Notes from November
When holiday boarding fills: the booking windows we see
Every November the same pattern shows up on the booking screen. Thanksgiving week goes first, then the days around Christmas, then the run into New Year. This note explains what that looks like from our side of the desk and how to get ahead of it.
What fills first
Thanksgiving week goes first, then the Christmas stretch, then New Year
The requests arrive in a set order. Thanksgiving tightens first, because the Wednesday and Sunday around it are heavy travel days on the North Shore. Christmas week follows, with stays that stretch to New Year for families who fly. The front desk watches suite counts and confirms each request as it comes in.
We do not publish a cutoff, because the answer changes with the dates. A Tuesday-to-Friday Thanksgiving stay is a different question from a ten-night run over Christmas. Message the front desk through the app or call 978 491-5922, and we check the nights you want and confirm what is open, or offer the nearest dates that are.
- Thanksgiving week is the first to tighten
- Christmas to New Year stays run longest
- The front desk confirms each set of dates; there is no fixed cutoff
Getting ahead
The evaluation is the step that stalls holiday plans, so do it in the fall
The bottleneck is rarely the suite. It is the free evaluation, which every new overnight guest completes on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM before any stay. A dog who has never been to Dogtown cannot be booked for Thanksgiving until that morning is done, and October slots are easier to find than November ones.
Have the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and the current town license ready that morning. Gloucester licenses come from the City Clerk at 9 Dale Ave; Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea license through their own town halls. A trial daycare day before a first stay shows our handlers how your dog settles.
- 01
Send the new customer form and book the free weekday evaluation
- 02
Ask the front desk to confirm the holiday nights you need
- 03
Try a daycare day or two before the first overnight stay
- 04
Pack pre-portioned food, medications and one comfort item
The stay
A holiday suite is $78 a night, with the daycare day built in
An overnight suite is $78 a night. Guests join a playgroup of 7 to 10 dogs by day, then settle into a quiet suite with 24/7 monitoring. The Dogtown Classic adds $10 a night for a daily pupsicle or puppy cup and 10 percent off grooming; the Deluxe adds $15 for a stuffed Kong, daily treadmill or enrichment play, an orthopedic bed and 15 percent off grooming.
Our regular windows are weekdays 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6:30 PM, and Sunday 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM for overnight guests only. Ask about the holiday itself when you confirm. A bath from $55 before pick-up sends a dog home clean after a long stay.
- Suite $78 a night, Classic +$10, Deluxe +$15
- Sunday windows 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM for overnight guests
- Confirm the windows on the holiday itself with the front desk
Members
Unlimited members hold priority on holiday suites
The unlimited daycare membership at $700 a month includes priority holiday overnight-stay reservations, along with two enrichment sessions a month, 15 percent off grooming and a birthday enrichment session. For a dog who already comes most days, that priority is often the reason a family joins in the fall.
For everyone else the rule is simpler: ask early. We would rather confirm a suite in October than say no in December, and a dog who has done a few daycare days at 210 Eastern Ave settles into a holiday stay far more easily than one who walks in the day before Thanksgiving.
At Dogtown
The stay behind the booking
Suites with the daycare day built in, and the daycare days that make a first stay easier.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
How far ahead should I book Thanksgiving boarding at Dogtown?
Can I drop off or pick up on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day?
Does the membership really move me up the holiday list?
What should my dog bring for a long holiday stay?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Keep reading
Next step
Ask about holiday dates early.
Book the free weekday evaluation this fall, then message the front desk with the nights you need for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
