk how the rate applies to a shared suite |
| Dogtown Classic | +$10 a night | Can be added to one dog or both |
| Dogtown Deluxe | +$15 a night | Memory-foam bed suits the older of a pair |
| Enrichment add-ons | $5 to $10 | Booked per dog, per day |
| Bath before pick-up | $55 to $95 by size | Priced per dog |
Why Dogtown
Why a pair does well at Dogtown
Because we do not treat two dogs as one. Each has its own evaluation, its own group of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, its own report card, and the certified handlers on the floor know both by name and by habit. The 10,000-square-foot building has enough room for two dogs from one home to have two different days and one shared night, which is exactly what most pairs want.
The daytime separation is good for both. The bouncy young dog gets to play flat out without knocking over its elderly housemate; the older dog gets a quiet group and a lick mat. At night they are back together in the suite with 24/7 monitoring. A pair often comes home more settled with each other than when it left.
- Separate evaluations, separate groups, one shared suite
- Handlers who know both dogs by habit
- Two report cards in the app each day
Getting here
Two dogs, one drop-off: windows and the Pup Van
Drop off both dogs in one visit inside a regular window: weekdays 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6:30 PM; Saturday 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6 PM; Sunday, overnight guests only, 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM. Two leashes, two labelled food bags, one conversation at the desk at 210 Eastern Ave.
The Pup Van takes both dogs for $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea; ask us for pricing elsewhere. It is worth more with two dogs than one, since walking a pair through a lobby with luggage in the car is nobody's favorite morning. Do not plan on the Rockport line: the MBTA allows leashed dogs only off-peak at staff discretion and never on seats, and a pair on a crowded commuter car is rarely welcome.
At Dogtown
The services a pair uses
One shared suite, two daycare groups, and a van that carries both dogs.
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.
Can my two dogs share one suite?
Do I pay $78 for each dog when they share?
Do siblings share a playgroup during the day?
Do both dogs need an evaluation?
Can the Pup Van take both 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
Two dogs, one suite.
Book a free evaluation for each dog, tell the front desk you want a shared suite, and ask how the $78 nightly rate applies to your pair. Bundles and grooming are priced per dog.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
