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I went to the pet store today to buy some dog food. I asked them what were the best foods they recommended. I told them that jess poops a lot and that tegan has dry skin. I am a dog groomer so i use the good stuff when bathing my dogs. so I explined this to them. for one jess is a classic looking border long hair a little bigger not to big only 35 lbs and teag is a smooth coat 29 lbs. they are both skinny they run a lot. so the one lady tells me teag has whip worm and is way to skinny. I take them to work with me everyday and she says I should not do that. So i blew it off. I worm them every 3 months and they are on heart worm all year and flea stuff about 9 months of the year. She didnt beleive me. So i go up to pay and the other lasy said so are the border mixes. I said no they are both pure bred. She told me teag is part whippet. How many whippets are running around in ohio unneatured? not many. I told her that the smooth coats just look dif. She picked up a dna test and told me to buy it. I said no I know teag is a pure bred. So I called my vet and she said that my dogs are very well taken care off and she thinks I am doing everything perfect with them. So then she told me to never go back that the people were idiots that have no right to talk to me that way. sorry so long but I was upset and wanted to share this with others. thanks for reading.

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I had one person tell me I needed a shock collar for one of mine. Guess who almost got thrown out a window?

 

Most of the time these people are hapless idiots. Plus the big stores are WAY overpriced. I got a citronella bark collar when we were working on Toby's issues and the store wanted over $100. I paid $40 on Amazon.

 

Tim

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Sometimes I really dislike people :rolleyes: I once had a pet store clerk shrug her shoulders and say "too bad you fixed her, she pretty and would have made nice puppies" I haven't been back :D

:D:D

 

I get this all the time! I just kinda say Yeah... and walk away. It's not worth the explanation anymore. When people meet Seamus they say "oh he's so gorgeous!" And i add "Yeah, he's a good lookin' boy, but he needs to lose a few lbs." They give me this look :D and say "Why? You want him to look like HER?" (as they point to one of my more svelte Husky girls)

 

Honestly, he'd be healthier if he did look more like HER. :D

 

People don't know what they're talking about.

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I went to the pet store today to buy some dog food. I asked them what were the best foods they recommended. I told them that jess poops a lot and that tegan has dry skin. I am a dog groomer so i use the good stuff when bathing my dogs. so I explined this to them. for one jess is a classic looking border long hair a little bigger not to big only 35 lbs and teag is a smooth coat 29 lbs. they are both skinny they run a lot. so the one lady tells me teag has whip worm and is way to skinny. I take them to work with me everyday and she says I should not do that. So i blew it off. I worm them every 3 months and they are on heart worm all year and flea stuff about 9 months of the year. She didnt beleive me. So i go up to pay and the other lasy said so are the border mixes. I said no they are both pure bred. She told me teag is part whippet. How many whippets are running around in ohio unneatured? not many. I told her that the smooth coats just look dif. She picked up a dna test and told me to buy it. I said no I know teag is a pure bred. So I called my vet and she said that my dogs are very well taken care off and she thinks I am doing everything perfect with them. So then she told me to never go back that the people were idiots that have no right to talk to me that way. sorry so long but I was upset and wanted to share this with others. thanks for reading.

 

They are just trying to sell you something...like a high priced DNA kit, expensive designer dog food, and wormers you don't need.

 

Liz

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So I called my vet and she said that my dogs are very well taken care off and she thinks I am doing everything perfect with them. So then she told me to never go back that the people were idiots that have no right to talk to me that way. sorry so long but I was upset and wanted to share this with others. thanks for reading.

I agree with your vet. Our Jake hates walking on slick floors. The poor guy just freaks out. I know my dog. The problem is he thinking about it. Once I'm able to get him to think about something else, he's fine and doesn't think about the slick floor. One day I took him to a pet store and as per normal, he freaked out on their slick floor. I was taking my time talking to him and trying to divert his attention when this b!tch employee decided to walk up to him and as she was telling me "I'll show you how to take care of this" nudged him in the butt. Not only did I NOT ask her for any help, she laughed at Jake when he totally panicked after she nudged him. I almost lost my temper and blessed her out right then and there. The only reason I didn't was because of Jake. I knew if I had it would have made things worse for him. I didn't want Jake to associate me getting upset with slick floors but it still pisses me off every time I think about that day.

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First mistake -- asking pet store employees anything other than "what aisle is [fill in the blank] in. They don't know, and if they know anything, it's what their employer says they should know. I'm not faulting the employees. Just saying -- they're not the ones to go to for anything other than store information.

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Sometimes you get payback.

