Should you ever listen to a guy at a pet store

[lizardfreak08]

My mom and dad keep saying they are going to ask a pet store person a bout them and what they need. Is that alright :?:

 

[Jasper's Mom]

99% of the time, pet store employees don't know what they're talking about. If you read through some of the posts here, you'll see the same thing over and over again - the guy at the pet store told them that this light or that food or that substrate was OK, and the dragon almost dies. Pet store people only care about selling you products - it's pretty rare that they know or care what they're talking about.

 

[Thor's Mom]

99% of the time, pet store employees don't know what they're talking about. If you read through some of the posts here, you'll see the same thing over and over again - the guy at the pet store told them that this light or that food or that substrate was OK, and the dragon almost dies. Pet store people only care about selling you products - it's pretty rare that they know or care what they're talking about.

Totally agree. Listen to Jasper's Mom, she's one of the best on here.
Why don't you ask your parents to take a look at this site and read up a little here. Maybe they can even sign up and introduce themselves and ask all the questions they want. I assure you and your parents that nobody here will ever steer you wrong. We only care about one thing on here and that is our obsession with happy and healthy beardies.

I was one of the few lucky ones. I did all of my research online and before I purchased. I looked over care sheets upon care sheets and also on breeders sites for all the information I could find. Still, even after all of that I managed to make a few minor mistakes, until I found this site.

When my beardy Thor fell ill, that is when I found bd.org. The people here are first class and they know their stuff. I never even would have known where to begin without all of the kind and knowledgable people who helped me during that time.

Please do see if your parents might be interested in having a look at this site. In the long run it will likely save them a lot of money and grief. There are a lot of products on the market/at the pet stores that are sold for beardies and say right on the package that they are safe, but they can actually harm them. It's much better to start off on the right foot to begin with. Good luck, and most of all enjoy your new beardy!!!

 

[Codeman]

Yes, if you're talking to me

 

[boxers]

99% of the time, pet store employees don't know what they're talking about. If you read through some of the posts here, you'll see the same thing over and over again - the guy at the pet store told them that this light or that food or that substrate was OK, and the dragon almost dies. Pet store people only care about selling you products - it's pretty rare that they know or care what they're talking about.

*ahem!*
I'm a pet store employee and I know what I'm talking about

But, I have done a lot of background reading on (some of) the animals in my care.
So. I suppose I am not a typical pet store employee.

Also- I recommend every beardie owner I talk to to this website, I've written it down a zillion times on sticky-notes :wink:

 

[wizbee]

LOL you should add the website to your business card.

 

[Poisoned1]

99% of the time, pet store employees don't know what they're talking about. If you read through some of the posts here, you'll see the same thing over and over again - the guy at the pet store told them that this light or that food or that substrate was OK, and the dragon almost dies. Pet store people only care about selling you products - it's pretty rare that they know or care what they're talking about.

*ahem!*
I'm a pet store employee and I know what I'm talking about

But, I have done a lot of background reading on (some of) the animals in my care.
So. I suppose I am not a typical pet store employee.

Also- I recommend every beardie owner I talk to to this website, I've written it down a zillion times on sticky-notes :wink:

You are part of the 1 percent that does

 

[citrusdragon]

Like anything a person says, it should be measured against the truth and the more you research the truth will be revealed to you.

Jeff

 

[Thor's Mom]

You are part of the 1 percent that does

Exactly. Pet store employees, please don't jump on this thread and try to refute what has been said. It is not a personal attack against you. In fact, kudos to you guys for making sure you know proper care for the animals your store sells!
That in itself does not change the fact that most of these pet stores keep their reptiles in less than adequate conditions, hand out care sheets that are less than accurate and in general don't care about anything other than selling their pets and products. In fact many of these corporations will not even allow their more knowledgable employee's to make necessary changes for proper care, giving the excuse that it is "against corporates regulations" to do so.

We all know that more times than not when you use a pet store as your sole provider of information, you are going to get some bad information. A person would have to be VERY lucky to come across someone with the kind of knowledge about BD's that people have on this site, working in a pet store. I understand that it does happen in some instances, but it is VERY rare.

 

[boxers]

In fact many of these corporations will not even allow their more knowledgable employee's to make necessary changes for proper care, giving the excuse that it is "against corporates regulations" to do so.

Can't stress that enough.
Though as of late, some of the reptile tanks have been much less crowded.
There is only one beardie for example.

