Notes from November
The first nor'easter of the year: what changed on Eastern Ave
The first nor'easter is a rite of the Cape Ann fall. The National Weather Service forecast for Boston turns to gale warnings, Good Harbor disappears under spray, and the building on Eastern Ave shifts into its indoor rhythm. Here is what that looks like from inside.
The yard
The turf drains, but sideways rain sends the groups indoors
Our outdoor yard is turf over drainage, so a steady rain is a normal day: dogs come in wet, get toweled, and go back out. A nor'easter is different. The wind drives rain across the yard, the pools slop over and the platforms get slick, so our handlers bring the groups in and keep the yard for short bathroom rotations.
Groups stay the same 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament. What changes is the space: the indoor play floors take the play, the settle breaks get longer and the day gets quieter. A dog unsettled by the noise on the roof gets a spot away from the group until it eases.
- Steady rain: a normal outdoor day with towels
- Driving wind: indoor play floors, short yard breaks
- Same matched groups, quieter rotations
Indoors
The treadmill, the sniff room and the puzzles carry the energy
An indoor day needs an outlet. A supervised session on the dogPACER treadmill is $10 and gives a high-energy dog a steady walk while the yard is closed. The sniff room at $7 tires the brain with find-it games, and a puzzle game at $7 or a frozen Kong at $6 turns a settle break into work.
Families add these in the app or at drop-off, and on storm days the treadmill list fills first. Academy dogs already rotate through fitness and enrichment, so a nor'easter changes their day less than a daycare dog's. A half day at $33 suits a dog who finds an all-indoor day long.
- 01
Check the Dogtown app for the day's announcement before you leave
- 02
Add a treadmill session at $10 or the sniff room at $7 at drop-off
- 03
Bring a towel and a dry collar to pick-up; wet coats chill fast in wind
- 04
Rinse the salt from paws once the roads are treated
The app
Announcements in the Dogtown app are how the day's plan reaches you
We do not set the storm plan on this page, because every nor'easter is different. What we can say is where the plan appears: as an announcement in the Dogtown app, next to the messages to the front desk you already use. If the windows shift for the day, that is where you read it first.
Driving matters too. Cape Ann roads flood and drop branches in a nor'easter, and Route 128 takes the wind, so allow extra time. The Pup Van runs its loop through Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 each way, and the app is also where any change to the van's timing is posted.
- The day's plan is an announcement in the app
- Front desk messages work in the app too
- Pup Van timing changes are posted the same way
After
The days after the storm bring wrack, salt and the best beach walks of the fall
A nor'easter rearranges the beaches. Good Harbor and Wingaersheek are open to dogs from October 1, on even and odd days, and after a storm the wrack line is full of things a dog should not eat, so a leash and a solid drop-it matter more than usual. Salt on treated roads starts the paw season early.
The AVMA's cold-weather guidance is plain: wet dogs lose heat quickly, so dry the coat and check the pads for cracks after a windy walk. Back on Eastern Ave, the day after a storm is one of the best of the year, because every dog who spent a day indoors runs the turf like it is new.
At Dogtown
The indoor day
Daycare on the indoor floors, with the add-ons that carry a dog through a storm.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Does Dogtown close in a nor'easter?
What does an indoor daycare day look like?
Is the treadmill safe on a storm day?
Should I still walk my dog in a nor'easter?
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
Ready for the indoor days.
Book the free weekday evaluation and your dog has a matched group waiting, on the turf or on the indoor floors when the wind comes up.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
