On this page you can find more information about RiverDog's various policies regarding our operations and required documentation. This page is a work in progress at this stage, and will be updated frequently. Please reach out to your desired location for the latest information.
This page and the policies detailed within are current as of November 2025
All dogs must be non-aggressive and up to date with all required vaccinations. Dogs must be vaccinated against bordetella and distemper, and upon reaching the age of six months, they must also receive a rabies vaccination and become licensed with the state. To attend daycare, puppies must be a minimum of 10 weeks of age, and have received their bordetella and at least one round of distemper. We do not discriminate based on breed, however if your puppy is of a particularly delicate build, then for their safety your desired location may require them to be more physically mature before allowing them to attend daycare or boarding. Due to the nature of crate free boarding, we prefer puppies to be a minimum of 4 months old before they stay with us overnight.
Vaccination accommodations can be made for senior or immune-compromised dogs on a case per case basis. Please read the section on titers for more information.
In general, we require all new dogs over the age of six months to be spayed or neutered. For more information and context about our spay and neuter policy, please read the "Spay and Neuter" tab.
Proper vaccination documentation is provided by a veterinarian or recognized rescue organization. For the protection of all the animals in our care, we must have verifyiable documentation and cannot accept vaccinations that have been administered directly by owners
We prefer to receive all documentation digitally. Documents can be scanned or take a well framed photo with your smartphone. We accept many formats, including JPEG, PNG, PDF, and DOC. Attention iPhone users: please avoid sending documents in HEIC format because of its lack of compatibility with non-Apple tech.
Required Documents
Proper vaccination documentation must meet all of the the following criteria:
Unless otherwise indicated by vet, Rabies and Distemper will be assumed to be good for one year
A formal Rabies Certificate meets the following criteria:
Proof of Dog License meets the following criteria:
Please note, we can accept a receipt as a temporary placeholder for licenses, but we will need a digital copy of the formal license that your city will provide with the license tag once they arrive in the mail. At this point in time, we can accept out of state licenses as long as they are not expired.
We understand that some dogs may have medical reasons for refraining from a typical vaccination schedule. While we maintain high standards for hygiene and utilize veterinary grade cleaners to sanitize our environment, there is still some risk of communicable diseases within a highly communicable setting such as a daycare or kennel. If you care for such a dog, please consider carefully whether crate free daycare and boarding is a suitable option for your pup.
With that being said, we can accept a titer report in place of updated vaccinations for bordetella and distemper ONLY. The dog in question MUST have received these vaccinations at one point within their life in order to qualify. The titer must be requested by a licensed veterinarian, and the testing processed at a registered laboratory. The titer report must show adequate antibodies present in concentrations high enough for the dog to be considered functionally immune.
Titers will be considered valid for 1 year from the testing date, at which point the dog will have to be re-tested or vaccinated.
We reserve the right to deny the use of a titer for any reason. The decision to do so is at the discretion of the site manager.
Due to the strict state regulations surrounding rabies vaccinations, we cannot accept titers for rabies.
In December of 2024, the state of Massachusetts signed into law a series of regulations commonly referred to as "Ollie's Law." These regulations impose several mandates upon dog owners and pet care businesses alike, including which forms of documentation we must keep on file for all of the dogs in our care. As of August 2025, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (or MDAR) is still working on interpreting many of the details, however they have released the following expectations:
For Citizens:
For Kennels, including Daycares and Boarding Facilities:
For over a decade now, RiverDog has had a standing policy that all dogs over the age of 6 months must be spayed or neutered in order to attend daycare or boarding with us. For the last few years, we have become aware of new research seeming to indicate that canine development may suffer as a result of not waiting until much later than 6 months to alter. We have several reasons why we intend to continue to enforce our standing policy at this time, however we are experimenting with ways that we can adapt safely to the current trend of waiting to alter.
While a veterinarian or breeder may be adamant about waiting to alter, neither seem to do so with a dog’s attendance at daycare as a consideration. Some daycares are highly specialized and will take intact animals, however most in the state will not. The reasons are complicated and heavily tethered to canine social behaviors, especially in group settings like those found in dog daycare. It is not just the risk of accidental breedings, if anything that is the easiest part of the issue to prevent.
