FAQ

Petland Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question for Petland Pets, take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions. We might just have the answers you are looking for right here!

Q. Why are your puppies on grated floors?

A. We have grates on the bottoms of the kennels to make their space as clean as possible. The alternative would be a mess and we have been advised by our vet to not make our kennels solid surfaces because it could increase the spread of any illness that might ever appear in our kennels. In a kennel environment, grates are the safest and most sanitary way for us to house our puppies. We have even taken grates out to see if puppies would prefer the solid surface and they do not. (See photo) Puppies have a floating epidermis which means there is a layer of fluid between their skin and their muscle tissue… this layer acts like a constant blanket around their body. So if you think about it… dogs have a built in cushion to lay on all the time!

Q. Why do your puppies have water spigots in their kennels instead of bowls?

A. We want to make sure our puppies have fresh, clean water all the time. This means that water bowls are not the right answer. Dogs like to play and water bowls get tipped over, dirty, and sometimes even get soiled by waste. Having water spigots in each kennel ensures that our puppies will always have a constant source of fresh water that will never get spilled and always be available.

Q. Do the puppies get exercised during the day?

A. All of our puppies get out of their kennels every day! We make sure that we track their socialization whether it be with the kennel technicians, customers, or other puppies in the store. We have about 10,000 customers that enter our store on a monthly basis and we sell about 100 puppies per month… so that breaks down to about 100 customers per puppy. Not only do we have playrooms for customers to sit in with our puppies but we also have a back play yard for customers to take puppies outside!

Why are all of your puppies asleep at the same time?

Dogs are pack animals are descendants of wolves… have you ever seen a pack of wolves all asleep together? It is the same mentality, just like everyone in your home sleeps at the same time; everyone in our home sleeps and eats at the same time too. Dogs get on the same schedule and tend to fall in the same cycles at our store just like humans, and animals in the wild.

Q. How do I know the puppy I choose will be a good fit for our household?

A. Most of our staff has been matching puppies with customers for a long time. We like to think that we are experts at matching the right pet with the right customer and we have extensive breed knowledge and can help you make an educated decision. We know the difference between a good family dog, one that will go running with you, and one that would be good in an apartment. We are the experts in this area and matching puppies with families is the only thing we do. Rely on us to coach and help you make a good decision.

Q. Can I bring my dog in to meet your dog?

A. Absolutely! We discourage customers bringing in their dog just to “play” with our dogs but if you are serious about taking home one of our puppies we would be happy to let them meet each other in our play yard! It is much easier to introduce animals in a neutral space vs. trying to do it at home. Dogs are pack animals and will eventually get along. Sometimes it takes a few minutes and sometimes a few weeks, but we rarely get puppies returned because they did not get along with their new furry family members.

Q. How do I know the puppy I buy is healthy?

A. When puppies arrive at our store they go through a health check by our veterinarian. He checks things such as eyes, ears, knees, hips and listens to their hearts. This health check goes home with you when you take home a puppy from Petland. We also keep daily health records while puppies are in our store so that you know everything that happened to your puppy while it was at Petland.

Q. Do you ever refuse to sell a puppy to someone?

A. Yes of course! If we felt that a customer was not the right match for the puppy we would point them in a different direction. At Petland we are the voice of the animal and we take that job very seriously. We never want to match the wrong pet with the wrong customer, that would not be good for the customer or the pet.

Q. What happens to the puppies in your store that do not sell?

A. All of the puppies in our store always find homes! We never send puppies to shelters, rescues, or euthanize dogs that do not sell! This is an ugly misconception that we want to squash once and for all! We always make sure every pet is matched with a good home. The way we do this is as puppies get older we decrease their price so they can find a home faster. There is never any rhyme or reason why a certain pet does not sell… sometimes a puppy that would have found a home right away last month, takes longer this month. On average we have about 100 puppies in the store at any one time and we find homes for about 100 puppies per month, so our average stay at our store is less than a month!

Q. If I don’t see the puppy I am looking for, can I ask you to find one?

A. We sure can do our best! We are always on the lookout for puppies that our customers are looking for. Some breeds we just do not have the ability to find, but most of the time we can help you locate the perfect pet. It might take a little time, but we can most likely get it for you!

Q. Why do you say that buying a pet from a pet store is the safest for the consumer?

A. A puppy purchased form a pet store in Illinois is the most regulated source to get a puppy from in Illinois.  We say this because ONLY pet stores have to follow the following regulations:

  • Pet stores must abide by the Illinois Animals Welfare Act
  • Pet stores must use only United States Department of Agriculture licensed breeders or professional hobby breeders
  • Pet stores are required to maintain a minimum warranty because of the puppy lemon law in Illinois
  • Pet stores have to do all of these things while still running a profitable business model so it is always in our best interest to do the “right thing.”
  • We are constantly evaluated by our customers since we are open 363 days a year and most of every day.  We are on display ALWAYS to everyone that walks in the door so we have to be on top of our game 100% of the time!

Rescues, Shelters, Internet Sales, and Private Sales do not need to adhere to ALL of these regulations… ONLY PET STORES DO.

Q. Why do people say that reputable breeders would never sell to a pet store?

A. Breeders come in all shapes and sizes. Some breeders want to know where every single one of their dogs goes and meet the family that is going to take it home. Other breeders love breeding dogs but they trust us to find their animals homes. While all of our breeders are great people sometime breeders are not great at marketing their dogs for sale, or they do not have time to meet with every customer that is interested in purchasing a pet. Our breeders take their love of breeding and focus on that; using us to market and sell their dogs. We have a great symbiotic relationship with our breeders and we work together as a team to find good homes for all of our puppies.

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