--- title: "The Dog Retreat and Spa — Boston, MA" url: "https://dogsaway.co/boston-ma/the-dog-retreat-and-spa/" updated: "2026-10-20" data_pulled: "2026-10-20" census_at: "2026-10-20" source: "Dogs Away — public Google Business profile (identity, rating) + Dogs Away disclosure census of the facility's own website" license: "All rights reserved. Read and cite freely. No bulk copying. (https://dogsaway.co/terms/)" attribution: "Source: Dogs Away (dogsaway.co)" --- # The Dog Retreat and Spa Dog day care center in Waltham, MA — part of the Dogs Away index of dog boarding and daycare in Boston, MA (https://dogsaway.co/boston-ma/). **★4.8 from 428 Google reviews, Dogs Away score 9.6/10.** The Dogs Away score is a Bayesian-adjusted Google rating on a 0–10 scale (prior weight 25 reviews at the 4.669 network mean). ## Facts - **Services:** daycare, boarding, grooming - **Address:** 219 Bear Hill Rd, Waltham, MA 02451 - **Phone:** (781) 240-3819 - **Website:** https://thedogretreat.com/?utm_campaign=gmb - **Google Maps profile (verify):** https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The%20Dog%20Retreat%20and%20Spa&query_place_id=ChIJJww4GzaD44kRIOIsWieMIEo ## Hours | Day | Hours | | --- | --- | | Monday | 7 AM–7 PM | | Tuesday | 7 AM–7 PM | | Wednesday | 7 AM–7 PM | | Thursday | 7 AM–7 PM | | Friday | 7 AM–7 PM | | Saturday | 9 AM–5 PM | | Sunday | 10 AM–4 PM | ## Booking terms, safety and care - **Cancellation:** Cancel 48 hours ahead (10 days for holiday/peak stays) or the deposit is forfeited — facility's words: "Please cancel at least 48 hours in advance for standard reservations, or 10 days in advance for holiday or peak-period stays to avoid forfeiting your deposit." (https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/) - **Checkout time:** Boarded dogs must be picked up by 10 a.m.; later is charged another day of daycare — facility's words: "All boarded dogs need to be picked up by 10:00 am. After that you’ll be charged for another day of daycare." (https://thedogretreat.com/policies-faqs/) - **Late pick-up:** Boarding pick-up after 10 a.m. is charged another day of daycare — facility's words: "All boarded dogs need to be picked up by 10:00 am. After that you’ll be charged for another day of daycare." (https://thedogretreat.com/policies-faqs/) - **Updates during a stay:** Daily photo update report during boarding — facility's words: "Daily Photo Update Report Get a snapshot of your dog’s day" (https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/) - **Minimum age (months):** Boarding: dogs must be at least 4 months old — facility's words: "Dogs must be at least 4 months old" (https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/) - **Unaltered dogs & females in heat:** Does not take unaltered dogs older than 8 months — facility's words: "We do not take unaltered dogs past 8 months old." (https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/) - **Anxious or shy dogs:** Shy or anxious dogs are introduced gradually to smaller groups or quieter areas — facility's words: "Dogs with shy or anxious tendencies are gradually introduced to smaller groups or quieter areas." (https://thedogretreat.com/policies-faqs/) - **Senior dogs:** Boards senior dogs; asks owners to share care routines in advance — facility's words: "Can senior dogs or dogs with special needs be boarded? Many senior dogs and dogs with special needs do well in dog boarding when their care routines are clearly communicated in advance." (https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/) - **If a dog is sick:** Owner is contacted immediately if a dog gets sick or hurt; emergency vet care if necessary — facility's words: "If an issue arises, the owner is contacted immediately, and appropriate care is provided, including emergency veterinary services if necessary." (https://thedogretreat.com/policies-faqs/) - **Collars:** Quick-release collars only: no buckles, chains or chokers — facility's words: "All dogs must have quick release collars, NO BUCKLES, no chains, no chokers." (https://thedogretreat.com/policies-faqs/) ## For travelers - **BOS** (Boston Logan): 13 miles, straight line - **Weekday hours span:** 7 AM to 7 PM - **Open Sunday:** yes Hours from the public business profile; drop-off and pick-up windows can be narrower. ## Published rates - **Overnight boarding:** $90–$125 per night (first dog, standard rate) - **Daycare:** $50 per day > “Lodging Options Boutique $90* a night ... Presidential $125* a night ... Full day: $50 (5 hours + )” Source: https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/ — checked September 9, 2026. ## Disclosure record Publishes 16 of 27 checked policies on its own website (census October 20, 2026). "Not published" is a fact about the website on that date, not a claim about the facility's practice. ### Admission requirements - **Vaccinations required:** Required: rabies, DHPP, Bordetella, canine influenza · Not mentioned: leptospirosis > “Up-to-date on Rabies, DHPP, Canine influenza, and Bordetella” — https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/ - **Bordetella lead time:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 - **Fecal / parasite test:** Negative test required > “Negative fecal test within past 12 months” — https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/ - **Spay / neuter:** Required from 8 months > “We do not take unaltered dogs past 8 months old.” — https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/ - **Temperament evaluation:** Required before a first stay > “Temperament evaluation & prior daycare required for all boarding dogs” — https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/ - **Vaccination records:** Proof checked, not taken on word > “Vet records are required for all dogs staying, or playing, with us.” — https://thedogretreat.com/policies-faqs/ ### Operations - **Staff on site overnight:** Yes — a person is on site > “With 24/7 on-site staff and soothing bedtime music, we make your dog feel right at home” — https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/ - **Staff-to-dog ratio:** 1:12-15 staff to dogs > “We keep a low staff-to-dog ratio of 1:12-15, giving you and your pet complete peace of mind.” — https://thedogretreat.com/our-facility/ - **Maximum playgroup size:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 - **Staff certification:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 - **Play model:** All-day open play > “Full Day of Play in Daycare Every boarding stay includes all-day play with friends in our indoor & outdoor parks.” — https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/ - **Groups separated by:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 - **Time out of their room:** All-day daycare play included with every boarding stay > “Full Day of Play in Daycare Every boarding stay includes all-day play with friends in our indoor & outdoor parks.” — https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/ - **Solo care for dogs who skip group play:** Offered > “we will be able to offer you other options of support, training, or private play.” — https://thedogretreat.com/policies-faqs/ - **Housing:** Suite > “From private suites to cage-free cuddle spaces, our lodging is designed for total relaxation.” — https://thedogretreat.com/?utm_campaign=gmb - **Outdoor access:** Indoor outdoor > “Multiple indoor & outdoor play parks keep pups active and happy.” — https://thedogretreat.com/?utm_campaign=gmb - **Capacity:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 - **Climate control:** Climate-controlled > “Premium Raised Beds & Climate-Controlled Suites Every dog enjoys a cozy, comfortable sleep space with year-round temperature control.” — https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/ - **Live cameras for owners:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 - **Photo / report-card updates:** Yes > “Daily Photo Update Report Get a snapshot of your dog’s day because peace of mind matters.” — https://thedogretreat.com/dog-boarding-and-lodging/ - **Tours:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 - **Injury / fight policy:** Published > “What happens if my dog gets sick or injured at daycare? Our trained staff monitors dogs for signs of illness or injury. If an issue arises, the owner is contacted immediately, and appropriate care is provided, including emergency veterinary services if necessary.” — https://thedogretreat.com/policies-faqs/ - **Veterinary access:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 - **Administers medication:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 - **Feeding:** Owner's food required > “Lodging We require you to bring you own food. Quick changes to a dog’s diet can create upset stomach especially for first time clients.” — https://thedogretreat.com/policies-faqs/ - **Availability:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 - **Online booking:** Not published on their website as of October 20, 2026 ## Licensing Massachusetts requires every commercial boarding or training kennel in the Commonwealth to hold a kennel license and pass inspection before that license issues or renews. Mass. General Laws c.140 sec.137A defines 'commercial boarding or training kennel' as a facility, other than a veterinary or personal kennel, that boards, houses, trains or provides day care to a dog or dogs not owned by the kennel's owner, for consideration, and makes it unlawful to operate one without a license from the local licensing authority. That authority is municipal, not a single state office: in every Massachusetts city and town except Boston it is the city or town clerk, and in Boston, uniquely, state law names the police commissioner as the licensing authority (c.140 sec.137A/147). A licensing authority may not issue or renew a kennel license until the premises has passed inspection by an animal control officer, must set a maximum number of animals the kennel may house based on that inspection, and must inspect every licensed kennel at least once a year (c.140 sec.137C). This is a genuine, uniform, state-mandated regime, not a patchwork of local ordinances that may or may not exist depending on the town, the way Florida's county registrations do. Since 'An Act to Increase Kennel Safety' (Ollie's Law), signed 20 September 2024 and effective 19 December 2024, the regime has grown a state layer: every municipality must report its licensed kennels to the Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) annually by 1 June, and MDAR must promulgate binding minimum care, staffing-ratio, housing and safety standards for commercial boarding/training kennels by June 2026. As of the June 2025 reporting deadline, 237 of 351 municipalities had complied, reporting 1,370 licensed kennels statewide, 415 of them commercial boarding or training kennels; MDAR publishes municipality-level compliance status, not a name-and-address list of individual kennels, so there is still no public register to join to facility records the way Colorado's PACFA register is joined. Whether the City of Boston itself submitted its 2025 report, and what MDAR's June 2026 minimum-standards regulations say once finalized, were not confirmed by this search and should be re-verified before this record is trusted as current. Market licensing detail: https://dogsaway.co/boston-ma/ ## How to cite The Dog Retreat and Spa, Waltham, MA. Dogs Away, https://dogsaway.co/boston-ma/the-dog-retreat-and-spa/ (census October 20, 2026; listing data October 20, 2026). Source: Dogs Away (dogsaway.co). Read or cite this one record with a link. Do not bulk copy, scrape or rebuild the directory. Terms: https://dogsaway.co/terms/ Structured data: https://dogsaway.co/api/v1/facilities/boston-ma/the-dog-retreat-and-spa.json