Board and train in Danvers, MA

One week or two

Choose Foundation for a puppy, a young dog or an older dog that never learned the basics. In one week it covers obedience, leash skills, place, stay, recall, impulse control and crate and household manners, and ends with one go-home lesson.

Choose Advanced for an adolescent dog, or any dog that is good at home and unreliable outside. In two weeks it adds distraction proofing, real-world outings, neutrality, confidence building and structured socialization, with two go-home lessons. Gabby, Dogtown’s Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist, makes the recommendation; if fear or guarding is the real issue, she may suggest Dogtown’s six- to ten-week behavior-modification program instead.

A step-by-step plan for the rail trail

Start somewhere boring. The first week home is for your house and street, using the same cues, words and rewards your dog learned at Dogtown. Once loose-leash walking holds on your street, try a quiet stretch of the rail trail on a weekday morning, stepping off to the side and rewarding your dog for looking at a passing bike and then back at you.

Add difficulty one piece at a time: a busier time of day, a longer walk, a stretch near a road crossing. If your dog starts to pull or fix on other dogs, add distance rather than correcting. The dog park comes last, once your dog greets politely and comes away when called.

• Week one: house, yard and street, exactly as taught
• Week two: a quiet section of the rail trail, early in the day
• Week three on: busier times, more passing bikes and dogs
• When ready: Endicott Park’s dog park, leashed in and out

Inside a Dogtown stay

Your dog sleeps in an overnight suite with comfortable bedding and round-the-clock monitoring. Days are a mix of short training sessions, rest and enrichment in a 10,000 sq. ft. facility, with a small playgroup of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament once your dog is ready.

You hear how it is going every day, through an update whose format is confirmed at booking. At the end, the go-home coaching hands the leash back to you, with the trainer beside you as you practise each cue.

Driving up, or using the van

From Danvers, take Route 114, 35 or 62 to Route 128 and head north to the end of the highway in Gloucester. Danvers families usually book the free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM and are back in town by mid-morning.

Van pick-up is available for board-and-train dogs in Danvers, quoted on request; only Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea get the $10 flat fare. Ask on the enquiry form.

Paperwork and the quote

Licenses come from the Danvers Town Clerk, and the dog park requires one too. We need to see Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records as well. Each stay is quoted after the assessment, not from a price list; our cost guide explains why.