 

Once I was in the vets for some routine vaccinations. Now my dogs are country..we arrive looking like we always do cause I'm running late cause I can't find a lead. Who uses those things anyway? So I guess the hay rope lead didn't help matters.

 

Anyway I go and sit in the waiting room with all the foo-foo dogs and their owners. Right off the bat the questions start.

 

Is your dog sick?

No just need shots

 

Did you just get him?

No

 

The POOR thing is so skinny..you really need to feed him more. That would perk him up more (my dogs must lie at my feet in the waiting room) border collies should have alot of energy. And have him checked for worms.

 

The vet passes by (he brings his 2 border collies out to work sheep) and stops and greets my dog. Feels him all over and says WOW he is in such great shape not an ounce of fat on him and all this mucsle. Bring him back I want Dr. Wrens to see what a in shape dog looks like.

 

I just turned and smiled.

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First mistake -- asking pet store employees anything other than "what aisle is [fill in the blank] in. They don't know, and if they know anything, it's what their employer says they should know. I'm not faulting the employees. Just saying -- they're not the ones to go to for anything other than store information.

 

I agree, Vicki.

 

Perfect word to stop a conversation: "Whatever."

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Sometimes you get payback.

 

Once I was in the vets for some routine vaccinations. Now my dogs are country..we arrive looking like we always do cause I'm running late cause I can't find a lead. Who uses those things anyway? So I guess the hay rope lead didn't help matters.

 

Anyway I go and sit in the waiting room with all the foo-foo dogs and their owners. Right off the bat the questions start.

 

Is your dog sick?

No just need shots

 

Did you just get him?

No

 

The POOR thing is so skinny..you really need to feed him more. That would perk him up more (my dogs must lie at my feet in the waiting room) border collies should have alot of energy. And have him checked for worms.

 

The vet passes by (he brings his 2 border collies out to work sheep) and stops and greets my dog. Feels him all over and says WOW he is in such great shape not an ounce of fat on him and all this mucsle. Bring him back I want Dr. Wrens to see what a in shape dog looks like.

 

I just turned and smiled.

Yes! My dogs have been know to go to the vet's with suspicious green or brown patches on their feet and legs and an occasional burdock in their feathers, are almost invariably the only lean dogs in the waiting room, largely the best-behaved dogs in the waiting room, and I am sure are the focus of some oh-that-poor-skinny-dog looks. Meanwhile, I see dogs that can barely walk or whose breathing is rasping due to obesity and lack of fitness.

 

My dogs respect the other dogs' space and don't drag their owners over to sniff-all-over any dog they see (they do express a definite interest in the cats in crates, but politely). And they don't sit by their owner and shake with apprehension.

 

The vets are always complementing the dogs as being bright, healthy, fit, lean, and mannerly. Well, except Dan, who is learning his manners but slowly - but he's uber-friendly and making progress!

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I agree with your vet. Our Jake hates walking on slick floors. The poor guy just freaks out. I know my dog. The problem is he thinking about it. Once I'm able to get him to think about something else, he's fine and doesn't think about the slick floor. One day I took him to a pet store and as per normal, he freaked out on their slick floor. I was taking my time talking to him and trying to divert his attention when this b!tch employee decided to walk up to him and as she was telling me "I'll show you how to take care of this" nudged him in the butt. Not only did I NOT ask her for any help, she laughed at Jake when he totally panicked after she nudged him. I almost lost my temper and blessed her out right then and there. The only reason I didn't was because of Jake. I knew if I had it would have made things worse for him. I didn't want Jake to associate me getting upset with slick floors but it still pisses me off every time I think about that day.

 

My own dog (also called Jake!) has this same issue, which cropped up a few years ago. He has this weird thing about walking across the linoleum floor in the basement. He thinks too much about it, and thus can't get the courage to just WALK across it. He'll keep putting a paw out, lean forward a bit, then whimper and back up to circle and come back to try again. But if he's distracted, like lets say one of the cats has thrown something down the stairs, Jake will focus on that and he'll jog right over the floor with no problem. All he's thinking about is the naughty kitty who needs to be stared at. The worst part, that does NOT help, is when Jake finally gets the courage, he BOLTS forward into a run. He immediately has to turn towards the hallway, and he always slips onto his hip. This is a dog that thinks he's going to die if he doesn't have all four feet beneath him, so his self-confidence takes a crash along with his hip. But oftentimes, when he bolts forward into a run, he almost immediately slows down into a jog with a look on his face like he knows he's acting like a doofus, that this "scary" floor isn't actually that scary anyway. It's the moment when he's looking at the expanse of shiny floor and knows he's going to have to step over it that he loses confidence and has to work himself up over it. I'm not sure exactly why this problem cropped up, or how to solve it, but we lay down towels or, as of a week ago, long hallway rugs for him to step over, and he doesn't have a problem. He'll even step on the floor on either side, all over the room. Until, that is, he's playing with his ball and it rolls away over the floor and all of a sudden, he can't muster the courage to walk over it to retrieve his ball. I think it's when he knows he has to walk over it that his courage fails him. When there's no pressure, nothing to "fetch" or do, he's not thinking about the floor and he can walk over it just fine.

