Daycare
Half-day dog daycare in Gloucester: $33 a session
Not every dog needs a nine-hour day. Puppies, seniors, dogs who fade by noon and dogs whose people work half the day do better with a shorter session and a real nap at home. This page covers what a half day looks like at Dogtown, what it costs, and how to fit it to the drop-off windows.
Who it fits
A half day suits the dogs that run out of steam before the day does
The half day exists for four kinds of dogs. The puppy who has been to the evaluation, joined a group and then slept through the afternoon in a corner. The senior who loves the sniffing and the company but stiffens up after a long day on the turf. The dog who plays hard for two hours and then spends the rest of a full day watching the door. And the dog whose owner works a morning shift at Addison Gilbert, takes the noon train from the Gloucester station, or simply needs Tuesday afternoons covered.
It is also the honest place to start after the evaluation. A dog who is new to groups learns the building, the handlers and two or three steady playmates in a shorter window, then comes back for a second half day before anyone commits to full days. We would rather a dog leave wanting more than leave overtired.
- Puppies past their evaluation who still need a long afternoon nap
- Senior dogs who enjoy the group but not nine hours of it
- Dogs who play in short bursts and are done by lunch
- Households that need a morning or an afternoon covered, not the whole day
The session
Morning or afternoon, the group is the same small circle
A half-day dog joins the same matched playgroup as the full-day dogs. Groups are 7 to 10 dogs, put together by size, age and play style at the evaluation, and a handler stays with the group the whole session. The turf yard with its pools and platforms is the main event in good weather; the indoor play floors take over when a nor'easter is blowing through or the turf is iced.
Sessions follow the weekday windows. A morning dog arrives between 6:30 and 9:30 AM and goes home at the 12 to 1 PM window. An afternoon dog arrives between 12 and 1 PM and leaves between 4 and 6:30 PM. Saturday windows run 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6 PM. Tell the front desk which pairing fits your week and we will hold the spot.
A half day is play and rest, not play and more play. Every group breaks for water and a settle, and a dog who has clearly had enough gets a quiet spot before pick-up. The report card in the app tells you what the session looked like: who your dog played with, how long, and whether the nap started early.
- 01
Book the session online, in the Dogtown app or by phone once the evaluation is done
- 02
Drop off inside the morning or midday window with your dog's name on the collar tag
- 03
Your dog joins its matched group on the turf or the indoor floors with the same handler throughout
- 04
Water breaks and a settle between play blocks, then a quiet spot for any dog who is done early
- 05
Pick up at the midday or late-afternoon window and read the report card in the app
Price
$33 a half day, $150 for five and $290 for ten
A single half day is $33. The half-day 5-pack is $150, which brings each session to $30, and the half-day 10-pack is $290, which brings it to $29. A full day is $42, with a 5-pack at $200 and a 10-pack at $380. If your dog ends up coming three or more full days a week, the unlimited daycare membership at $700 a month is worth the math on the daycare packs and membership page.
New customers take 15 percent off the first daycare visit with the code FIRST15 at checkout. The Pup Van can collect and return your dog for $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, which turns a half day into a genuinely hands-free morning.
| Option | Price | Per session |
|---|---|---|
| Half day, single | $33 | $33 |
| Half-day 5-pack | $150 | $30 |
| Half-day 10-pack | $290 | $29 |
| Full day, single | $42 | $42 |
| Full-day 10-pack | $380 | $38 |
| Unlimited membership | $700 a month | depends on attendance |
Before the first session
The free evaluation comes first, on a weekday morning
Every dog new to Dogtown does a free evaluation before its first half day. It runs on weekdays between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment: a temperament test with one of our certified handlers, then a few supervised hours in a group so we can see which circle your dog belongs in. Grooming needs no evaluation; daycare, the Academy, overnight stays and walks do.
Have Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records ready, plus a current city dog license. Gloucester licenses come from the City Clerk at 9 Dale Ave and are due by April 30 each year; Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea each license through their own town hall. The quick new customer form on this site starts the file, and we reply the same business day.
- Free evaluation, weekdays 6:30 to 9:30 AM, by appointment
- Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella on file, plus a current city dog license
- The new customer form, then a first half day booked online or in the app
Half day or full day
Choose by how your dog looks at 5 PM, not by the price gap
The $9 difference between a half day and a full day is not the deciding factor. Watch your dog at pick-up. A dog who walks out loose, sniffs the car and sleeps the evening away has had the right amount. A dog who is frantic, or who has been flat on a cot since 2 PM, needed the shorter session. Our handlers will tell you plainly which one they saw.
Plenty of Dogtown dogs mix the two: full days on the days their people commute to Boston on the Rockport line, half days on work-from-home days when a morning of play sets up a quiet afternoon at the desk. Packs make that easy, because half-day and full-day sessions are bought separately and used as your week needs.
- Loose, sniffy and sleepy at pick-up: the length was right
- Frantic or flat since early afternoon: try the shorter session
- Mixed weeks are normal; buy the pack that matches the days you actually need
At Dogtown
The daycare behind the half day
The same small groups, the same handlers and the same turf yard, for as long as your dog needs them.
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.
What counts as a half day at Dogtown?
Can I switch a half day to a full day on the morning?
Do half-day packs expire?
Is a half day enough for a high-energy dog?
Can my puppy do a half day before all vaccines are finished?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Keep reading
Next step
Start with a half day.
Send the new customer form, book the free evaluation for a weekday morning, and your dog's first half day follows. Use FIRST15 for 15 percent off the first visit.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
