Your ideal pet store?

I prefer the smaller ones. I go to a specialty feed store for the dogs food. I go to a little pet store for my fish food and accessories. Then for cat food, collars, etc..., I'll go to the big store. The place where I get my EP, carries it out for me. I love it!

What size store? Big, medium, small? Small to medium with a knowledgable staff   By "knowledgable," I don't mean canine nutritionist or certified dog-trainer.  The owner/manager of thes tore should just make an effort to hire dog/cat/other animal-loving employees who are willing to keep up with info about products and be able to hold a conversation about why a shopper would want a particular item over another item or even be willing to say that a particular product would not be good for the shopper. (I'm much more willing to go back to a store if they help me realize why I shouldn't buy something. Then I know they are looking out for the dog/me and not just trying to make a sale.

Lots of foods, lots of treats, lots of toys, leashes, etc? Yes. []  Although, really, if the store carries my favorite brand of litter and food then I don't really care what else they carry.  They should carry the premium stuff and they should know why it's better than SD, Iams, Purina, etc. so that they can educate people.  Treats should be healthy, too.  Toys & leashes/collars should be rotated or restocked. Don't just keep re-stocking the same toys.  Mostly you're going to have loyal clientele, and they don't want to buy the "Hide-A-Squirrel" every month, for example.  So, if you can get new toys in, I'm more likely to buy them.
 
Groomer, no groomer? Doesn't matter to me, 'cause I don't get my dogs groomed. But if it were a reasonable cost and convenient, I might have a groomer trim their nails just to support a local business.

Bird, lizard, etc?  No selling pets at all, but supplies for those pets would be good.

How big of a factor is price? It has to be within reasonable limits, though I am willing to pay slightly more to support a local business.  But I couldn't buy Feline Pine litter at our local store vs the discount store because it was more than TWICE as much. I just thought that was ridiculous.  But now we use Swheat Scoop, and it's only $3-4/month more at the local store.  So I do buy it there.

How far will you drive to get to this store? It has to be in my city or on my way to/from work.


Also -- make it dog friendly! Don't put open treats in bins at dog-level!!! Not everyone has super-well-trained dogs that will leave treats alone while walking through the store.  I like to take Roscoe and Bella to the pet store to work on their training.  It makes it that much harder if the open bins are at dog-stealing level right at the front door. []

just a couple of curious questions for everyone who says a pet store shouldnt sell birds, lizards, and the like....

why not? and where would you otherwise buy such things?

i am not necessarily interested in buying any pets like that, just curious.

I don't reply too often but seeing as how you want responses I'll go ahead and answer...
 
What size store? Big, medium, small? Medium sized is perfect. Big enough to have a good selection, but not too big as to be overwhelmed.
Lots of foods, lots of treats, lots of toys, leashes, etc? I'd like a nice selection of premium foods & treats, lots of toys.. both the "cheapo" kind and thougher ones for the dogs who like to shred toys.
Groomer, no groomer? I don't have much of an opinion on this, though I agree with whoever said nail clipping would be a plus.
Bird, lizard, etc? I don't like to shop at stores that sell animals. I won't buy from one with dogs or cats. I also avoid ones that sell rabbits and ferrets, and definitely larger birds. But I really don't like any of them to be sold.
How big of a factor is price? It's definitely a factor but I am well aware that "you get what you pay for" is usually very true for pet supplies.
How far will you drive to get to this store? I would drive about 20 minutes.
 
A HUGE plus for me is a pet shop that helps with local animal charities. Like maybe a bulletin board with pictures and bios of homeless animals and a box for donations. Or better yet, designated days with the shelters/ rescue comes to store to adopt out (Petsmart does this every weekend where I live.)

I also like it when we can bring our dog (or other animal if they're leashed or in a carrier) in the store. I actually like to let my dog pick out her own toys. But also I hate the thought of people leaving their pets in the car. Sometimes people get a pet and go immediately to a pet store for supplies.
 
 
 

 
What size store? Big, medium, small?     small to medium
Lots of foods, lots of treats, lots of toys, leashes, etc? lots of everything, without forgetting quality.
Groomer, no groomer?  either , but just nails only would be excellent.
Bird, lizard, etc?  I like specialty dog/cats no other animals.
How big of a factor is price? not a factor at all, but do not want to get hijacked either, "competitive" should be more like it.
How far will you drive to get to this store? I drive an hour to buy Romeo's favorite: Merrick Porky Jerky Pumpers.

I am a raw feeder and would love to be able to walk in to a store that sells quality products and also maybe find a small section of raw food and bones and a lot of the more natural grooming suuplies and holistic remedies.  That would be my dream store. 

On Saturdays this is my routine: take Romeo to doggy daycare: 25 miles from where I live...from there go get Romeo's treat 10 miles from daycare...next stop Romeo's food 45 miles from first store..55 miles from daycare...turn around go home drop off frozen food....go get Romeo's bones and ork about 12 miles from home, okay time to go pick up Romeo another 20 someting miles...get Romeo, go home and pass out from all the driving. 

If I could get everything at one store that would be a dream come true for me!

What size store? Big, medium, small?  medium-big ; i like alot of variety
Lots of foods, lots of treats, lots of toys, leashes, etc? everything!
Groomer, no groomer? groomer please
Bird, lizard, etc? the more the merrier!
How big of a factor is price? not too exspensive
How far will you drive to get to this store? at the most 40 miles..