When there is an established group of dogs with varying ages, levels of maturity, social capabilities, and everyone (except the very young) are altered, then the foreign odor of hormonally active animals can cause dogs to become stressed. And stressed animals behave unpredictably. Normally calm and friendly dogs may be less patient and more inclined to lash out at the intact dog, or treat them unfairly since their scent makes everyone edgy. This is the primary reason that we are reluctant to allow new dogs over the age of 6 months to start daycare with us unless they are already fixed. This is especially a concern if the new dog is under 2 years old, since this is a critical stage in their development. Adolescent dogs go through several fear periods as they transition from puppyhood to adulthood. Their body is flooded with hormones, their internal chemistry changes, their feelings about the world around them change, even the shape of their brain changes. It is why we so often see reactivity and dog selectivity crop up in dogs between 6-24 months of age. Negative experiences during this stage in their development, even a minor scuffle at daycare, can have lasting effects on the shape of that dog’s adult personality.
We have seen some success with allowing puppies to stay intact for longer, as long as they enroll before maturity and attend daycare 2-3 times per week. By starting them young and bringing them consistently, the other dogs in the group get to know the puppy quite well. They have time to adjust to the pup’s changing scent and personality gradually as the pup develops into adolescence. The hormones do still have an effect on the group, but in our experience the change in behavior is a lot less extreme and the other dogs tend to be much more patient than they would be with a new dog that they don’t know very well.
If you have a young puppy and intend to wait until after 6 months to alter them, then please keep these considerations in mind. We love dogs and want to do everything in our power to set them up to be confident and well adjusted adults. In order to have the best chance of success with staying intact and still attending daycare at RiverDog, then they must come to play with us a minimum of 2-3 times a week throughout their puppyhood and into their adolescence. Male or female, upon reaching 6 months, you can expect someone on the team, usually the manager, to ask you about your plans to alter the puppy. If approved, your pup will be placed on a Per-Diem Status, which basically just means that we will take them day to day, with frequent updates on how they are behaving in group, and how the group is treating them. If at any point we feel your puppy is exhibiting dangerously hormonal behavior, or if the other dogs in the group are treating them harshly to the point of concern, then we will advise pulling your pup from daycare until after their surgery. It is vitally important to have a care plan in place for the time when we may have to turn your pup away from daycare for their own safety.
If you have a female puppy, it is your responsibility to educate yourself on the signs of estrous (ie when she is going into heat). The symptoms can vary greatly, and onset will depend on a number of factors, not the least of which is her breed and size. Female dogs usually go into estrous twice per year, often vaguely in the spring and fall. It can be a long process, sometimes as long as 3 weeks, only one of which she may actively bleed or have discharge. For safety reasons, we cannot allow females in heat to attend daycare, and if we discover that she may be going into heat while in our care, we will call you to pick her up right away. You must be aware of symptoms and her behavior changes and be prepared to have alternate care arrangements for her during her estrous. Once her cycle is complete and the hormones have left her system, she can return to daycare.
Clients with intact dogs over the age of 6 months looking to board must seek approval by a manager. We reserve the right to deny boarding care based on neuter status.
Even if your dog is successfully attending one of our daycare locations while intact, we may not be able to care for them for a boarding stay. Due to the fact that we only offer boarding in our Peabody location the same principles apply as if they were a newly enrolling dog. The Peabody dogs will not have had the same gradual exposure to your pup the same way that the dogs at your primary daycare have. So introducing them to the group at the boarding facility comes with some risk. This is especially a concern with male dogs. Males (and females on the cusp of estrus) can elicit that same tense reaction from the other dogs in the group. Because females only go into heat during certain times, most of the rest of the year they smell and act the same as regular puppies. Our boarding accommodations are crate free, meaning we don’t currently have separate kennels or runs to house intact animals who cannot fit into the group dynamics. If you intend to board your intact pup, you must consult with the leadership team in Peabody and receive manager approval. If they feel they can work with your pup, they will likely insist upon an evaluation and a few days of daycare prior to the board so they can properly gauge if there is any cause to be concerned for everyone’s safety. Even if approved, you’ll want to make sure that you have a local agent (emergency contact) on file with us in the event that we need to send your intact pup home for any reason.
If you have not used RiverDog services in more than 4 months, then please read this page carefully. There may be some additional steps in order to re-acclimate your dog to being a RiverDog again.
