Natural pet food company Forthglade share their top tips for welcoming four-legged friends into your store.
As many high street shops don’t allow dogs into them, pet shops have a unique offering giving pet parents a special shopping experience without having to leave their dog at home. They can weave a trip to the pet shop into a wonderful walk or visit to a dog friendly café, allowing them to have a great time bonding with their dog. As experts in pet nutrition and nourishing the relationship between dogs and people, Devonian dog lovers Forthglade offer top tips on how best to welcome our four-legged friends in store…
Visiting a pet store can be a stimulating and exciting experience for even the most chilled-out of dogs. For friendly dogs, who just love being out in the world, pet shops are like an Aladdin’s Cave, filled with smells, toys, treats, and attentive staff just waiting to provide cuddles. However, all this stimulation could mean even the most well-behaved pups forgetting their training; jumping up, pinching toys, releasing an anxious growl, or even an unplanned pee!
For those owners living with anxious dogs, they might consider a visit to a pet shop to be out of their dog’s comfort zone. Indoor spaces, narrow aisles, other dogs and people to navigate could be too much for these more sensitive pooches to deal with.
With some careful planning, pet stores can create a supportive and welcoming environment that helps all dogs — even those that are a little nervous about the world — feel comfortable and for local customers to look forward to their next visit.
Supporting Your Canine Customers
As dog lovers, it’s tempting to say “hello” to all pets we meet. However, many dogs prefer slow introductions to new people. Staff should be taught the basics of canine body language so they can identify if a dog is happy to be greeted or not. They can also make a point of dropping treats to visiting dogs, rather than coming straight up to them to feed them. Having a pot of tasty treats at the till, such as Forthglade’s high protein new Meaty Nibbles, ready for staff to welcome new dogs in store, will help create a positive cue to the environment and staff.
Creating a Calm Environment
With all the stimulating sights and smells of pet shop products, stores can create a little more balance by implementing a few ways to avoid sensory overload. It’s helpful to keep lighting soft, avoid the store getting too warm, and reduce echoing or loud noises whenever possible. Stores could consider playing white noise or soothing music to create a calm ambiance. A ‘quiet zone’ could be created and cordoned off for when a dog may require a little bit of peace to reduce their arousal.
Enrichment Zone
Setting up an enrichment area, with interactive food toys such as snuffle mats or puzzles, can be a great way to help anxious or more excitable dogs to feel more relaxed. Sniffing is great for reducing arousal in dogs. A selection of treats can be made available for the owners to place into the food toys so that any dogs with dietary sensitivities aren’t restricted in this space. An ‘Enrichment Zone’ can help redirect a dog’s attention, reduce anxiety, and provide mental stimulation during their visit.
While entertained, pet owners can then hear all about the benefits of the products you are selling including ingredients, range options, and health benefits
One-Way System
Setting up your store so that dogs only enter each aisle from one end can help to avoid head-head meetings between unfamiliar dogs. Signage should not only direct visitors along the right route around the store, but also ask them to maintain a few metres distance if space permits (or it could be phrased as ‘2 Great Danes’) away from another dog at any given time.
Bookable Visits
By adding in an hour or two of the week where pet parents can book a 15 minute slot to visit your store, solo with their dog, you will be opening up the store to many more anxious dogs. While it may feel like it’s limiting footfall, and thus sales, for a short part of your week, it can be a unique offering that other pet shops may not have and allows you to gain some great word-of-mouth referrals and build relationships with new customers and their canine companions.
Connect with Local Pet Professionals
Having local dog trainers, behaviourists, or groomers coming to give talks at your store could prove a valuable addition to your offering. This will allow them to give advice on how your customers can best care for their dog, as well as highlighting the benefits of some of your top products! It’s also a chance for them to provide guidance to those owners with more excitable dogs as to how to best navigate the store with them.
Avoiding Pee Parties!
Unfortunately, once one dog has peed in a part of your store it’s quite likely other dogs will follow suit. You can help to avoid these pee parties taking place, by either adding in a grass zone outside your store, if this is possible or swiftly cleaning up all accidents immediately with an enzyme cleaner.
By implementing these tips pet stores can create a welcoming and supportive environment for anxious or over-excitable dogs, helping to create a more positive experience during visits. This will have a positive impact on a customer’s experience and their desire to return.
About Forthglade
Forthglade have launched three new treats, all with natural ingredients and natural preservatives. Meaty Bites, Fishy Bites and Meaty Nibbles, are grain free, packed with natural goodness and air-dried to lock-in fl avour. Meaty Bites are 75% chicken (with apple) and Fishy Bites include 75% salmon (with dill) — both are super indulgent best friend treats. The new irresistible Meaty Nibbles contain 75% chicken teamed with tasty liver, perfect for encouraging and rewarding best behaviour. Available as 70g bags, RRP £3.25. Also available in cases of four or 10. Suitable for dogs aged 2 months+.