The staff did not know anything about pet food. To bad so close but I will be going to Mudd Bay or All Best where the employees are trained on the basics at the least. For a high end pet store the knowledge was disappointing read more

I love this place! I've read the reviews and some of them are right on target, and others... Well, let's just say that there are 2 sides to every story! (I've seen it firsthand.) In the years I've been shopping here (3-4 years), I've always been greeted by non-plastic, non-programmed people. It's so irritating when people are directed to "sell" certain things despite what might be best for any given specific situation. It's even more irritating when the people that are being paid to help you are seemingly regurgitating information that has clearly been fed to them, but then can't answer a basic question about the same product. You WON'T find that here. What you will find is a business that has a conscience about the products they carry. You will also find people that know about the products they offer and will help you find a product that works for your specific needs. Some of the products are a little pricey, but most are very reasonably priced. As a shopper with a tight budget, I do comparative shopping and have found that some of these items are as much as 50% less than the big box pet stores. It's understandable that not all personalities are going to meld perfectly, but I personally delight in the staff. The candor, knowledge, and spirit reflect my life & values. If I call checking stock on a certain item, I can trust it will be set aside for me to pick up after work. It's just a small courtesy they extend that when combined with all the other factors, adds up to great service from a terrific locally owned shop. And a little side note to the lady that had her kids running around the store, unattended, if you can't keep your kids from running around, perhaps consider putting them on a leash. People have been doing it for decades. It may be frowned upon by some, but if it keeps your children safe, that is the most important thing. You can let your kids run your world, but when they are out in public, they should behave appropriately. And no, I don't have any children. I do volunteer with BBBS & have been fortunate enough to share weekends with an awesome young lady that knows to behave. When in doubt, a reminder from an adult is all it takes to get things back into an appropriate range of activities. Communicating with your children and teaching them what behavior is acceptable are part of your responsibilities. read more

Great store! The people who work there are very kind and helpful! I love that they are careful about what products they carry and the ingredients in their products. The pet food they sell is all very high quality. I am a fan! read more

A nice little pet shop for the neighborhood. Seward Park has a lot of pet dogs, so this is convenient for many neighbors. I like that Ideal Pet Shop is in walking distance, and the prices are the same as at big animal retail shops like Pet Co and Pets Mart. It's a nice and cozy little shop with kind of hard-to-approach workers. It's best if you first just look for the product you want yourself, then approach anyone if you really can't find it. Overall, if I need something for my pets, I would come up to Ideal Pet Shop because it's the same price as other places, and I get exercise by walking. read more

It's crammed and small, but they have the dog food that my dog likes best (Taste of the Wild) that PetSmart or other big chains don't have. Not just a dog place, they have stuff for lizards too since they have 2 Bearded Dragons in the window. read more

I frequent this store for cat and dog food and supplies. I've had a few times where I couldn't find what I was looking for and received exceptional help. I'm only familiar with two girls working there but both are very nice and make me feel valued. They carry the bison wafers my dog loves at a great price to boot. Keep up the good work and I look forward to my next shopping trip! read more

A fine store but the lady that works is rude and really makes you not want to frequent this shop. Which really is too bad, as i love supporting locally owned and located shops. read more

I love that the pet store is conveniently located across from PCC, they have the food my cats love as well as lots of treats/toys. I always enjoy visiting with either of the two ladies that are working when I go in, they are always friendly with me and they have a lot of excellent knowledge to share. Ideal is right! read more

I come here a lot and it really is hit and miss. I either get my ear talked off or I get nothing...always an exciting adventure if you like a hot-cold-never-know-what-you-are-going-to-get shopping experience...but then it is only dog food - I don't need to be liked by or be best friends with the woman in the pet store....meh. I've experienced better read more

Decided to find a more natural/organic alternative to normal dog food and gave this place a shot. I was followed around the store like a delinquent and the dry food (which I expected to be pricier) that I purchased spoiled. Yes. SPOILED within the first two weeks of purchase. Expiration date read FEB 2016. It is currently AUG. 4th. 2015. read more

