Our team
The Dogtown team: handlers, groomers and trainers
Owners want to know who will hold the leash. This page describes each role in the building and what it means for your dog on an ordinary day; the story of why Dogtown exists is in the founder's letter on our About page.
Handlers
Handlers run the playgroups and stay with your dog's group through the day
Handlers are the people your dog spends a daycare day with. Each playgroup of 7 to 10 dogs, matched by size and temperament, has its handler for the session, on the turf yard in good weather and the indoor play floors when a nor'easter closes it. The handler calls the water breaks and the settles between play blocks and gives a dog who has had enough a quieter spot before pick-up.
Placement starts at the evaluation. Our trainers run the temperament test, then your dog spends a few supervised hours in a group, and together those decide which circle it joins. Overnight guests join the same groups by day and are monitored around the clock at night. The same staff walk dogs at home: walkers are Dogtown staff, and you get a photo and a short note after every walk.
- One handler with each group of 7 to 10
- Water breaks and settles between play blocks
- Placement decided at the free evaluation
- At-home walks led by Dogtown staff, with a photo after each
Groomers
Groomers work in their own studio and confirm the price once they have seen the coat
Dogtown Grooming has its own studio in the building, and the groomers there handle baths, full-service cuts and the details: nails, teeth, face and sanitary trims, de-matting and Shed Release. They look at each coat at check-in and confirm the final price before starting, because mats and coat condition change the work. Grooming needs no evaluation, so a groomer may be the first person at Dogtown your dog meets.
They set the pace by the dog. Our groomers are calm and patient, read a dog's body language and slow down when it needs them to; when a dog needs extra time or a second pair of hands, the $20 behavior or handling surcharge covers it. A groom can be booked into a daycare day or before an overnight pick-up, so a groomer and a handler often share the same dog on the same day.
Cat specialists
Cat behavior specialists groom cats in a quiet room away from the dogs
Cats have their own people and their own room. Our cat behavior specialists work in a quiet space away from the dog floors, with gentle, low-stress handling and minimal restraint, and they assess each cat's coat and temperament before any work starts. Full Service is $120, Full Bath $95, Minimal Trims $45, and nail clipping for cats is $20, with no evaluation needed to book.
The most important skill in that room is knowing when to stop. A cat who cannot be groomed safely is referred to a vet rather than pushed through the appointment, and that judgment is made on the table by the specialist holding the cat. It is the reason the cat room runs at the cat's pace rather than the clock's.
- A quiet room away from the dog floors
- Coat and temperament assessed before any work
- Low-stress handling with minimal restraint
- A vet referral when a groom is not safe
Trainers
Trainers teach on Academy days, and Gabriella Pope leads Dogtown Professional Training
Gabriella Pope is Dogtown's Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist and leads Dogtown Professional Training. Her approach is relationship-based, fear- and force-free and centered on positive reinforcement, mindfulness and clear communication. Her profile page sets out her background and every program she leads, from Tiny Tails Puppy School for young pups to the one- and two-week board and train.
Trainers shape the daycare side too. Every Dogtown Academy day includes a training session with our trainer and one-on-one trainer time, and the Academy's report card carries the trainer's notes home through the Dogtown app. Training enquiries go through the contact form, and the team replies within one hour on business days, then sets up a short assessment.
Front desk
The front desk keeps the file, books the day and answers the phone
The front desk is where the paperwork lives. It takes the new customer form, the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and the city license at the evaluation, checks dogs in and out inside the drop-off windows, and adds a groom, an enrichment add-on or the Pup Van to a booking. Messages sent through the Dogtown app reach the desk, and so do calls to 978 491-5922.
The desk is also where to ask about anything this site does not print as a fixed rule: late pick-up, cancellation, medication during a stay and how long packs stay valid are confirmed when you book. Pup Van rides come out of the same bookings, collecting dogs at the door for $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea.
- 01
The front desk takes the form, the vaccine records and the city license
- 02
A trainer runs the temperament test
- 03
Your dog spends a few supervised hours in a group
- 04
At pick-up you hear which playgroup suits your dog
- 05
From then on, handlers, groomers and trainers meet your dog as you book
At Dogtown
What the team looks after
Daycare, grooming for dogs and cats, and the Academy, all under one roof on Eastern Ave.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Who looks after my dog during a daycare day?
Are Dogtown's staff certified?
Can I meet the team before my dog's first day?
Who grooms cats at Dogtown?
Who founded Dogtown?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Keep reading
Next step
Meet the team at a free evaluation.
Book a weekday-morning evaluation and your dog meets the front desk, a trainer and a playgroup in one visit, 6:30 to 9:30 AM by appointment.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
