1 weekPuppies, young dogs & foundational manners
Foundation Board & Train
- Basic obedience
- Leash skills
- Place, stay and recall
- Impulse control
- Crate and household manners
- Daycare integration and enrichment
- Daily updates and one go-home lesson
Dogtown Training · Northshore Dogtown
Board & train in Gloucester, MA
Your dog stays with us for one or two weeks and trains every day, fear- and force-free. Then we teach you to keep it going at home.
- Fear- & force-free
- Led by Gabriella Pope
- Daily updates
- Go-home coaching
- 4.9★ on Google
What is board and train?
Your dog stays, trains every day, then comes home with new skills.
Board and train at Dogtown is a one- or two-week stay at our facility at 210 Eastern Ave, Gloucester. Your dog sleeps in an overnight suite, trains every day with our team, led by Gabriella Pope, joins a small playgroup when ready, and you get a daily update.
Training is fear- and force-free. Every stay ends with go-home coaching, where you learn to ask for each skill yourself, so the results do not stay behind with us.
1 or 2
weeks: Foundation or Advanced
10,000
sq. ft. facility in Gloucester
7–10
dogs per matched playgroup
4.9★
across more than 100 Google reviews
Programs
Two programs, one or two weeks
Foundation teaches the basics. Advanced makes them hold up in the real world. Not sure which? Gabby recommends one at the assessment.
2 weeksAdolescent dogs & real-world reliability
Advanced Board & Train
- Everything in Foundation
- Advanced obedience and distraction proofing
- Real-world outings
- Neutrality and impulse control
- Confidence building
- Structured socialization
- Daily updates and two scheduled go-home coaching lessons
Each stay is quoted after a short assessment, because the plan depends on your dog. Compare the programs side by side
Our method
Fear- and force-free, built on trust
Dogtown Professional Training is relationship-based and centered on positive reinforcement. Good habits stick when a dog understands what you are asking and feels safe doing it.
01
Relationship-based
Training rooted in trust, communication and consistency, so your dog wants to work with you, not just for a treat.
02
The why behind behavior
Pulling, jumping and barking usually have a reason: fear, frustration, excitement or sensitivity. Gabby works on the reason, not only the symptom.
03
Fear- and force-free
Positive reinforcement, mindfulness and clear communication, so your dog learns with confidence instead of worry.
Every stay includes
More than a kennel with homework
An overnight suite
Your dog sleeps in a quiet suite with comfortable bedding and 24/7 monitoring.
Daily training
Training every day of the stay, planned around the goals agreed at the assessment.
Daycare integration
Time in a small playgroup of 7–10 dogs matched by size and temperament, when your dog is ready.
Enrichment
Brain work as well as exercise, in a 10,000 sq. ft. facility built for dogs.
Daily updates
An update every day, so you can follow along while your dog is with us.
Go-home coaching
One lesson with Foundation, two with Advanced, so the skills keep working at home.
Your dog’s trainer
Gabriella Pope
Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist
“Training rooted in trust, communication and consistency, for happier dogs and confident owners.”
As a Dogtown Trainer, Gabby uses relationship-based, fear- and force-free training centered on positive reinforcement, mindfulness and clear communication. She focuses on the why behind behavior, whether fear, frustration, reactivity or sensitivity, to create personalized plans that build confidence and lasting change.
How it works
From enquiry to go-home lesson
Five steps, and the first one takes two minutes.
- 01
Send the enquiry
Tell us about your dog and what you would like to change. We reply within one hour on business days.
- 02
Assessment with Gabby
A short assessment to agree the goals and choose Foundation or Advanced.
- 03
Free evaluation
A temperament test on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, which also shows whether your dog is ready for a playgroup.
- 04
The stay
Your dog trains every day, sleeps in an overnight suite and you get a daily update.
- 05
Go-home lesson
You learn every skill yourself, with the trainer beside you, before the leash goes home.
Training at Dogtown
On the deck, on the lawn, on the beach
Google reviews
What Dogtown families say
Dogtown is rated 4.9 stars across more than 100 Google reviews. These are reviews of Dogtown as a whole, straight from Google.
FAQs
Board & train questions
Straight answers on programs, cost, methods and what happens after the stay.
What is board and train?
Board and train is a training program where your dog stays with us and trains every day, instead of you bringing them to weekly classes. At Dogtown in Gloucester it comes in two lengths: Foundation for one week and Advanced for two. Your dog sleeps in an overnight suite, trains through the stay with our team, led by Gabriella Pope, and the program ends with go-home coaching so you can keep the skills going.
Which program is right for my dog?
Foundation (one week) suits puppies, young dogs and dogs who need the basics: obedience, leash skills, place, stay, recall, impulse control and house manners. Advanced (two weeks) suits adolescent dogs and dogs who know their cues at home but lose them in busy places; it adds distraction proofing, real-world outings, neutrality and two coaching lessons. Gabby recommends one at the assessment.
What training methods do you use?
Relationship-based, fear- and force-free training centered on positive reinforcement, mindfulness and clear communication. Gabby focuses on the why behind a behavior, whether fear, frustration, reactivity or sensitivity, and builds a plan around your dog.
How much does board and train cost?
Each stay is quoted after a short assessment with Gabby, because the plan depends on your dog. The evaluation is free. Ask for the current figure on the enquiry form and we will reply within one hour on business days.
How do I get started?
Send the enquiry form. We reply within one hour on business days, set up a short assessment with Gabby to choose the program, and book your dog’s free evaluation, a temperament test on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM. Then we schedule the stay.
Will I get updates during the stay?
Yes. Both programs include daily updates, so you can follow what your dog worked on through the stay. We confirm the format when you book.
More questions? Read the full board & train FAQ
Next step
Tell us about your dog.
Send the enquiry and we reply within one hour on business days to set up a short assessment with Gabby. The evaluation is free.
- 01Send the enquiryReply within the hour on business days
- 02Assessment & evaluationPick Foundation or Advanced
- 03Train & go homeDaily updates, go-home coaching
Also at Dogtown