I go in, I get what I need, and If I have a question, I ask - and have had no problem with getting an answer or another perspective. If I want someone to follow me around and ask me if I need help every 5 minutes, I'll go somewhere else. At chains and some other stores, they follow you around because they are told to. It's a loss prevention technique that is drilled into their heads. I for one don't need someone to hold my hand or shower me with sunshine when I walk through the door. Very knowledgeable staff that have given me insight when it was requested - not followed me around trying to shove products down my throat. I appreciate that immensely. read more

I posted a review for Ideal Post Store around a year ago and it seems to have disappeared; hopefully I'll have better luck with this review. My husband and I have been shopping at Ideal Pet Store for at least eight years. I have always found the staff to be helpful, extremely knowledgeable, and very honest to a fault; they do not try to up sell. Every time we walk by my dog begs to go in the store and on occasion we go in the store with no intention of buying anything; my dog wants a treat and if they have samples they always oblige. My experience has always been positive and yes I am a female, but my husband also supports this store whole hardheartedly. In fact, the women who work in the store have helped him load our car almost every time he shops there; he goes more than I do. It would be really sad for people who live in the neighborhood to pass on this pet store due to some of the reviews. I think Ideal Pet Store is a wonderful addition to our neighborhood and I for one intend to continue supporting them. read more

Staff are friendly and helpful. They carry high quality pet foods at reasonable prices. I really appreciate that they sell humane certified food and treats. read more

i hate coming here. it is, unfortunately, conveniently located just down the block from my vet. sometimes i forget how much i hate going here, and then i go after the vet, and i am met with a rude reminder. at best, the staff at ideal pet stop is indifferent and unhelpful. at worst, they are rude and similarly unhelpful. ideal pet stop is certainly less than idea. remind me not to go, even though it's right around the corner from the vet. read more

I've been a regular customer at Ideal Pet more than ten years and regard it as a godsend in the Seward Park neighborhood. Staffers have been consistently friendly, helpful and knowledgeable -- always willing to search online for information about the highest quality products, in my case for details on cat food, bird seed and suet. Stewardship of the shop under Shelly's management after Kirsten left the position in 2014 proved to be a great blessing and kept Ideal Pet at the forefront of the market for the care of our pets with wonderful assistance from Laura. I would recommend this store to anyone in the blink of an eye. read more

I've since heard from management, and it sounds like the issue has been resolved. Hooray! Shop away, folks - you're gonna love this place!

This store is not as fancy inside as the Mud Bays or Next to Nature, but they have just as good a selection of healthy foods and treats for your dog/cat/fish etc.. What's really ideal though is the prices. I've talked to the owner about how she could mark things up much more than she does (a particular supplement I buy there costs just under $8, and the best price I can find on the Web is $17!). She chooses not to go for the big mark-ups, and for that she gets five stars and a big THANK YOU. read more

I used to love shopping at this store. Even though it was small and dirty, the staff was always kind and helpful. The prices are lower than most of the other stores in the area. I stopped shopping here after a terrible experience with the new owner. I asked him if he could point me in the direction of the Purina. He rudely laughed at me and told me that I was poisoning my dog with it. When I asked if he had other recommendations, he was rude and condescending. I shop at All The Best now!! read more

I went to the new Kent location on opening day and although initially the was a hiccup with service I was contacted within the hour after posting my experience. Not only was the lady, manager?, apologetic she was actually embarrassed by what happened, long story short in the end I found the store clean and well stocked. The lady that helped me was very knowledgable and explained the products very well. I will definitely return even though its a bit of a drive for me and I pass numerous other pet stores on the way read more

I think this place is great. They may not cater to everyone but they do and will try. I am an avid reptile keeper and it is one of the only local pet store in the whole city that sells crickets. Usually you have to go all over the place to find a Petco or a Petsmart that isn't out of them. On top of that they may not have the largest selection of herp supplies but they will talk to you and I have been offered the opportunity to special order items. Their prices are cheap, they answer your questions as needed and if you aren't a total jerk they will show interest in you and your pets. I don't understand why people need to have someone follow them around and be generic to feel like it is a good place. No one is overly rude, just clerks in a small business. What do you expect? They provide experienced staff, specialty items (both local and "corporate") and are cheaper than all their competitors. I guess if you are going there to get compliments or have your ego stroked then go somewhere else but if you actually just care about feeding and providing for your animals this place is far above adequate read more

