Store Atmosphere: The store reminded me of every other pet store (i.e. petsmart, petco). Not…read morefilthy, not spotless, but all to be expected. Maybe if they brighten the store its better lighting or higher ceilings, consumers will not comment so much on the yuck feeling. I wasn't looking to move in the place, so it was to reasonable standard for me...and I am a couple steps from a germaphobe. (Manage your expectations)
Staff: Day one, the employee unlocked the door (I was there before open, waiting, bc I knew what I wanted), and waved me in...didn't open the door, just waved me in...not the best customer service but not going to allow that to stop me. I let her know what I was there for, and she politely told me she would be over shortly to help. From there, I had great customer service from every employee I encountered.
They aren't super knowledgeable, but they sell it well enough. Never purchase a pup without doing your own homework.
They are in sales...
Pup: My pup arrived 1 day prior to me going in and putting a deposit on him. He came home about 5 days in total, from being at the store. He is happy, healthy, and soo sweet.
The purchase/aftercare: When you spend the amount of money that we did, you never want to feel like you are being taken advantage of, which we did not get that vibe...however the forms you sign make you feel as if the store is preparing for the worse to happen and trying to legally cover their behinds. (Again...out pup is happy and healthy...I just wanted to communicate how the buying process can make consumers feel)
I did find the breeder, who is AKC registered, so that brought comfort.
We identified a vet that he went to the day after we purchased him, and they confirmed his health, which was a second layer of comfort.
I did not like the vet that Petland referred us to...the doc was knowledgeable,but the place was gross.
We transitioned our pup to a higher quality for almost immediately, and wasted the remaining of what we purchased at the time we got our pup.
Lessons Learned:
- Buy your dog's needs from Amazon.
- Ask what they are feeding the dog before so you can get it cheaper elsewhere (just get the kibble, the vet told us that mixing the dry/wet/fresh food together is too much. That's what the store was doing)
- I think we got a good pup bc they were not in the facility long, reduced exposure to illness (kennel cough)
Will I buy another from Petland...yes & no. Yes, bc the experience was good. No, because it was too expensive. Go directly to the AKC website and drill down to their sales pages. The cost of shipping or picking up a pup will still be less than purchasing from the store.