- Home
- Service areas
- Dogtown for Manchester-by-the-Sea dog owners
Manchester-by-the-Sea
Dogtown for Manchester-by-the-Sea dog owners
Manchester sits halfway between Beverly and Gloucester, and its dog owners can drive either way. This page makes the case for the Gloucester direction with the numbers, the two routes and the Manchester rules that shape a dog's year: Singing Beach's dates, the April 1 license renewal and Coolidge Reservation's single dog-friendly leg.
- Getting to Eastern Ave
- About 20 minutes via Route 128 to its end and Eastern Avenue, or Route 127 along the shore through Magnolia; estimates
- The Pup Van
- Yes, $10 each way
- Dog licensing
- Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea; licenses run April 1 to March 31 at $20, or $25 if not neutered (manchester.ma.us)
- The beach rule
- Singing Beach: licensed, vaccinated dogs October 15 to April 14, walk-on fee while staff are on duty, two dogs per person (manchester.ma.us)
- A trail we know
- Coolidge Reservation (The Trustees): dogs only on the short leg from the trailhead, not the beach (thetrustees.org)
- Dogtown dogs from here
- Ask us about Dogtown dogs from Manchester-by-the-Sea
Two roads
Route 128 or the shore road through Magnolia: both about 20 minutes to Eastern Ave
The fast way is Route 128 north to its end in Gloucester, then Eastern Avenue toward Rockport; 210 Eastern Ave is a couple of minutes past the final rotary, and the trip is about 20 minutes as an estimate. The slow way is Route 127 along the shore through Magnolia, past Stage Fort Park and through downtown Gloucester before it turns east onto Eastern Avenue. On a quiet morning the two are close; in July the shore road is the one that stalls.
The Pup Van covers Manchester at $10 each way, the same rate as Gloucester, Rockport and Essex. You add it when you book a daycare day, an Academy day or an overnight stay, online or in the Dogtown app, and the front desk confirms a pick-up time inside our windows: weekdays 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6:30 PM, Saturdays 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6 PM.
Manchester has its own stop on the Rockport line, and the MBTA rule shapes the morning: leashed non-service dogs ride only off-peak at staff discretion, never on seats, and not between 7 and 10 AM or 4 and 7 PM. The daycare dog therefore does not go to the station with you. Book the van for after your train leaves, or drive the dog to Eastern Ave and then to the station.
- Route 128 to its end, then Eastern Avenue: about 20 minutes
- Route 127 through Magnolia and downtown Gloucester: scenic, slower in summer
- Pup Van: $10 each way, booked with the daycare or overnight day
- Rockport line: no dogs on the 7 to 10 AM or 4 to 7 PM trains
Manchester dog life
Singing Beach takes licensed, vaccinated dogs October 15 to April 14
Singing Beach is the town's dog calendar. At the time of writing, licensed and vaccinated dogs are allowed from October 15 to April 14, there is a walk-on fee while beach staff are on duty, and each person may bring two dogs. From April 15 to October 14 the beach is closed to dogs. That six-month window is when Manchester's Labs, goldens and doodles come to us for a bath ($55 to $95 by size) with sand in every layer of the coat.
Coolidge Reservation, a Trustees property in Manchester, allows dogs only on the short leg from the trailhead and not on the beach, so it is a leg-stretch rather than a hike with the dog. The Monoliths, the former Agassiz Rock, is the other Trustees walk in town; the Trustees publish their dog guidelines for every property, and those set the leash rule there.
Manchester dog licenses run April 1 to March 31 and cost $20, or $25 if the dog is not neutered; the town's Dog Licenses page has the form. Bring the current license to the evaluation with the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records. A dog whose license has lapsed joins a group once it is renewed, not before. The town's page, linked below, is the place to check the current fee before you renew.
- Singing Beach: dogs October 15 to April 14, licensed and vaccinated, two per person, walk-on fee while staff are on duty
- Coolidge Reservation: dogs on the short trailhead leg only, not the beach
- License: April 1 to March 31, $20, or $25 if not neutered
What Manchester books
Academy days, cat grooming and overnight suites lead the Manchester list
Manchester dogs skew toward the Academy. Dogtown Academy is structured daycare with a trainer: full day $89, half day $69, with training, enrichment, fitness, play and one-on-one trainer time every day and a report card at pick-up. It suits the adolescent Lab who has outgrown the yard and the older dog who wants a job. Regular daycare is $42 full and $33 half, in matched groups of 7 to 10.
The cat room brings a second kind of Manchester client. Cat grooming happens in a quiet studio away from the dogs: Full Service (bath, shaving, trims and nails) $120, Full Bath $95, Minimal Trims $45, nail clipping $20. Overnight suites are $78 a night with playgroups by day, and the Sunday windows for overnight guests are 8 to 10 AM and 4 to 6 PM. Walks at home depend on the address, so ask us about your street.
| Daycare | Dogtown Academy | |
|---|---|---|
| Full day | $42 | $89 |
| Half day | $33 | $69 |
| Full-day 10-pack | $380 | $785 |
| Half-day 10-pack | $290 | $610 |
| Trainer session every day | No | Yes |
| Free evaluation first | Yes | Yes |
Getting started
One weekday morning at Eastern Ave, then the van can take over
Book the free evaluation for a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM. Our trainers meet you and your dog, run a temperament test and keep the dog for a few supervised hours in a matched group. Send the new customer form beforehand and bring the town license and the vaccination records. Grooming, for dogs and cats, needs none of this and books straight in.
After the evaluation, book days online or in the Dogtown app, add the Pup Van, and read the report card after each visit. Enter FIRST15 at checkout and the first daycare visit is 15 percent cheaper, and the report card shows the group your dog joined and how the day went. Enrichment add-ons go onto any day for $5 to $10: frozen Kong, homemade pupsicle, puzzle game, lick mat, a supervised treadmill session or the sniff room.
- 01
Send the new customer form
- 02
Book the evaluation: a weekday, 6:30 to 9:30 AM
- 03
Bring the Manchester license (April 1 to March 31) and the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records
- 04
Book daycare, Academy or a suite in the app and tick the Pup Van at $10 each way
- 05
Add a bath on Singing Beach days, October 15 to April 14
- 06
Use FIRST15 on the first daycare visit
At Dogtown
What Manchester dogs and cats come for
Daycare and the Academy, overnight suites, dog and cat grooming, and the Pup Van up Route 128.
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 long is the drive from Manchester-by-the-Sea to Dogtown?
Can my dog go to Singing Beach and then to daycare?
Is the Manchester dog license enough, or do you need a Gloucester one?
Do you groom cats from Manchester?
Which is better for my Manchester dog, daycare or the Academy?
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
Manchester dogs, up Route 128 to Eastern Ave.
Send the new customer form and book the free evaluation for a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM. Grooming for dogs and cats books straight in.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