If your pup has not attended any RiverDog location in more than 4 months, then we may require a re-evaluation in order to use our services again. We do this to set your pup up for success when they return to our care. A lot can change in 4 months, particularly when a dog is younger than 2 years old and they are transitioning from puppyhood to adulthood. Not only this, but our human lives are often fluctuating and these changes can be quite disruptive to a dog’s tolerance for highly social environments such as daycare or boarding. Apart from their development and home life, the character of our playgroups and other clients is constantly evolving. We may have different staff, different routines, and there will certainly be different dogs in our care compared to what your dog knew the last time they attended. By submitting to a re-evaluation, we can ensure that your dog and our environment are still compatible.
You should not need to re-apply, even if we haven’t seen you or your dog in quite some time. In fact, we discourage submitting new applications even if you have moved, or changed phone numbers or email addresses. Because of the way our kennel software works, we are currently unable to merge client accounts or dog profiles, and your dog’s attendance record is connected to their profile. This can be important information to track, especially if an account needs to be audited to ensure proper accounting. If you have experienced meaningful changes in your contact information and primary account contact, then please consult with us about updating your information on your existing profile.
Apart from updating your contact information and owner profile, we also need to ensure that your dog’s vaccination documentation is up to date. Depending on your dog’s age, we may need to confirm spay/neuter status as well. We require bordetella and distemper vaccinations. Due to state laws, we also require that dogs over 6 months old have a formal rabies certificate and license document. You can find more information about these requirements on the “Enrollment Requirements” section of this policy page.
Once we have your updated information and documentation, then your chosen site can schedule your pup for a re-evaluation. Evaluations are the cost of a half day at your chosen site, and are always a morning session. If your pup passes their re-evaluation, then they are welcome to use our services at any RiverDog location.
If you intend to use more than one RiverDog location, then please read the “Multi-Location Usage” section of this policy page.
The most common reason for a client to use multiple locations is when you board your dog that normally attends daycare. RiverDog has a relatively unique “hub and spoke” model for boarding and daycare. That is to say, we only offer boarding at one of our locations: Peabody. However all regularly attending daycare dogs from any of the other locations are welcome to attend boarding at our Peabody location without additional formal evaluation requirements. There are many reasons that we use this model, but the primary two are:
If you are an active daycare user at another RiverDog location (4+ times per month) then sending your dog to board in Peabody is fairly straightforward. Simply submit a boarding request through the website and keep an eye out for an emailed invoice. Once paid, your boarding reservation is secure. The staff will inform you at the time of booking if we need any updated vaccinations, emergency contact information, or the need for a trial day prior to boarding.
If you are not a frequent daycare user, or your dog has never attended boarding in Peabody, then we prefer they do a trial day of daycare there as a way to help set them up for success. Even though we are all one company, each location is completely different, especially from your dog’s perspective. It’s a different physical place, with different dogs, humans, routines, and smells. That can be very stressful for a dog to go through. By attending a day or a few days of Peabody daycare prior to their boarding, your pup has the opportunity to get to know the Peabody location, its humans, and its dogs, in a controlled way. They get to go home with their humans at the end of the day and process the new experience in the comfort of their own home and routines. In our experience, it really goes a long way to ensure that your pup’s first boarding is as familiar and comfortable as possible for them. They’re often a lot less stressed and eat and sleep better for us during their stay.
While much less common, we do allow active daycare clients to attend any daycare location as long as they passed an evaluation (with some exceptions). However, if you intend to switch or use multiple locations, there are some steps you need to take to ensure success for your pup.
It’s important to remember that even though our locations are all under one company and follow similar operations, every location is a little different. There are different dogs, different staff, and different playroom layouts. To your dog, it is like visiting a completely new daycare. We do everything we can to set your pup up for success, but on rare occasions we have had some clients thrive at one location even while they crash out at another. For this reason, it is important to listen to feedback from the staff if your dog is struggling to acclimate to the new environment. We always want what is best for your dog, even if it means we cannot care for them at a certain location.
Our daycare locations are subject to closing on most major holidays. However on some of the minor holidays, a location may choose to remain open even when another chooses to close for the day. The decision to close or stay open is generally based on client demand and at the discretion of the site manager. Usually we will close a location if the demand is less than 10 dogs for the day. On occasion one of the daycare-only locations will remain open while the other two close. If your chosen site is closed, the manager may suggest sending your pup to the one remaining open location for the day. In these instances, your dog does not need to evaluate or do a trial day, however we do ask that you email the remaining site to let them know you intend to drop your dog off for daycare that day. We usually try to announce closures at least a week or two in advance in order to give clients time to make alternative arrangements.
