Boston facilities
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The Urban Hound Dog Grooming, Hotel & Daycare

129 W Malden St, Boston, MA 02118

4.5
88 Google reviews
Cage-freeStaff overnightOutdoor yardPool / water playAccepts puppiesGroomingTrainingClimate controlledOvernight potty breaksOnline booking

Overview

The Urban Hound is a premier dog boarding, daycare, and grooming facility in Boston's South End offering 24-hour supervised care with 8,500 square feet of indoor/outdoor space. They provide dog and puppy daycare, overnight boarding, grooming, training, and off-leash hikes, with a focus on personalized boutique-style care and certified trainers on staff.

Amenities & Policies

Cage-free
Webcam
Staff overnight
Outdoor yard
Pool / water play
Small dog area
Accepts puppies3+ months
Reactive breeds
Medication admin
Grooming
Training
Climate controlled
Overnight potty breaks
Online booking
Spay/neuter required
Temperament test

Dog-to-staff ratio: 6:1

Max capacity: 50 dogs

Required vaccinations: Rabies, Distemper, Bordatella, Canine Influenza, clean fecal float

Policies & Details

Hours & Billing

Drop-off hours:7am-10am
Pick-up hours:By 6pm
Late pick-up fee:$25 per 15 minutes

Cancellation & Deposits

Cancellation notice:1 day notice
Cancellation penalty:Full charge for no-shows or late cancellations

Care & Play

Group play
Comfort items allowed
Feeding policy:Owner provides food

Requirements

Spay/neuter policy:Required for daycare attendance

Safety & Emergency

Emergency vet protocol:On call
Emergency vet cost:Owner

Extras

Senior dog accommodations

What Reviews Say

88 reviews analyzed

The Urban Hound enjoys overwhelmingly positive reviews with a loyal customer base praising Vicky and Rebecca's exceptional grooming and care. However, serious red flags exist: a boarding injury incident, a dog left overnight without bathroom breaks, and multiple grooming complaints about using wrong techniques and poor communication. The facility excels in cleanliness and dog happiness but faces criticism for occasional communication breakdowns and one concerning safety incident during boarding.

Dog happiness
4.5
Cleanliness
4.5
Facility
4.5
Staff
4.0
Drop-off / pickup
4.0
Communication
3.5
Value
3.5
Safety
3.0

People love

Exceptional grooming skills, especially Vicky(15)Caring, attentive staff who treat dogs like family(12)Clean, well-organized facility(8)Long-term loyal customers / repeat business(10)Great for daycare and boarding(8)Owner Rebecca praised(5)

Staff shoutouts

Vicky(18 mentions)Rebecca(12 mentions)Angela(3 mentions)Sarah(2 mentions)Abby(2 mentions)JeremyNick(3 mentions)Olivia(3 mentions)

Worth noting

Dog injured during boarding - greyhound returned with 2-inch gash on knee, bleeding toe, and sore paws with no notification from staff

โ€œWhen we returned, he had a two inch gash in his left knee, a bleeding toe, and sore paws. UH did not say ANYTHING when we picked him up.โ€

Dog left in kennel overnight (6pm-6am) without being let out to urinate

โ€œI can only assume his whimper to go out was ignored. I called to give feedback and was told that dogs are put in their kennels overnight 6pm to 6am and not let out.โ€

Grooming injury - nails trimmed too short causing bleeding for 3 days

โ€œtrimmed his nails too short (bled repeatedly after initial stop with every walk for 3 days)โ€

Dog left alone and neglected in daycare - sat shivering in corner all day

โ€œMac almost failed day care. She said, He sat in a corner and shivered all day.โ€

Poor phone communication / unreturned calls(3 mentions)

โ€œNever answered phone or returned a message after several calls.โ€

Grooming quality issues - wrong technique used, results unsatisfactory(3 mentions)

โ€œShe ruined my maltipoo's fur by using clippers after explicitly being told to only use scissors.โ€

Upselling / aggressive sales tactics(2 mentions)

โ€œthey then tried to up-sell me into a $2K training program with a 4 month waiting list.โ€

Staff rudeness / poor attitude(2 mentions)

โ€œthe man who answered, I think his name was Alan, was very rude.โ€

Expensive pricing(2 mentions)

โ€œExtremely expensive and unorganizedโ€

Owner replies to 2% of reviewsprofessional tone25 repeat customers

Top Rated

4.5 stars from 88+ reviews

This facility has earned a Top Rated badge for maintaining a 4.5-star rating across 88 reviews.

At a Glance

Google rating
4.5/ 5
Review score
3.9/ 5
Amenities10 of 14
Reviews88
Repeat customersNumber of reviews that mention returning or being a regular customer.25

Max capacity

50 dogs

Dog-to-staff ratio

6:1

Min puppy age

3 months

Pricing

Daycare

$45โ€“$90/day

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