Not that I am defending the way my store is run.
I just think that there is more than 1% of pet store employees who can give you good information.
Just because the managers are pushy for sales doesn't mean everyone is.
We don't get raises based on how well the store does, so. :roll:

 

[lizardfreak08]

Thanx. I showed this to my parents and said tat they will listen to me and only some pet store employes

 

[fresnowitte]

Let your parents know that I have an entire closet full of the improper items that I purchased because of listening to people from pet stores. I've spent hundreds of needless dollars that could have been use for something else. I have spent several hundred dollars on vet bill because I listened to the pet stores on what I should use for substrate.

Thor's Mom wrote:
In fact many of these corporations will not even allow their more knowledgeable employee's to make necessary changes for proper care, giving the excuse that it is "against corporates regulations" to do so.

This is very true!

I had a friend that lost his job at our local pet store because he gave me the proper information rather than making the sell like the store owner wanted.

Should you ever listen to a guy at a pet store

Only if you like throwing away money. Very few pet stores can be considered reputable when it comes to giving out proper information or advice. Not saying that all are bad just that the good ones are just far and few in between.

Your best bet an your parents best bet is to utilize this site an it's very knowledgeable members.

 

[Trogdor80]

If you are talking about the local reptile specialty store, where the owner cares for many species, and even breeds some, than I'd say yes, listen to them.

If you are talking about Petsmart/Petco, any where else that mostly has cat/dog stuff, Um no. this site is much better.

 

[newbiebeardie]

99% of the time, pet store employees don't know what they're talking about. If you read through some of the posts here, you'll see the same thing over and over again - the guy at the pet store told them that this light or that food or that substrate was OK, and the dragon almost dies. Pet store people only care about selling you products - it's pretty rare that they know or care what they're talking about.

I agree too I haven't even got mine yet and I have already found some major indescrepancies and virtually argued with them trying to tell me I wrong and BLAH BLAH. They tried to tell me the following all which after months of research was all not the best idea. I say do all your reasearch online forums, reptile sites and beardie books like I did. The guys on here are so helpful and want people to have healthy pets theyve been a great support for me already - thanks guys love ya already xxxx

Sand substrate is a must - some use it but most that do from what I can gather either feed their beardies in a seperate area or something as they can ingest the sand when eating the crickets which causes impaction like lizard constipation really not good.

Use a heat pad - my reply was but I have been told and read that they dont absorb much heat from underneath and they can burn them as they can get too hot and they dont feel it quick enough.

That then changed to a red bulb which if you read posts on here say they disturb beardie sleep and they get crankie and poorly too. a ceramic heater from what I can gather is the best form of secondary heat

Top opening vivs will spoil your lizard and stress them. See my post on this one other owners have said not as I have kids and a real potential for both lizard and crickets escaping i really wanted one but I couldnt find one in UK despite a lot of looking and did not want to use an aquarium due to the naff lids so ended up getting a front opener with a lock.

Even when it comes to my fish I only get advice from one reliable source as the people in the stores have no clue I was sold a fish that ate all but 3 of the others despite having been told they were compatable. Like the others said they are there to sell you something and as the particular place I went to did not sell ceramic heaters for example they would hardly tell me it was the best option. I asked if any of them owned bd's none of them apart from one had any kind of reptile or amphibian and he had turtles !!! No one can be an authority without owning one or serious reasearch I reckon. So though I would accept a degree of advice from store clarkes I would double check any info they gave me on here, online or in a book to be honest.

HTH Newbie

 

[gregorydragon]

I went to a local pet store a few weeks ago to buy crickets. While I was standing there, a man walked in with two baby beardies. He asked the pet store employee to take a look at them because one had attacked the other one. There were no toe/tail nips, but the beardie owner said that it happened a couple of times. The babies were cute, of course. He said they were from the same clutch, but WHOA...there was a huge size difference. One was about 11 or 12 inches while the other one was hardly 7 or 8 inches and way skinnier

The pet store employee tells the guy "that's weird. They usually get along pretty good." :shock: Are you kidding me!? I threw in my 2 cents and told the guy that it would be in his best interest to separate them, especially if there were obvious signs of aggression. I told him that the bigger one would likely start showing its dominance and could seriously injure the other one. The pet store guy, unfortunately, threw in his comment of "eh, they should be fine." In this environment, I imagine the guy would listen to the pet store employee over me