Board and train for New Hampshire dogs

Yes, New Hampshire dogs come to board and train in Gloucester, MA. Seacoast drive routes, using your NH dog license, and Pup Van pick-up on request.

Enquire about board & train Compare programs

Dogtown walker and dog on a coastal trail at sunrise in Gloucester

Routes from the Seacoast and southern New Hampshire

From Portsmouth, Hampton or Seabrook, the simplest route is I-95 south into Massachusetts. You then have two choices: leave I-95 for Route 133 east, which runs through Rowley, Ipswich and Essex into Gloucester, or stay on I-95 to Route 128 in Peabody and follow 128 north to its end in Gloucester. Route 133 is the prettier drive; 128 is the more predictable one.

From Salem, NH and the I-93 corridor, families usually come across on I-495 to I-95 and then pick one of the same two routes. In light traffic most of the Seacoast is roughly an hour away. Summer weekends add time, because the beach traffic runs in both directions along this coast.

Starting from	Typical route	Our town page
Portsmouth	I-95 S, then Route 133 E or Route 128 N	Portsmouth, NH
Exeter	Route 101 to I-95 S	Exeter, NH
Hampton	I-95 S	Hampton, NH
Seabrook	I-95 S, the shortest of the Seacoast runs	Seabrook, NH
Salem, NH	I-93 to I-495 to I-95	Salem, NH

Licensing from another state

Every Dogtown board-and-train dog needs a current city or town dog license. In Massachusetts that comes from the local clerk; in New Hampshire, dogs are licensed each year through your town or city clerk too. Your current New Hampshire license is what to bring. We confirm at the assessment that your paperwork covers the requirement, so there are no surprises at drop-off.

Vaccinations are the same for every dog regardless of state: Rabies, DHPP (distemper) and Bordetella on file before the stay. Bring your vet’s records to the free evaluation.

Keeping the trips to a minimum

For a New Hampshire family, the trips usually look like this: the free evaluation, held on weekday mornings between 6:30 and 9:30 AM; drop-off; and pick-up with the go-home lesson. The two-week Advanced program adds a second scheduled coaching lesson after you have practiced at home.

The Pup Van can take the drop-off and pick-up legs. Its flat $10 fare applies only in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, so ask for van pricing from your New Hampshire town when you send the enquiry.

Bringing the skills home to New Hampshire

Training lasts when it travels. The go-home lesson gives you a plan for practicing at home, starting in your house and yard and moving out to quiet streets, then busier places such as a downtown sidewalk or a trailhead parking lot. Seacoast summers bring crowds; the off-season is the easier time to practice leash skills and calm settles in public.

Check local leash and beach rules before practicing anywhere new; New Hampshire towns set their own. Our guide to generalizing training to new places gives a step-by-step ladder.

Which program fits

Puppies and young dogs who need house manners, crate comfort and the basics suit the one-week Foundation stay. Adolescents and dogs who lose their manners outside usually suit two-week Advanced. Dogs with significant fear, reactivity or guarding may be better served by Dogtown’s six- to ten-week behavior-modification programs. Gabby recommends a path at the assessment.

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

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