Love your dogs as much as I do? If you are anything like me, you find it hard trusting random people’s opinions on online venues because you never really know if those opinions are real, by people who know anything about dogs, or by people with as high of standards as you with your dog(s).
Luckily for you, I’ve seen some of the best and worst Toronto has to offer and hopefully can give you some tips as to what has and hasn’t worked for me. Please leave your top choices in the comment section!
Dog Supplies
When I first moved to Toronto, I had a very difficult time finding a downtown pet store that had fairly reasonably prices. There were times I went into some boutiques, found something cheap but necessary… but once I turned the price tag around to reveil the price, I nearly screamed Extortion! Down town shops will never be as cost-effective as a Petsmart/anything in the suburbs but there are a few great finds with really high-quality stuff that make the price point of value. Here are my favourites in no particular order:
- My Pet Boutique: I Love this little shop in yorkville. It’s a great place to get sweaters that will really keep your dog warm in the winter, toys you won’t be embarrassed to have laying around the house and super friendly staff.
- Helmutts Pet Supply: Helmutts is my new fave place in Queen West, with friendly staff and tons of healthy dog food, you won’t need to go anywhere else.
Honourable Mention
- PJ’s Pets: When I was living up at Yonge and Eglington I always stocked up here. The staff is great, as are the prices.
Dog Food
Its no secret I LOVE food. I like to try to make sure my dogs eat well too… while still minding a budget and my hectic work schedule (sorry, boys, I’m not prepared to make dog food from scratch). I was blown away when my friend introduced me to this treat:
- Carna4: A Canadian dog food company that’s pretty damn impressive — 100% table-grade meat, no meat meal, sprouted seeds and gentle baking to make sure there’s still nutrients in the food. Nope, you wont find corn as a first ingredient here, no crap additives, and it doesn’t cost a fortune. Find out more here.
Training
Its been over a decade since last having a dog in training, and let me tell you: things have changed! I’ve been very much impressed with When Hounds Fly and their clicker training technique. If you want a no-BS, scientifically proven training that works, go here. We saw results after one class.
Groomers
I have two dogs: one old man with arthritis and one pup, both poodle mixes. Through the older dog, I’ve seen just about every cut, style, blowdry pricing and service quality you could imagine. Safe to say, I’m no dog grooming n00b. As the older dog got older, a good, careful groomer became of increasing importance.
- Pooch Salon: That’s why I love Pooch salon. The asian lady there is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Just be sure to go to her and not the other dog groomer operating from the same location.
Black Listed
Of all my experience, Timmies Dog Outfitters was the worst dog grooming experience I’ve had in the 15+ years I’ve had poodles. After she didn’t finish the old dog’s nails (I even expressed unhappiness when picking the dogs up) I ended up having to take my puppy to the vet because she cut him and it got infected (which is the first time I’ve ever had to take my dog to the vet because of a grooming experience). Needless to say, after getting their nails fixed elsewhere and the vet vet bill cleared, it was by far the most expensive grooming I’ve ever experienced! Don’t go there.
Vets
My absolute favourite vet I’ve ever taken any of my dogs to is Mount Pleasant Veterinary Clinic. By far the sweetest staff, great service, yummy coffee on site, and the best doctors in the city, this vet has been by far the best I’ve experienced.
Dog Parks
I’ve actually only been to a few of these, Bellwoods most notably, so I would LOVE for you to send me your tops choices for this section! Until then, check out these suggestions from BlogTO!
Anyhow, hope that helps and send me your best and worst choices in the comment section!
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