Great place to get an array of food for dogs, cats and small reptiles. They have lots of pet supply's as well, one of the few places that has crickets and meal-worms, but call ahead, they are sometimes out. Great neighborhood, as well as great customer service. read more

Ideal Pet has been our pet supply store for 15 years. We've had birds, reptiles and of course dogs. If it weren't for Shelly we'd have stopped using Ideal.. Shelly is knowledgable, has good customer skills and goes the extra mile. Her leaving will be Ideal's loss, she's been there quite a while and knows the folks and their pets who are regulars. read more

We too stop by after a visit our vet. I love this place! it's stacked to the ceiling with good stuff and no they don't follow you around and push product you don't want (petco)? but let you wander and discover cool new things. Need help? it's just a question away - need advice? Again all you have to do is ask - they will cheerfully give you boatloads. Don't need someone hovering about ? Again - no problem - they're over by the register. By, The BY - we are local pet supply retailer ourselves... so why do we shop here? - because we never fail to find cool new things! Also the prices are really great... read more

Competitive prices, great selection, helpful staff. They ordered a specific size and type of dog food for me, and it arrived in the store the next day. A good pet shop, though the main lady can be cranky. read more

Since the last review of this store was 2 years ago, I thought I'd update. i was sooo glad when Ideal Pet Stop opened up in Seward Park, and have been a loyal customer ever since. The employees, alto not touchy-feely false cheery to see you, always greet me and ask if they can help me find anything. The prices are reasonable and the selection of items for my dog, cat and rabbit are great. I heartily recommend them! read more

I really love the Pet Stop! The products and prices are right. The staff are very helpful and have a wonderful rapport with the visiting dogs. read more

I feel so much better after having read others' experience with this pet supply shop; it's not just me. The short slender one with piercings has gotten nicer over the years and offers to help me out to my car, but the other lady, with whom I had a small skirmish today, seems to be losing people skills if that is possible given her track record. My guess is that Ideal Pet Stop survives because we in Seward Park are just so grateful for any stores that we'll put up with anything. To a point. For me, that point has just been reached and I'm shopping elsewhere. read more

I am posting this review in response to some of the comments below about gender bias, etc. I am male and have been shopping at Ideal Pet shop for several years. The female staff is consistently nice to me, knowledgeable, and helpful. For example, when I am carrying several bags of food and litter to my car, they offer to carry some bags for me. They have also given me very helpful information as to several of their products. read more

Ideal has changed! While I agree with some older posts (I live here for 20 years), the store clerks are now friendlier and are trying. Some people are just not as artificially fluffy and not everybody has an outgoing personality, but they are nice and know their stuff. Give them another chance I would say! read more

Ideal Pet Stop is a great neighborhood store. So easy for me to get to. Shelly, who has been there at least five years is really helpful and friendly. Lots of product to choose from. read more

Honestly, I cant give a review of any of their products because they were out of stock of what I needed, the clerk in the store told me they were out but where getting more in the same day....with an awkward pause I waited then slowly asked "what time" response was "I dont Know". This was all with out eye contact and her fiddling,YES I said FIDDLING with a pen. It was my first time walking in and I know they are used to local patrons but I will take the time to drive to PETCO or PETSMART if this is what I have to deal with from these amatuers. OH and you bearded dragons in the window look like they are dying. read more

We just moved to Seattle from a small town in Idaho and have been overwhelmed by the 'urban jungle' until we went to Ideal Pet Stop. We've been there twice so far and both times received friendly helpful service with great products for our 100+ lb. 'baby'. We're picky about her treats and food, but Ideal Pet Stop has a huge selection of quality food for dogs that is packed into a smallish store in a very organized fashion. We found a new treat called 'yak puffs' that Millie is crazy about and she's more picky than we are. My husband has been there alone and we also went together the last visit and both times he was treated very nicely with friendly helpful service. We needed to replace one of Millie's favorite balls we had bought in Idaho and the staff at Ideal Pet Stop helped us look it up on the internet and ordered it right away. The clerk even allowed me to come behind the counter to look at the screen she was viewing to place the order. We've felt like aliens in our new town until we found Ideal Pet Stop where we experienced great service and a friendly atmosphere. We could even take Millie in the store with us to check things out. read more