Daycare
Dog daycare trial day in Gloucester: the free evaluation, then 15 percent off
Plenty of daycares sell a trial day. Ours costs nothing, because it is the evaluation every new dog does anyway, and the discount comes afterward, on the first real day. Here is what the morning tests, what to bring, how it can end and how to use the code.
Who this is for
Every dog new to daycare, the Academy, overnight stays or walks does the trial; dogs coming only for grooming skip it
The puppy that has finished its vaccine series comes for the trial before its first half day. The adult dog moving from another daycare comes too, because every dog completes our evaluation before joining a group here. The rescue comes once it has settled at home, and our page on daycare for rescue dogs explains the timing. A dog booked only for a bath or a groom never needs the trial: grooming is the one service with no evaluation.
A few dogs should wait. A puppy still part-way through its shots is not ready, since proof of vaccination is handed over at the evaluation. A dog without a current city license should get one first. And a dog that has shown real fear or aggression around other dogs may be better served by starting with a training program such as Adventure Academy, which is built for dog-selective dogs hoping to join the daycare pack; the trial will still be there when it is ready.
- Puppies who have finished the vaccines your vet scheduled
- Adults switching from another daycare
- Rescues that have had their quiet settling-in weeks
- Not needed: dogs booked only for grooming
The morning
The trial finds the group that fits your dog, through a temperament test and a few hours of supervised play
The evaluation has two parts. The temperament test comes first: a member of our certified team meets you and your dog and watches how it takes in a new person and a new building. Then your dog joins a playgroup that looks like a match and spends a few supervised hours in it. The purpose is the one our FAQ gives: to make sure your dog is comfortable here and to keep the day safe and positive for every dog in the group.
It is not an obedience test, and nobody will ask for a sit or a stay. What the team is learning is your dog's size, play style and temperament, the three things groups are matched on. A bold wrestler and a polite watcher of the same weight belong in different circles of 7 to 10, and the hours in a group are how the difference shows. At pick-up you hear where your dog landed and what we suggest booking first.
- 01
Send the new customer form and book a weekday slot between 6:30 and 9:30 AM
- 02
Arrive with your dog on a leash, plus the vaccine records and the license
- 03
The temperament test with a member of our certified team
- 04
A few supervised hours in a playgroup that looks like a match
- 05
Pick-up, and a conversation about the placement and the first booking
What to bring
Bring a leash, the vaccine records and the city license, and send the form before you come
For the trial itself you need very little: your dog on a leash with a secure collar or harness, proof of Rabies, Distemper (DHPP or equivalent) and Bordetella vaccination, and a current city dog license. All of it is handed over at the evaluation, together with the quick new customer form, which is easiest to send from this site before you arrive; our getting started page walks through every step. Food, beds and toys stay at home for a daycare day.
The license is the item people forget. In Gloucester it comes from the City Clerk, needs a current rabies certificate and is due by April 30. At the time of writing the city's licensing page lists $20 for a spayed or neutered dog and $25 for an intact one, plus a two-dollar processing fee, and the city has announced that fees rise in 2026, so check the page for the current amount. Dogs living in Rockport, Essex or Manchester-by-the-Sea get their license from that town's own office instead.
- A leash and a secure collar or harness
- Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records
- A current city dog license
- The new customer form, sent ahead
Outcomes and price
A trial ends one of three ways, and the coupon applies once your dog has a group
In practice the morning points one of three ways. Most dogs are placed in a group and can book their first day straight away. Some are placed with a suggestion attached: start with half days, pick a quieter weekday, or try a Dogtown Academy day if the dog does better with a trainer and a task. A few are not ready for a group yet, and you hear why in plain words, along with what might help, from Adventure Academy to Calm & Connected. Grooming stays open whatever happens.
The coupon comes after. FIRST15 takes 15 percent off your first daycare visit when you book it online or in the Dogtown app: on a $42 full day that is a saving of $6.30, and on a $33 half day just under five dollars. The code is published for the first daycare visit; if you would rather start with a pack or an Academy day, ask the front desk how it applies before you check out.
| How the trial ends | Next booking | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Placed in a group | First daycare day with FIRST15 | $42 full day or $33 half day, less 15 percent |
| Placed, with a slower start | Half days, or a Dogtown Academy half day | $33, or $69 for Academy |
| Not ready for a group yet | Adventure Academy or Calm & Connected | Training sessions from $94 |
| Any outcome | Grooming, which needs no evaluation | Baths from $55 by size |
Getting here
Drive in yourself for the trial on a weekday morning, then let the Pup Van take over
The trial happens at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, on weekday mornings only, because evaluations run Monday to Friday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment. That window is also the morning drop-off, so your dog sees the building as it really runs. Plan to bring your dog yourself, since the records and the license are handed over in person, and to collect it when the front desk tells you the few hours are up.
After that, the Pup Van can do the driving for $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea; outside those towns, ask us for pricing. Saturdays work for regular daycare, from 8 AM to 6 PM, but not for the trial. If you commute on the Rockport line, an early slot leaves time to catch a mid-morning train once your dog is checked in.
At Dogtown
What the trial opens up
Matched daycare groups, and Dogtown Academy for the dog that does better with a trainer and a task.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Do I pay anything for the trial day?
Can my dog's trial be on a Saturday?
What happens if my dog's paperwork is not ready?
Does FIRST15 work on a pack or an Academy day?
Can my first day after the trial be a half day?
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
Book the trial, then the first day.
Send the new customer form, pick a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, bring the records and the license, and use FIRST15 on the first daycare visit that follows.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