 

I just had to reply because I haven't heard of another dog doing this, and yours sounds almost exactly like mine (even the name, lol). The problem only exists in the basement, he's perfectly fine upstairs (the kitchen up there has the exact same linoleum as the floor down here; the basement, though, is cold so that might be another factor). He hasn't been to Petsmart in a few years, so I don't know what his reaction to those floors would be, but I have suspicions. He gets nervous in that kind of environment anyway (it's loud and sensory overload in smells and sounds). I would get pissed off if someone just took it upon themselves to "train" Jake out of it while at the store. Jake's a sensitive package: one wrong move and you have to start over again. Plus, I can't guarantee that the person who just nudged his butt won't get bit, or at least growled at. I can nudge him, not that it does anything (except give him the impression that walking across the floor is REALLY REALLY important, which makes it even more difficult for him to get over it). But a stranger is free game. And in the process, Jake will shut down and just plant his butt and won't make a single effort anymore. He'll just stare at the stranger, just waiting for her to "attack" him again. His brain went from thinking about the effort and attempts to crossing over the scary floor, to protecting himself from the scary stranger that just "shoved" him towards the scary floor. As an aside, Jake is a well-rounded, well-trained, perfectly normal guy, but moments like these give the impression that he's an under-socialized, volatile creature owned by a clueless nut. Which is embarrassing.

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Those store workers sound pretty ignorant. Maybe they were trying to be helpful and not working on commission, but I wouldn't bother asking their opinion if you go back there. Most pet store workers I meet are very nice, love animals and want to be helpful. They may or may not have good info to share. I don't take them as the final word, but I'll discuss products with them.

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My all time favorite line from a pet store employee:

 

Jack is on leash sniffing away at all the yummies --

 

clerk: "What a beautiful dog -- I was going to start breeding those...."

me: "uh-huh"

clerk: "What kind of dog is that?"

 

Jack just sighed and tugged me to the next aisle -- I followed while I was snorting in laughter.

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The worst part, that does NOT help, is when Jake finally gets the courage, he BOLTS forward into a run. He immediately has to turn towards the hallway, and he always slips onto his hip.

 

I wonder if this is the root of your problem. He slips onto his hip and it hurts, why would he want to do that again? When he's after the cat he's not thinking about anything else, but does he slip onto his hip then?

Just curious...

 

I loved taking Mick and Dew to the pet store, I always got "do you breed your dogs? I say No but I let them have safe sex and we walk away while the person is trying to figure out what I meant!

 

I think we've been in a pet store all of 2 times in the last couple years. To expensive to buy anything so we just go hiking instead!

I worked in PetCo once, hated it but the kids and adults that work there weren't bad, they were either just doing the job or loved animals and really only had limited knowledge on any animal thing, the pet store offers no training on anything other than adding stuff to your cart. Most are self educated in pet stuff. Although the fish people seemed to know their stuff, but for all I know they could of been making it up.

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Hi Aussie Dog,

 

Our Jake does great at home. We have hardwood floors (with throw rugs) and one of his favorite places to nap is in the front room on the hardwood. He even has his own way of exiting the kitchen when he's in a hurry. He goes in circles as he's leaving the kitchen when he's in a hurry. When he's not in a hurry, he walks across any slick floor at home like it's nothing. It's a wee bit odd to watch him walk across the kitchen floor when he's in a hurry but I can't help but smile every time I see him do it because he figured out what works for him. But get him out in public and those claws come out!

 

I worked in PetCo once, hated it but the kids and adults that work there weren't bad, they were either just doing the job or loved animals and really only had limited knowledge on any animal thing, the pet store offers no training on anything other than adding stuff to your cart. Most are self educated in pet stuff.

Jake's situation happened in a PetSmart. I don't hold it against the store as a whole, just that particular employee. She was standing there talking to a friend (I presume) when she saw us and walked over. I assume she thought she was 'impressing' her friend with her stupid act because none of the actual trainers who work there would have nudged Jake much less laugh about it. I just hope she no longer works there.

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In defense of Pet Store employees.... I always shop at a locally owned store, as an aside it is also cheaper than Petco. The young man that works there makes a huge effort to be educated about their products and tries to provide really sound advice about food. Not all store employees can be tarred with the stupid brush.