Each RiverDog site has their own cancellation or late pick up policies. For the most accurate information about your specific location’s policies, please contact the leadership team at that location. These policies and their enforcement can be subject to change without prior notice.
Your location may have a cut off time for how late you can drop your dog off for daycare. This is most often because dogs dropped off early in the morning have been playing hard for several hours, and by late morning/midday they are all tired and ready for a midday nap and some down time. Much like children, tired dogs can be cranky and easily over-stimulated. Throwing a fresh, energetic, and eager dog into a group of tired dogs can be very risky and may cause altercations to erupt. Having a drop off time-frame limit is one of the best ways that we can ensure everyone in the group is on a similar energy level. We do our best to be accommodating, as we understand that sometimes life happens and causes lateness. If your location has a cut off time and you need to drop off late, please communicate with the staff so they can properly prepare and set your pup up for a successful day.
As discussed above, we understand that sometimes life happens. Things come up at work or at home, or sometimes you just run into traffic. If you get held up and will be unexpectedly late, then please do not hesitate to call your location and inform them of the situation. The end of the night is a very busy time at the daycare. Staff are looking after dogs, handing off dogs to their owners and processing daycare payments, and performing nightly cleaning routines. An email or text will likely go unnoticed during this busy time of day, so please call when you are running late. Many of our locations do have fees associated with picking up your dog after hours. It is at the discretion of the staff whether or not to enforce them. The occasional late pick up with good communication may not be penalized, however consistent repeated lateness and/or lack of communication about it may result in additional fees.
Late fees are calculated in 15 minute increments and start at closing time. So for example, 15 mins after closing the cost might be $15. At 16 minutes the cost might raise to $30, at 31 minutes it might go up to $45 and so on.
If your dog is late in getting picked up and no one on the staff has heard from you, then we will often reach out to the primary contact, and/or secondary contact. If neither of you can be reached, we will then try your emergency contact (if different from the owner/s). If we cannot reach any approved person within 15 minutes after closing, then we will arrange to have your dog transported to our boarding facility for the night. They will be served house food for dinner and breakfast. Boarding, transportation, meals, and late fees will be charged to your account. We do not arrange return transport from the boarding facility, so you are expected to arrange pick up for your dog. If they stay at the Peabody facility past noon, then an additional daycare charge will be applied.
If you are a Peabody daycare client, then please be advised that our doors are locked promptly at 7:30PM and will not be unlocked again until we open at 6:00AM the following morning. This is to ensure the safety of our boarding dogs, as well as the staff members who care for them. We try our best to be accommodating, especially with good communication. One of the daycare staff is usually willing to stay a little late for a late pick up, however this allowance is at the discretion of our staff and may not be permitted in certain circumstances. The same rules apply as the paragraph above. If we cannot reach you or have had no communication about your late arrival before closing time, then your dog will be placed into boarding. We will serve them house food for dinner and breakfast, and you can pick them up the following day. If your dog stays with us past noon the following day, then an additional daycare charge will be added to your account, along with the overnight charge, meals, and prior day of daycare.
Most of our locations ask that daycare is scheduled in advance. This is so we can best set our staff and dogs up for success. If your plans change and you do not need daycare on a given day, then please contact your location and let them know you aren’t coming. Some of our locations require prior notice for daycare cancellations, and failing to do so within the allotted time may result in a cancellation fee. For more information on whether or not your chosen location has a cancellation policy like this, please contact leadership there for more up to date information.
Our boarding cancellation policy is modeled on those commonly found on typical hotel reservation policies. Boarding reservations are confirmed and booked once the reservation is paid in full. If your plans change and you need to cancel your dog’s boarding stay, you must do so via email. Cancellations received 8 or more days prior to the boarding start date will be refunded in full. If you cancel 7 days or less in advance, then your booking may be subject to a 3 night cancellation fee. This 3 night fee also applies to early pick ups - if you pick up your dog 1-3 nights early, then you may not be refunded the remaining balance.
This policy became necessary in the last few years as boarding demand increased even as the predictability of travel plans decreased. It was implemented as a way to ensure that we can staff appropriately to meet demands without losses due to last minute cancellations. However we understand the economic strain that many folks have found themselves under recently. We are always happy to discuss the possibility of adjusting this policy for those in need. Please reach out to management or leadership for options and more information.
