Kriser’s Natural Pet

This is a great little pet store.
I would definitely say its geared more toward dogs… but I have a crazy cat… crazy and I had to go with a raw diet.
I am not suzie homemaker and barely cook myself dinner in a crockpot so I googled raw diets and ALAS! they have frozen tubs of raw cat food here.
BOOM! No Martha Stewart for me.
The staff is overtly nice.
Prices are expensive.
Brands are luxe.

We get nervous trimming our dog’s nails so we took her to Kriser’s, thinking we would have a great place to take her rather than stressing about doing it ourselves. After a few minutes, they brought our dog back out only to tell me they had trimmed one of the nails too short but they put a numbing solution on it and it was «no big deal» and «it happens all the time»… I would hope the groomer would be trained well enough to not cause my dog to bleed. She was fine for an hour or so but then started licking her paw non-​stop, only for me to discover that it was bleeding, and a decent amount. As I checked the other nails, there were a few that looked a little red and had a tiny bit of blood as I cleaned it with a tissue. Not only was I upset about the whole experience, but about the fact that they seemed disinterested and nonchalant about the whole situation. I will not be going back.

I’ve been going to Krisers since we rescued in November. Lots of $$$ for two large dogs. I’ve been happy with the grooming except for how long it takes. Today was just shy of 5 hours! I got there to just get them & they still weren’t done! I just took them slightly wet with no brushing! I’m mad. Left mad. I’m writing because when I left they each stood for 3 full minutes relieving themselves then walked the 5 blocks home to drink a whole water bowl! WAY too long to groom! Taking too many dogs to sit that long with no water & a bathroom break. Although the groomer is extremely nice don’t think I’m using again for $ 148!

After looking around the area to find a nice and friendly groomer, we couldn’t be happier with choosing Kriser’s! George was super patient and understanding with our girl Rosie. We rescued her a few months ago and have always taken her to better know groomers (petsmart, petco, ect). She’s a large dog and can be difficult to handle when she’s in a new environment and gets scared. We’ve had horrible experiences with those places being mean, and while she loves getting baths, was terrified to go back because of the groomers. I know she was a handful for them (Kriser’s) but they did everything they could to make her comfortable. For the first time Rosie did not want to leave the store! Thank you SO much to George and Mary :-) We will be back!

I went in for the first time today with my puppy, and I was completely amazed by the awesome customer service. One of the employees (Maybe Kevin) carried my puppy around happily while he explained some of the products that the store carries. He wasn’t pushy at all and my puppy loved him. I realized that some of their most expensive dog food was cheaper than the Blue Buffalo food I was buying at PetSmart. The harness I purchased was a comparable price to PetSmart, but I was able to try it on my pup and see if it actually fit. Their collars seemed to be good quality and were mostly under $ 10. Their toys were pretty awesome too. I don’t know why other reviewers have said that this place is expensive, because I found it to be cheaper than the big chain stores I have been going to. I walked out of the store with about 7 different samples of dog food. I can’t wait to go back with my puppy!

They know my pup by name, they’ve managed to squeeze in a quick nail trim or two without an appointment, they always give my buddy a treat at the register, and they’re one of the few places that carries my preferred freeze-​dried raw dog food… what’s not to love?
Also, super crazy bonus points for above and beyond customer service– my commute can be unpredictable, and they’ve stayed open for a few minutes past closing time to let me buy my dog food not once or twice, but THREE TIMES, when I ran late. All this without any «saltiness» if ya know what I mean.

We are crazy cat and dog people, and the selection of quality products for our brood has been great. In trying to address some health issues, we’ve tried a few different types of food and the staff have been very helpful at each turn. I’m actually writing because I received an email alerting me about a promotion that included one of the foods we use and was able to stock up at a great price (not too many emails like some companies!).
There is also a great selection of toys for our girls and we’re glad to be able to pick those up at reasonable prices in the same place. I’m not sure if it’s everything in store or I just happened to be interested in those items, but everything I’ve purchased has been American made which I appreciate as an option. This location has a parking lot which is super helpful in retrieving heavy pet supplies, but is still in a very walkable area.

I love it here! To know it’s all been pre approved foods and treats makes me feel like my dogs are getting the best!

Incredible and knowledgeable staff! Love the folks here, and it shows that they love their clients both two-​legged and four-​legged. I was looking for grain-​free food for my cat, and had no idea what would be my best choices. They showed me the various brands, and offered suggestions to what he might likebased on his current preference in texture and flavors. And of course I found a couple cool toys for him as well. It was my first time at Kriser’s, but they seemed to know each customer and their pets by name as they entered. What a great feeling that is!

Friendly service! Plus, they were the only store for miles to have the cat food that my friend the cat requires. We called ahead and the cashier kindly put the cat food on hold for us. We appreciated her taking the time to do that. Also, I got the panther a small knit turkey for her to fight. She was very pleased with our offerings.

We bought our cat a dental cleaning gel recommended by the check there, that was supposed to be salmon flavor. We got home to feed it to out cat and it smelled so strong of mint that my cat quickly backed away. We went to return it the very next day and were told they have a no return policy. I’ve never heard of a no return policy for pet products. Any one with a pet knows that it’s a crap shoot in whether they will like something or not. I will never come back here again. Should have stuck with petco or petsmart where I would have had no issues returning a bad product!