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I agree not all store employees are bad, we have several petstores here that are GREAT for knowledge on stuff, Cowtown is awsome and the staff are very helpful and know what they are talking about, Metro and Pawstivily perfect are also awsome for knowing their stuff, in fact the owners of those 2 stores are heavily involved in the dogworld themselves, then the speciality stores, we have a fish one and had a herp one, both fantastic for employee's knowing their stuff. I refere clients to those stores to talk to the staff when they have questions all the time, they are exellent sources of correct information.

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Here in the SF Bay area we have a local chain of pet supplies stores that also tend to have intelligent, knowledgeable employees. It's called Pet Food Express. They have an added bonus of being actively involved in rescue and they don't sell animals of any kind.

 

I would feel that I was going out on a limb asking the time of day of any Petco, Petsmart or Pet Club employee. And as for their aquarium section, I knew to stay away from that when the "fish person" couldn't tell the difference between a Pictus Catfish and an Plecostomas. Not to mention that since their entire battery of tanks shares the same water filtration/ circulation system, I'd say your chances of getting a healthy fish are slim and none.

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I wonder if this is the root of your problem. He slips onto his hip and it hurts, why would he want to do that again? When he's after the cat he's not thinking about anything else, but does he slip onto his hip then?

Just curious...

 

I'm not even entirely sure it actually hurts. It's the fact that his center of gravity slipped from under him. We're talking about a dog who's afraid of heights, won't allow himself to be carried, and absolutely refuses to step over anything he can look down under (such as a bridge with slats wide spaces. Though if I hurry him, he doesn't get a chance to look down and will cross it just fine). When he sees a cat, his balance is fine and he doesn't slip (most of the time); I think the reason he slips is because his feet are scrabbling and not getting enough traction, and that's brought on by the stress of thinking about the silly floor. When he sees the cat, his brain clicks into herding mode, and he's much calmer and better balanced. But if he's panicky or worried or tense, he's more likely to slip. The blankets cover the shiny floor, but I think he also understands the blanket gives him extra traction (random memory: he's not a huge fan of ice either; this past winter I really noticed how he goes AROUND ice, preferring to walk on the grassy/snowy parts next to the sidewalk. He'll walk over ice if you tell him to, but when given him the choice?... Not that I blame him; myself and Ice are notorious enemies and I prefer to walk around as well). If he comes across a blanket that slips around a bit, he's a little more reluctant to step over it. Floor mats and hall rugs are TOTALLY working great for this reason.

 

 

On the other topic, we have a few holistic pet stores here too, and my favorite is Tail Blazers. The owner met Jake a month after the store opened, and a month later when I brought him by again, she recognized him and even remembered his name. Whenever I'd head out there without him, she'd ask about him. He hasn't been by there in a couple years (I'm getting him back in shape for the trip, which'll be by bike), but she still often asks how he's doing. As a bonus, she reacts to him the proper way, like any knowledgeable dog owner would. Doesn't fly straight to him, arms flailing around, squealing and feeding him treats. Calm, sweet, and makes him at least sit before giving him a treat. And she lives on a farm, with sheep, and dogs of her own. The one time I brought Jake to the other place (Global Pet Foods; there's two locations here), they didn't seem to care at all, and it just seemed more higher-business, less about the animals. But that's just me. I don't like to be pampered or bugged while out at a store, but I'll admit it, I love getting attention regarding my animals. If you ignore my buddy, on the other hand... Well, if you don't want to meet him, that's fine, but at least acknowledge him, ask his name or age or something. Am I the only one who feels like that?

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I am so so lucky here in Pittsburgh because we have a pet store in Bridgeville that is owner operated. The owners - sister and brother - have had the store for forever and they are the only customer service employees (they have kids to help stock and such). The woman, Sue, makes it her business to really research dog food, treats etc and is able to provide great information on foods (she also has reading material to go with it). I trust her opinion completely. She is the epitome of what I consider a great store owner. Her brother Larry's expertise is more in fish and aquatics. They have a large fish section. I am just so happy to be able to go to them when I need help and advice. (I actually trust them more than my vets - showing the poor vet quality around here). I live approximately 1/2 hour away from them but it is worth the trip!!! Plus, they are much cheaper than Petco or Pet Smart!

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Pet stores or dog parks or just anywhere. When people walk up to you and start spouting off all their "knowledge" about your particular breed I really think they are just insecure people and it makes them feel good to "educate" all of us who haven't asked for their opionion and really

we don't care what they think. They don't really want you to reply they just want an audience so they can recite what they have read in a book or seen on T.V. It makes them feel big. I actually feel sorry for them.

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