Board and train in Andover, MA

Looking for board and train near Andover, MA? One- or two-week fear-free stays in Gloucester, a free evaluation, and Pup Van pick-up quoted on request.

Enquire about board & train Compare programs

Dogtown walker and a black doodle on a loose-leash walk across the lawn

The short answer

Andover dogs board and train at Dogtown, 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, a drive out via I-495 or Route 114 and then Route 128. Because it is not around the corner, most Andover families choose a focused one-week Foundation or two-week Advanced stay over weekly lessons. Your dog trains every day with a fear- and force-free team led by Gabriella Pope, and you come back for go-home coaching built around your own streets.

At a glance

Getting here: I-495 to I-95 south and Route 128 north, or Route 114 east to 128
Stay length: Foundation 1 week, Advanced 2 weeks
License: Andover Town Clerk, due by March 1 each year
Pup Van: Available from Andover by arrangement: ask for van pricing
Cost: Quoted after a short assessment; the evaluation is free

By the Dogtown Training team in Gloucester, MA · Last reviewed October 28, 2026 · Our trainer and methods

What a one- or two-week stay replaces for an Andover family

A stay replaces two months of weekly sessions with a short, intense block of daily practice, and that trade suits a town this far from Cape Ann. Driving to Gloucester every week for an hour of class is a real commitment from Andover. A board-and-train stay asks for a few trips in total.

There is a learning argument too. Dogs build habits through repetition spread across the day, and a week of short, frequent sessions gives far more of that than one class a week. The catch is that your dog has to learn the skills with you as well, which is why every program ends with go-home coaching. Our guide to how dogs learn in board and train explains the reasoning.

Choosing between Foundation and Advanced

The short version: Foundation for puppies and dogs missing the basics, Advanced for adolescents and dogs whose manners fall apart in public. Gabby, our Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist, confirms which one fits during the brief assessment before anything is booked.

	Foundation	Advanced
Length	One week	Two weeks
Good for	A new puppy, a young dog, a dog with no manners yet	A teenager who pulls toward every dog near Andover station
Core work	Obedience, leash skills, place, stay, recall, crate and house manners	Foundation skills plus distraction proofing, outings, neutrality, confidence
Coaching for you	One go-home lesson	Two scheduled go-home lessons

Andover spots to practise in after pick-up

Andover gives you a natural progression from quiet to busy, as long as you keep the leash on. The town bylaw requires a short leash, six feet or less, when your dog is off your property, so every exercise below is a leash exercise.

Start at the Trustees’ Ward Reservation on Prospect Road, where dogs are welcome on leash and weekday mornings are quiet. Move on to Harold Parker State Forest, which straddles Andover and North Andover and has more trail traffic; follow DCR’s posted dog rules there. Then try downtown on Main Street, and finally the platforms around Andover and Ballardvale stations on the Haverhill commuter rail line, where train noise and crowds of commuters test a settle like nothing else. Our neutrality in town guide shows how to pace that last step.

License and vaccines: the Andover deadline

Andover dog licenses run on the calendar year and are due by March 1, with a monthly late charge after that, so check yours before you book. The Town Clerk’s Office issues them, and returning licensees can renew online from the town’s emailed link.

Alongside the license, Dogtown needs Rabies, DHPP (distemper) and Bordetella on file before the stay. The free evaluation, held on weekday mornings between 6:30 and 9:30, is a good time to hand over the paperwork.

Getting your dog to Gloucester

Drive it yourself or let the van do it. By car, take I-495 north to I-95 south and pick up Route 128 north at Peabody, or head east on Route 114 to meet Route 128; either way, stay on 128 until it ends in Gloucester. We are at 210 Eastern Ave.

The Pup Van’s $10 flat fare is only for Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. For Andover, ask for van pricing when you send the enquiry; the pick-up and drop-off page explains how van days work.

Price, and when a stay is not the right fit

Board-and-train prices are not published; each stay is quoted after the assessment, and the evaluation costs nothing. We reply to enquiries within one hour on business days.

A stay is not the answer for every dog. Dogs with serious fear, reactivity or resource guarding may need Dogtown’s six-to-ten-week behavior-modification programs instead, and Gabby will say so honestly. We do not promise results; we make sure you leave knowing how to practise.

The two programs

1 week · Puppies, young dogs & foundational manners Foundation Board & Train A one-week stay for puppies, young dogs and dogs missing the basics: obedience, leash skills, place, stay, recall, impulse control and household manners, with daily updates and a go-home lesson. Read about Foundation 2 weeks · Adolescent dogs & real-world reliability Advanced Board & Train A two-week stay for adolescent dogs and dogs who know their cues at home but lose them everywhere else: everything in Foundation, plus distraction proofing, real-world outings, neutrality and two go-home coaching lessons. Read about Advanced

FAQs