Crate Escape

My husband and I have been bringing our dog to crate escape for over a year. We could not say better things about this facility. Our dog is never in a crate, and is put with other dogs that share his high energy level. The staff is extremely knowledgable and friendly. We are a bit over protective of our dog, and feel 100% comfortable when we drop him off at crate escape. Our vet also agrees that crate escape is a wonderful place for dogs!

We have been using Crate Escape for daycare (2 days/​week, soon to be moved to 3), as well as Van Pickup— and yesterday we had our first grooming for our pup, June.
Overall, we are very happy with Crate Escape and what they are doing for our family. Our first visit, was to see the facility as well as do a temperament evaluation for our 1.5 year old hound-​mix. The Belmont facility is very large, and there are several play areas– each area is designated and sorted by size of the dog as well as temperament. June, to no ones surprise, was placed in the «high energy group». HA!
Each pen is fenced with a very good dog-​to-​attendant ratio. The pens have ample water, as well as several places for the dogs to lay down. Beds, repurposed futons, mats, and small hammock-​style dog beds. Van pick up is pretty easy, they come into your home (you provide them keys) and they bring your dog to care, and then back afterwards!
They can bill you weekly, monthly, or per visit. Since we are also on van service pickup/​drop off, they have our credit card on file and simply charge us weekly.
Her grooming was easy to schedule. She was bathed, ears cleaned, and nails trimmed. (they also offer cutting, and gland expression if needed)
The staff is all super friendly in the times we have been there to drop her off on random additional days.
You cannot board overnight until you are a client for at least 3 months— which is good, in my opinion, since it means the dogs are regulars and not just random drop offs that could be anxious and hard to mix into the group for several days in a row.

I brought my high energy dog here a few times a week while I was living in Watertown. She would come home tired and happy! I never had to worry about her being home alone for long hours. The staff is great. Sometimes I would call and check on her and they were always polite and informative. One day they even took her out of playtime because they thought she wasn’t feeling well — they pay attention and notice these things and they informed me of the decision. My dog never looked back when I dropped her off in the mornings — she was always clearly very happy to be there. Now that I am moving and am looking for a doggie daycare in another city I am finding this place will be very hard, if not impossible, to beat.

Hate to be the outlier, but my experience there wasn’t so great. I bought my cavachon in for what I thought would be the full monty: Trim, wash, nail-​trim, anal glands, etc. I was hoping that the entire package of services would be articulated to me but the front desk pretty much called the groomer and she told me she’d take care of «everything» when I asked about what she’d do to my dog. In retrospect, I wish I had specifically asked for all the things that would be done, but it all felt a bit rushed. I at least wish I got an itemized list of services on my receipt so I knew the exact services performed. My dog came out looking and smelling clean, and her tear stains were removed. I appreciated that. However, when I got home and she jumped on me and it felt like I was being clawed by a tiger, I realized that there was no nail trim.
The other issue I had is that when I got home, I realized my dog no longer had her flea collar on. I made a call later in the week to check in with the staff to see if they had it lying around somewhere, and was told I’d get a call back to confirm if they had it or not. Never got a call back. So I called again and finally had someone commit to checking in on it and they did get back to me saying they couldn’t find it. This was really annoying because I just bought it for her, so that was pretty much $ 50 down the drain.
I might give this place another shot because admittedly it was big, clean, and generally an impressive facility. However, they could shore up on the communications piece by articulating the different packages they have, and by making sure they are clear and up front on the exact checklist of services to be performed. Ultimately When my dog was finished, I felt like I paid $ 55 for a mere bath.

We were fans of Crate Escape and they’ve been great. Our dogs loved going there and always came back happily exhausted. The reason I’m giving 4 instead of 5 stars is that the staff could be somewhat slow to respond especially for phone calls.

I can’t think of anything I’d change about Crate Escape — and I tend toward picky. We have been customers for around 8 years, and have never been disappointed in the care and attentiveness shown to us and our dog. Not once!
The people who work there are dedicated animal lovers, and if they don’t love their work… they’ve fooled me for years. Our dog starts lapping the car when we arrive in the parking lot — he is in heaven to be there both for a day and for overnights. Don’t even consider using a kennel when Crate Escape is an option!

Crate Escape is the BEST!!! My dog absolutely loves it here! He plays all day with his doggy friends and comes home zonked. I feel so good when he’s at CE because I know he is well taken care of — the facility is huge and very clean, there are only about 10 dogs to every human… I like this because if a scuffle were to start, it could be easily diffused. The staff at Crate Escape are all so friendly too. They make it a point to learn your name and who your dog is so when you walk in to pick up, they just call the dogs name and someone brings him right out to you, leashed and ready to go.
We used to send our dog to Tail Waggerz in Newton (which I would definitely NOT recommend) and he would come home and drink an entire bowl of water before I could even get his leash off. Now he comes home hydrated, exercised, and soooo happy.
It’s a little pricey, but as others have said, totally worth it. Watch out for the grass on the way in… there are no turd bombs or anything but your dog will keep you out there sniffing around for days.

