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Walks and daycare
How to transition from walks to daycare
Daycare is not a promotion from dog walking, and plenty of dogs are happier with a walker for life. For others, there comes a point when twenty or thirty minutes on a leash is not enough company or exercise. Here is how to recognize that point, make the switch without upsetting your dog, and mix the two sensibly.
Before you start
Before you start, decide whether your dog has outgrown the walk or just needs a longer one
The AKC's answer to how much exercise a dog needs is that it varies with age, health and breed, and that mental stimulation complements physical exercise rather than replacing it. So start by asking what is missing. A dog that comes home from a 30-minute walk and settles for the afternoon may simply be fine. A dog that is still pacing at 9 PM, chewing what it should not, or dragging toward every dog on the route may need more than a longer walk.
Daycare adds the one thing a walk cannot: hours of other dogs. That is a gift to a social dog and a burden to one that is not. If your dog is uneasy around other dogs, elderly and stiff, or recovering from an injury, solo walks may remain the better choice, perhaps longer ones. Daycare suits dogs that light up when they see other dogs, have energy to spare and cope with a busy building.
- Still restless in the evening after the walk
- Pulling toward other dogs to play, not to react
- Workdays longer than one walk can cover
- Healthy enough for hours of play with rest breaks
- Not reactive, fearful or frail around other dogs
The steps
Make the switch in six steps, keeping the walk while daycare beds in
If Dogtown already walks your dog, the free evaluation was done before its first walk, so ask the front desk whether anything needs repeating before a first group day. If your dog is new to us, the evaluation comes first: a temperament test, then a few supervised hours in a playgroup of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, on a weekday morning at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester.
Keep the walker on through the change. A dog that loses its familiar walk and gains a building full of strangers in the same week has two changes to absorb at once. Run both for a month, read the report cards and the walk notes side by side, then settle the pattern. Some dogs end up on daycare most days with an occasional walk; others keep three walks a week and add one daycare day for company.
- 01
Keep a two-week note of each walk day: how long the walk was and how your dog behaved that evening.
- 02
Book the free evaluation, or confirm with the front desk that your dog's earlier evaluation covers a playgroup.
- 03
Book the first daycare day as a half day at $33, on a day you would normally book a walk.
- 04
Keep the regular walk on the day after daycare, so the dog has a lighter day with a familiar person.
- 05
After two weeks, set a weekly pattern, for example two daycare days and walks on the others.
- 06
Review after a month with the report cards and the walk notes together, and adjust the mix.
Mixing both
Mixing walks and daycare works because the two cost about the same and do different jobs
The prices are closer than most owners expect. A half day of daycare at $33 costs less than a 30-minute walk at $35, and a full day at $42 costs less than a 60-minute walk at $55. Packs bring both down: ten half days are $290 and ten 30-minute walks are $315. So the question is rarely cost. It is which job your dog needs done on which day: company and play, or a quiet outing with one person.
Use the table to plan a week that fits your dog and your schedule. Daycare drop-off runs 6:30 to 9:30 AM on weekdays, with pick-up from 12 to 1 PM for a half day or 4 to 6:30 PM for a full day, and the Pup Van collects and returns daycare dogs in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 each way. Walks come to your door, depending on your address and the season.
| Option | Single price | 10-pack | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-minute walk | $25 | $225 | A bathroom break and a short sniff |
| 30-minute walk | $35 | $315 | A steady outing on a quiet day |
| 60-minute walk | $55 | $495 | A long solo outing for a fit dog |
| Half-day daycare | $33 | $290 | A first group day, puppies and seniors |
| Full-day daycare | $42 | $380 | Social dogs on long workdays |
| Pup Van | $10 each way | No pack | Daycare dogs in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea |
Mistakes we see
The mistakes are cancelling the walker on day one and booking five full days straight away
The first mistake is treating the change as a swap. Owners cancel the walker the week daycare starts, and the dog loses its familiar person at the same moment it meets a new routine. Keep both for a month. The second is going straight to five full days because the first half day went well. A dog that copes with one morning may be worn out by Thursday of a full week, and the report cards will show it.
The third mistake is assuming daycare is the upgrade for every dog. A dog that tolerates other dogs on a leash but avoids them at the park may not enjoy a group, and a long solo walk can be the kinder choice. Summer is a trap of its own: at the time of writing, Gloucester closes Good Harbor to dogs from April 1 and Wingaersheek, Plum Cove and Cressy's from May 1, all until September 30, so many dogs lose their beach mornings just as walks get hot.
- Cancelling the walker the week daycare starts
- Five full days after one good half day
- Daycare for a dog that does not enjoy other dogs
- Long midday walks on hot summer pavement
When to call us
Call us to plan the mix, especially for puppies, seniors and dogs with mixed feelings about other dogs
Call 978 491-5922 if you are unsure whether your dog is a daycare dog, a walk dog or both. Puppies often do well with short walks and half days, seniors with walks and the occasional half day, and dogs with mixed feelings about other dogs with walks while they work on it. For a dog that would love daycare but struggles with other dogs, Adventure Academy is our socialization path toward the group.
Walking availability depends on your address and the season, so ask us whether we cover yours before you plan a mixed week. On hot days, the AVMA's advice on pets and heat is worth reading before any midday walk. New customers can take 15 percent off their first daycare visit with the code FIRST15, which makes the first half day of a mixed week a little cheaper.
At Dogtown
Walks and daycare at Dogtown
Solo walks of 20, 30 or 60 minutes, matched daycare groups, and the Pup Van between 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.
Is daycare better than a dog walker?
Can my dog do walks and daycare in the same week?
Does my dog need a new evaluation if Dogtown already walks it?
How many daycare days should replace walks?
What if my dog does not enjoy daycare after the switch?
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
Keep the walk, add the group.
Book a free evaluation on a weekday morning, start with a half day at $33, and keep your dog's walks while daycare settles in.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
