Board and train in Newton, MA

Choosing one week or two

Gabby, our Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist, recommends a program at a short assessment before anything is booked. As a rule of thumb, Foundation suits puppies and young dogs, and Advanced suits adolescents and dogs whose manners vanish in public.

• Foundation, one week: obedience, leash skills, place, stay, recall, impulse control, crate and household manners, plus enrichment and playgroup time when ready. One go-home lesson.
• Advanced, two weeks: all of Foundation, then distraction proofing, real-world outings, neutrality, confidence building and structured socialization. Two scheduled go-home lessons.
• Something longer: dogs with serious fear, guarding or a bite history may need Dogtown’s six-to-ten-week behavior-modification programs.

Newton’s practice grounds: carriage lane, villages and the D branch

Commonwealth Avenue’s carriage lane is one of Newton’s classic walks, and on the Boston Marathon route around Heartbreak Hill it is full of runners in every season. That makes it a superb place to practise calm passing once your dog is ready; begin on quieter stretches and give runners plenty of room.

The village centres are the next step. Newton Centre and Newton Highlands sit on the Green Line D branch, with trains, crowds and café seating, and Boston College brings students to the Chestnut Hill end. Start on residential streets, move to a village centre at a quiet hour, and only later practise near a station. Our generalization guide explains why each new place needs its own practice.

A day at Dogtown

Your dog sleeps in an overnight suite with comfortable bedding and 24/7 monitoring. Days are a rhythm of short training sessions, rest, enrichment in our 10,000 sq. ft. facility, and, once the evaluation shows readiness, time in a playgroup of 7–10 dogs matched by size and temperament. You get an update every day.

At the end, the go-home coaching is where it becomes yours. Bring everyone who walks the dog, plus any dog walker who uses Newton’s off-leash areas, so the same cues and reward timing carry on at home.

License deadline, vaccines and price

Newton requires dogs to be licensed each year by April 1 through the City Clerk, and the off-leash permit can be bought at the same time. We need the license, plus proof of Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella, before your dog’s stay begins.

Pricing is not published: we quote each stay once Gabby has assessed your dog, and the evaluation is free. Our cost guide explains what affects the figure and what to compare between programs.