My doggy loves his friends and the staff. I would not go anywhere else to get him slobbered and tired out.
This is truly the place where everyone knows your name, and your dogs name too!
I love the selection of food and treats. They truly care about quality.
Get the play date packages. You’ll save, and promise you you’ll keep going back for the sake of your four legged friend.
Only advice I have, and it may just be me and only me silly enough to walk in with heels to retrieve my dog, but if you do, be cautious of the lay out as you walk to the door. It is small rocks and I’ve crashed and burned in heels with the assistance of my young pup who still is not leashed trained. I’m sure some if not most of you come from work, so bring a pair of flat shoes to grab your dog if he’s a puller. I do (some times) =(((
Rollo loves it here so much the minute we walk through the front door I’m a distant memory. He runs straight to the door into the welcoming arms of any of the ladies, even the men (thank you crate for helping him out with his fear of the male species!)
I think today he found a girlfriend. I can’t lie, I think it’s his dashing curves around the mid section that lured her in. HA!

My dog loves this place so much that my husband and I can’t even say the words «Crate Escape» without her going into utter excitement meltdown. That being said, we’ve used CE for about 2 and a half years. It’s a little pricy but so worth it! She goes to play about once or twice a week and occasionally does overnights too. She’s always so tired when she comes home which is super awesome because we have a very high energy Weimaraner! They clip her nails when asked and do a great job. The staff is so friendly and I can tell they are truly all animal lovers!

I took my West Highland terrier, Menzies, here to get his post winter cut and they did a hack job on him. I asked for a traditional Westie cut and they claimed to know what they were doing but his head and back were trimmed far too short while his skirt was left bushy and unkempt.
Also, his whole coat was jagged, uneven, and not properly blended.
The cut did not seem professional and was definitely not worth the $ 50 cost.
What’s more is that when I dropped him off I specifically told them to call my boyfriend when the cut was done because I was at work. The called me nonetheless and I didn’t get the message until two hours later, leaving poor Menzies waiting their alone.
I was extremely dissatisfied and would not recommend their grooming services to anyone who cares about their dogs appearance.

This place is amazing! They run it like a daycare center and they love dogs! I have called to ask how my dog is doing and they were incredibly helpful and friendly, putting the needs of my dog at top priority. We go here two to three times a week and we probably will forever. A puppy exhausted from a day of playing is a happy puppy!!!

I have a shy puppy who was having a tough time transitioning from a rural setting to suburban/​city life (cars, lots of people, strollers, etc). Crate Escape has definitely helped get him out of his shell. The staff is very friendly and flexible. The dogs have good temperaments thanks to CE’s screening process, so no dog will be bullied or subjected to other stressful situations.
The facility is very well kept. I would have no worries having my dog board overnight. I (+ happy pup) highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a responsible, attentive daycare.

If only they’d take my kids, too…
Well, that’s not really true — I wouldn’t want to part with my kiddies — but this place is better for my dog than any babysitter has ever been for my kids.
We have a rescue dog who is afraid of stairs, door frames, getting shampooed, and the dog dish we serve her food in. But she’s not afraid of Crate Escape. She loves it!
They know every dog by name, and they love each one like it’s their own.
These people took my pup when I went into labor to have a human baby, they took her when I went on vacation, and they took her when my husband had surgery. She loves it there.
They group the dogs by size/​age/​personality, so if you have a shy dog she won’t be overwhelmed by super-​assertive dogs. But no matter what your dog’s personality, you couldn’t find a group of more patient, caring, dog-​loving people than the employees of this place.
Definitely sign up for the shampoo if your dog is there overnight.

I adore the facility and the staff here. We adopted a dog recently and wanted to make sure that he would get regular socialization with other dogs. The staff here was great. I’m not sure why other people mention not being able to see the play group. When we went for the temperament test, they were happy to give us a full tour giving us a chance to even spy on our little guy playing with his new friend. We’ve only been a couple of times, but our pup has come back tired and happy both times. A tired puppy is a very well-​behaved puppy.
I’m not sure how they do it, but the staff there seem to remember every dog’s name and story. It’s the type of place where you know the reason they seem to care is because they actually do. Highly recommended and prices are quite reasonable when you take into consideration the level of service and quality.

