Puppy daycare
Puppy daycare in Gloucester, MA: small playgroups and gentle starts
A puppy's first weeks in a group shape how it treats other dogs for life. This page explains how we start puppies at Dogtown, which session length fits a young dog, what it costs, and when a puppy is better served by a class or a walk than by a daycare day.
Who this is for
Puppy daycare fits a vaccinated pup who has met a few calm dogs and is ready for more
The puppies who do best here have already had a handful of good experiences with other dogs: a friend's older dog, a littermate, a calm neighbor dog on the Boulevard. They are curious rather than frozen, they recover quickly when a bigger dog bumps them, and they are past the vaccination series your vet set. A puppy who comes two or three mornings a week learns dog manners from patient adults in a way no living room can teach.
Some puppies are not ready. A pup who hides under the bench at the evaluation, or who is still finishing vaccines, belongs in a smaller setting first. For those, Tiny Tails Puppy School for pups 8 to 16 weeks or a Brave & Balanced confidence block with our training team builds the foundation, and a 20-minute potty-break walk at home covers the long workday. Ask the front desk about the earliest age we take puppies into daycare; the vaccination series and the city license set the date more than the calendar does.
- A puppy who has finished the vaccines your vet scheduled and holds a current city license
- A pup who approaches new dogs, even slowly, rather than freezing or bolting
- Not yet right for a puppy who has never met a strange dog: start with Tiny Tails or a class
The first days
The first day is short, and the group is matched to size and age
The evaluation comes first, on a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment. One of our certified handlers runs a temperament test, then your puppy spends a few supervised hours with a group we think will suit it. That tells us which of the 7 to 10 dog circles your puppy joins, and it usually tells us whether a half day or a full day is the better first booking.
Most puppies start with half days. A morning session runs from the 6:30 to 9:30 AM drop-off to the 12 to 1 PM pick-up, and that is plenty for a young dog who plays in five-minute bursts and then falls asleep on the turf. Between play blocks every group settles for water and a rest, and a puppy who has clearly run out is given a quiet spot before the group goes back out.
You get a report card in the Dogtown app after each visit: who your puppy played with, how it handled the group, and whether the nap started early. A puppy who finished the morning loose and happy can try a full day; one who spent the last hour flat on a cot is telling you half days are right for now.
- 01
Send the new customer form and book the free evaluation for a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM
- 02
Bring Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and the city license
- 03
Book the first half day online or in the app once the front desk confirms the group
- 04
Drop off in the morning window, then collect between 12 and 1 PM
- 05
Read the report card in the app and let it decide the next booking
Price
$33 a half day or $42 a full day, with packs once the routine is set
There is no separate puppy rate. A half day is $33 and a full day is $42, the same as for any dog. Once you know which length works, the half-day 5-pack at $150 and 10-pack at $290 bring a session to $30 and $29; the full-day 5-pack is $200 and the 10-pack is $380. New customers take 15 percent off the first daycare visit with FIRST15 at checkout.
Two other options come up with puppies. Dogtown Academy is a structured day with a trainer, $89 full or $69 half, and suits a pup whose people are already working on cues at home. And the Pup Van collects and returns puppies for $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, useful for a puppy who is not yet a steady passenger.
| Option | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Half day | $33 | First visits and short-burst players |
| Full day | $42 | Puppies who finish a half day still looking for more |
| Half-day 5-pack | $150 | Two or three mornings a week |
| Half-day 10-pack | $290 | A settled half-day routine |
| Academy half day | $69 | Puppies also in training at home |
| Pup Van | $10 each way | Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea |
Why Dogtown
Small matched groups and certified handlers are what a puppy needs most
Puppies learn from the dogs around them, so the group is the product. Ours are 7 to 10 dogs, matched by size, age and play style, and a handler stays with the group rather than watching from a hallway. That handler interrupts a puppy who is pestering an adult, rewards the one that walks away from a scuffle. Over a few weeks the puppy learns to read other dogs' signals, which is the skill that keeps it safe at the Gloucester Dog Park later on.
The building helps too. 10,000 square feet means a puppy group is never squeezed against an adult group, and the indoor play floors keep a puppy's routine intact when a nor'easter shuts the yard. If a puppy needs more structure, the trainers who lead Tiny Tails Puppy School and AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy work in the same building, so a daycare puppy can step up without changing buildings.
- Groups of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size, age and play style at the evaluation
- A certified handler in the group, coaching greetings and breaks
- Indoor play floors for the days the turf is iced or a storm closes the yard
Getting here
Weekday drop-off opens at 6:30 AM, and the Pup Van can take the morning off your hands
Weekday drop-off and pick-up windows run 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6:30 PM. Saturday runs 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6 PM, and there is no daycare on Sunday. For a puppy, the midday window is the useful one: a morning half day can end at 12 to 1 PM, or a pup who cannot yet manage a long day can arrive then for an afternoon session.
If you commute to Boston on the Rockport line, the MBTA does not allow dogs on board during the 7 to 10 AM and 4 to 7 PM peaks, so the early opening exists partly for you: drop off, catch the train at the Gloucester station, and collect at the 4 to 6:30 PM window. Or book the Pup Van, $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. Outside those towns, ask us for pricing.
Two local jobs to finish before the first day. Gloucester puppies need a city license from the City Clerk at 9 Dale Ave, $20 for a spayed or neutered dog plus a small fee, with a current rabies certificate, and licenses are late after April 30. And during tick season, April to November, check your puppy after any walk at Ravenswood Park or on Dogtown Common before it comes in to play with the others.
At Dogtown
Daycare, Academy and the van for a young dog
The playgroups your puppy will join, the structured day it can grow into, and the ride that gets it here.
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.
How old does a puppy need to be to start daycare at Dogtown?
Will my puppy be in a group with big adult dogs?
Can my puppy have a bath or a nail trim during daycare?
What if my puppy is not ready at the evaluation?
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
Give your puppy a gentle start.
Book the free weekday evaluation, bring the vaccine records and the city license, and your puppy's first half day follows. FIRST15 takes 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