So many responses, wow. I'll give my own impressions...

Size: I like a small to medium store. About 1/2 the size of your average Petco and dedicated all to cats and dogs is perfect. I guess if I put a sq. ft. on it, I'd say 600-1500 sq feet.

Food, treats: I like several brands of food. They don't have to have all the premiums, but I think they should at least have 5 or 6 brands. They should also have a couple of raw brands (Nature's Variety & FarMore?) as well as raw bones.

I'm much bigger on treats. If I walked into a place and they had a wall of treats, especially stuff that I can't find anywhere else, that would be ideal. I'm talking 100 varieties of biscuits, chews, baked treats, etc.

Leashes, collars, harnesses: I go for leather and always like it when I can find it. Got Link a rolled leather collar yesterday, for example. Toys I'm not that big on, because my dog tends to make his own fun. So long as they have kongs and dental ropes, I'm fine.

Groomer: I don't really trust most groomers, because most of them seem like they don't like what they do. I'm still searching for a really good one. I would like to have several shampoo brands and brushes, though.

Bird,lizard, etc: What I meant by this was whether or not a store should stock supplies. Bird seed, crickets, etc. Since I don't have one, doesn't matter much to me.

How big of a factor is price: I'll pay $2-3 more for most stuff if I enjoy going to the place more. I feel anxious in Petsmart because of the size of the store, and most of the Petco's around here are ghetto. Finding a nice store where the people are friendly to me and my dog when I come in is worth a few extra dollars. They can't be ridiculous, though.

How far will I drive: I would probably drive 45 miles to a quality store. I used to before I started my own company anyways.

Real interesting stuff reading through. I should have asked what everyone is able to get locally vs. what they want.

Forgot that I almost get the feeling when I go into stores that I'd like to grab something for myself too...not sure what except a soda or something.

ORIGINAL: schlep

So many responses, wow. I'll give my own impressions...


Food, treats: I like several brands of food. They don't have to have all the premiums, but I think they should at least have 5 or 6 brands. They should also have a couple of raw brands (Nature's Variety & FarMore?) as well as raw bones.

For raw food: Nature's Variety, Bravo, Steve's, Northwest Natural or even Raw Advantage.

Locally I can only find NV, Bravo and Northwest Natural.  And is hard to find healthy treats that are not chicken breasts, so I order thru different websites.
 
Also books on nutrition and care and yes something for mom too like water or sodas and chips in case I get the muchies from all the other goodies..[]

What size store? Big, medium, small? I think small to medium
Lots of foods, lots of treats, lots of toys, leashes, etc? I like stores that carry all holistic/natural foods/treats.  I would love a store that would sell cute toys but a reasonable price.  For leashes and collars I love this one brand called up country, they have the cutest collars.  I think that there should be a wide assortment, with a cute display.  For example, a couple of stores that I can think have a log-type structure with the collars buckled around it. 
Groomer, no groomer? I think that this can go both ways, I saw that someone had an idea about "free nail trims" on the grand opening day, which I think is a great idea.  Not only would it bring in a lot of people, most likely some if not half will buy something.  I think that if you bring in a groomer though, the prices should be reasonable?  What about a self wash station? 
Bird, lizard, etc? Birds and reptiles completly freak me out, so I am not the right person to ask.
How big of a factor is price? I think that the prices need to be fair.
How far will you drive to get to this store?  About 25 minutes of driving time if it is not on my way to and from work.

the only reason I do not like the small/med stores is because they tend to be higher priced, I would guess they would have to be in order to survive.  I like to spend $ on my dogs, but I'd rather venture into a big store like petsmart(or even Walmart) if I knew I would get more for my $$.  I avoid the smaller stores, as they are usually more crowded or clostrophobic, with merchandise- not people, and they tend to carry lots of general use things that I could probably find at any walmart type store, but not the "hard to finds" or speciality items I am looking for if I go into a pet store.  I could get a *pink(or whatever* leash anywhere, why pay more to get it here?  Basically, I steer clear of the smaller stores because they can't compete price wise.  I like to go in and browse in them, but hardly ever actually pay their marked-up rices, even if it is just a dollar or two more.  I will drive farther to get a better deal, rather than stop at the closest pet store to get what I want.     

Stick with your instincts. Pick a size you can handle and concentrate on food, some leashes and collars, some toys, maybe some books.
 
When I tried Shadow on Innova, I drove approx 40 miles to get it and had to deal with traffic in Plano. I think most people will pay 2 or 3 dollars more if it's the food they need for their dog.
 

just a couple of curious questions for everyone who says a pet store shouldnt sell birds, lizards, and the like....

why not? and where would you otherwise buy such things?

i am not necessarily interested in buying any pets like that, just curious.

A mill is a mill is a mill. Just like dogs, there are fish, reptile, rodent, and bird mills. And... like with dogs and cats, these animals are readily available through reputable breeders and rescues.

A medium sized big dog store! Lost of stuff for big dogs! Big bags of food, big toys, big beds, big crates, big meaty bones! We do have a Mom & Pop type pet store here that is perfect!! All eclectic toys, unusual leashes and accessories, natural foods, RMBs, fresh RAW foods, huge selection of top shelf natural treats, they even have 3 shop cats who are the nicest cats I have ever met. The only problem with the store is that it is geared toward smaller dogs []