I love Crate Escape! We’ve been bringing our rescue puppy Sally here for daycare since she was 4 months old and the staff have been nothing but kind, patient & accommodating. Over the last 6 months we’ve seen quite a positive change in our puppy — she’s gone from being extremely timid & afraid of everything to being much more outgoing, friendly and less of a scaredy-​cat.
The daycare facility is big & clean. Smells fresh. The dogs potty outside. They’re actually supervised & play with other dogs of the same temperament. There are mandatory new client temperament evaluations, which is fantastic because it means that only dogs that play well with other dogs & humans are permitted. Probably a lot of people can easily think of some bad dog park experiences with aggressive or unfriendly dogs menacing the submissive ones; that stuff doesn’t happen here.
I feel like my dog is safe here, as silly as that sounds. I would have her board here in a second, if need be – they don’t use kennels, but the boarders spend the night in a sort of apartment space with a caring human (s).
Nikki, the manager, and her staff have always gone above & beyond to accommodate us, even at the last minute. They are true animal lovers & often tell us in detail about Sally’s day.
It can be scary to leave your puppy with strangers all day. Having visited other doggie daycares in the Boston area, THIS is the only place I trust. We’ve been talking up Crate Escape to every dog owner we know.
CRATE ESCAPE ROCKS!!!

My dog is my child. She is 100% dependent on me making good decisions for her care and well being. That’s why when she needs doggie daycare, she goes to Crate Escape.
The staff at Crate Escape are amazingly kind and flexible with our less-​than-​scheduled attendance. They are always accommodating — and welcome our pup by name. Our dog even developed a «puppy crush» on one of the staff! She loves it — and we love that she loves it.
Prices are very reasonable. The facility is clean. And there is grooming on site, so — she can get clipped every so often to maintain her beautiful flowy golden locks. There is also boarding, although we have not used this service.
I highly recommend Crate Escape to anyone looking for reliable, loving daycare for their dog.

This place is amazing!
My dog is young, big and has some anxiety about being left alone. My husband and I both work 9-​to-​5 jobs so she would be at home a lot if we didn’t take her to doggie daycare.
She LOVES Crate Escape. She’s always happy to go, and the people and other dogs are always happy to see her. They know her by name, and never mind if I call during the day to check in on her. Even better, the shuttle service is great and picks her up whenever we ask — no problems with her getting left behind or picked up late.
It’s not cheap, but no daycare is, and it’s worth every penny for our dog to be happy and well looked after.

I’ve used both their van service and drop-​off daycare for a while.
The staff obviously love dogs and they seem to treat mine with great affection. Their facility looks clean and well managed. And my dog is obviously happy to go there! As soon as he realizes we’re at Crate~Escape, his tail starts wagging. And he’s nice and tired when we bring him home.
However, they seem almost secretive about the doggie play area. They won’t let me back where I can see the dogs. Probably they just want to prevent all the dogs from getting overly excited or something, but I thought it was a little weird.
I’ve observed the van service — seems pretty chaotic. A mini-​van full of dogs (like 6 or 8 of them!). And they leave the dogs unsupervised in the van at times — which isn’t great.
But overall I’m a fan.

This is similar to a review I just posted of Crate Escape’s not-​at-​all-​evil twin and sister store, Raining Cats and Dogs, over in Huron Village:
They love our dog almost as much as we do.
Goose the dog is preposterously happy at RC&D and CE. He plays all day, non-​stop, with the other dogs there. (CE posts video of it on their facebook page to prove it!) He cries a little bit when it is time to leave. Then he comes home and sleeps — usually a ratio of two units of completely conked-​out dog for every one unit of time spent at CE.
We just got back from a quick out-​of-​town weekend where we left the Goosester at CE. We were gone for two days and picked him up Monday morning. He was delighted; now he’s asleep, and we don’t expect to hear from him until Thursday evening.
Bless you CE.

I love this place. We moved into the area recently, and in Rhode Island we used Metropet, which I could not have been happier with. So when we moved I was worried about finding a comparable place.
That staff seems VERY knowledgeable and genuinely concerned about each dog. The place seems very clean and they separate the dogs according to their energy level.
My dog is a large dog and was VERY nervous at first so after the initial temperament test, they suggested a half day to start… which tells me they cared more about her genuinely getting used to the place instead of wanting the extra $ for her to be there all day.
She has been going once every other week now and we plan to use them for boarding later this month. This place does not keep them in crates overnight which is even once step better than the place we used to use.
Lots of space, lots of dogs, lots of people there. Plus they have a van which offers pick up service… while I don’t use it I think it’s adorable.
The ONLY reason I didn’t give them 5 stars was for price… a little on the steep side… we are used to paying about 25% less than this for boarding/​daycare… but that was also in Rhode Island. They do however have packages for daycare which make it slightly less expensive… but the boarding they do not offer packages with.