I took my small dog in for a nail trim and (gross) anal gland expression in today.
Likes:
— The cashier was nice and gave my dog a free treat at the end of her grooming session.
Dislikes:
— The groomer seemed to brush off my concerns about my dogs quicks being very long due to me not trimming them in a while. He ended up clipping her nails extremely short when I only asked him to do a little.
— He handled her pretty roughly, in my opinion. Holding her back legs at awkward positions, which my pup has bad knees so this was extra concerning for me.
— My dog was in there for about two minutes for a nail trim and gland expression. Dude just seemed to be in a rush.
— For two minutes of grooming it cost $ 25.
I used to take my dog to Bow Wow Grooming on Chicago Ave and they are great, but have sporadic hours so I was hoping to find a place comparable but with better hours. I will be returning to Bow Wow next time.

Kriser’s carries excellent products, and the staff at the Bucktown location are fantastic and knowledgeable! Prices are OK — things like bully sticks are definitely half the price online — but we buy their food/​treats and some chewies here and our dogs could not be happier or healthier!

So… we arrive at 8:55 am and I am happy that we made it in the nick of time. When the store employee finally opens the doors at 9 am sharp I walk in for my dog’s appointment. «Oh, sorry, our groomer Joel called in sick. We left you three messages.» Yeah, the messages were left at 8:45 am on the same «F-​en» day which is 15 minutes before the actual appointment. I ask if there is another groomer for the day that can groom my dog as it took me nearly 1−½ hours to get to this Kriser’s location. I am informed, «No, sorry. We can give you 10% off the next time you bring in your dog for a grooming.» Does this person know that if I mention « Unilocal» that the customer is automatically entitled to 25% OFF of grooming services. No thanks. I will never, ever be returning to this store.
You can read on for the details of why I downgraded this Kriser’s from four stars to THREE stars. I use this Kriser’s as a back-​up for grooming my dog. My regular dog groomer is closed on Tuesday, and my dog really, really, really needed a good grooming (shave down). I made an appointment on 8-​Apr-​2014, and requested a «first» appointment at 9 am. I left the house at 7:20 am, hopped on the Kennedy Expressway and was on my way to Kriser’s. After a few minutes on the Kennedy and heavy rush hour traffic, I knew I wouldn’t make it here by 9 am, so I got OFF the expressway. On we go, zipping up Milwaukee Avenue, until we reached Cicero and Irving Park and I could go no further on Milwaukee Ave due to construction. WTF! I realize I have to take another ALTERNATE route, and I find it super fast. On we go, back on Milwaukee Ave, zipping along, blowing through a few red lights and I hear my dog throwing up in the back. OMFG! Talk about stress! I now have to find another back-​up groomer. I really did not feel that the Manager did enough to resolve the issue — there is another Kriser’s on Clybourn in the city — but she never called that store to find out if my dog could be groomed over there. Finally, Joel the groomer is leaving at the end of April. He is the second groomer that I found to be very good at Kriser’s, but for some reason, the groomers don’t stay very long. There is a high turn over of groomers, so just when your dog is getting used to a super great groomer, Poof — the groomer is gone — really sucks. Experienced, compassionate and caring groomers are super hard to find. 10% off? No thank you.

Just went for the first time, taking our two cockers for a long overdue grooming that was on constant hold because the winter would never end. They came out looking perfect. The groomer was kind, on time and called exactly when she said she would when they were done so I could walk over to pick them up. Awesome place, we will be repeat customers for sure!

I have been coming here during some of my dog’s walks for quite a while now. My dog is always so excited when he gets close to the building and all the employees are always welcoming and excited to see him when he comes in. He always gets some kind of treat when he is there and we also get part of his regular food here as well. I have not used the grooming services here, but I’ve seen other dogs in there and they seem well taken care of.
Obviously if one works in a pet store they should like animals and all the employees here do.

Kriser’s is where we find high-​quality, healthy dog food, important doggie items like standing food bowls and collars, and it’s the place we go to ask questions of the knowledgable, friendly staff. The people here are great — they remember my dog, they give him treats, and they give me breed-​specific answers to my questions instead of generic «this is what’s right for all dogs» kind of answers. My Great Dane also has a blast whenever we go and wags his tail with extra enthusiasm for the regular staff members he’s gotten to know here.
You may not want to go here for every dog-​related whim, since the options they carry are pricier than the generic stuff at PetSmart, but if it’s for something that really matters and you want good quality, this is the spot.

Stop by Kriser’s if you are looking for great natural food and products for your pets!
Thankfully, I do have a Kriser’s at home so I don’t have to go far to get my cat’s food. However, I was interested to see if the selection at this location was any better since the store is larger. I liked the open feel and the aisles are pretty larger. There is plenty of room for you and your dog to roam around. They also have grooming services available.
The selection compared to my store at home is the same, but in a good way. Also, you can take home some samples of dry food with your purchase. That way, you can make sure your pet likes it before buying a big bag of food.
The only downside and the other location I have been to is that it is very dog orientated. There is just a small section for cats. As for cat toys, there are not many either. There is a huge wall of dog toys. There are also no cat trees here.
But, overall great pet shop and highly recommended if shopping for natural food and products!

The staff here is really nice.
The selection is always top notch!
Lots of toys, kibble and bones to choose from. Rarely do they run low!
It’s a nice place for your pups to accompany you.

This place is pretty good for most of your pets needs. They have a good selection of food and always have fun toys. The staff is nice and helpful (except for one experience I had where the girl tried telling me that my pup’s dermatologist was wrong– and argumentatively so).
What I don’t like about Kriser’s is that it is overpriced. Toys are at a minimum $ 15. When they are going to last a matter of hours, I think that seems high. I also prefer to support non-​chain small businesses. This place is walking distance for me, and even my lazy bulldogs can walk there and back. Thus we will continue to come back since the convenience is usually worth spending a few extra bucks.