Woodlands Pet Food & Treats

Woodlands is the Whole Foods Market of pet stores. They’re higher priced than most of the larger pet retailers, but I truly believe you get what you pay for here (and after all, isn’t your furry friend worth it?).
Located in the Soccer Mom Central that is the Strawberry Village, Woodlands Pet Food & Treats offers a wide array of goodies and accessories for dogs and cats. I came in recently to purchase a puppy bed, a leash, and some chewy toys. I’ll admit — the total bill made me do a double-​take, but everything I bought here was a hit with my pooch.
I was particularly impressed with the friendly staff at this location. They were helpful without being pushy, and happy to answer all my novice pet-​owner questions. You can tell that the folks who work here clearly love animals. Speaking of which, Woodlands is a huge proponent of pet adoptions and partners with non-​profit Animal Rescue organizations throughout the Bay Area. On most weekends, they host adoption clinics at the front of their store. Helpful tip: they will give you a 20% discount off everything you buy for your new furry friend (if you bring in your adoption paperwork). Very cool, indeed!
I definitely give this store two paws up!

If I could give this store zero stars, I would. My kids were in the store looking at the kittens and my 8 yo was looking at and touching the cat scratch posts. I asked him to stop, which he did and out of nowhere, a woman blew a very loud dog whistle and yelled for him to stop! It was very startling and extremely rude. People are not dogs! The kids were not shouting or climbing; if there was a problem she could have walked over and spoken to us instead of being so rude.

They have everything that your dog will ever need at this place. Your dog can go in and help pick out his new loot, as well. They have a bathing section with flavored shampoo choices. They are also super friendly, and if your dog steals a treat in the impulse section near the register, they are cool about it.

This place is just okay. Pros: very nice and courteous staff and a good selection. Cons: their prices are not competitive; emphasis is on hearing and not listening. From what I’ve seen, the value proposition is lower tier than say the K9 Scrub Club in Fairfax or Holistic Hound in Berkeley. To echo reviewer Cinnamon Z., the Woodlands staff heavily promotes brands that sales reps push. Moreover, when it comes to raw, their preferred choices are to plug brands that use High Pressure/​Pasteurization Processing. For example, when I asked for a quote on Answers Pet Food, they heard what I said and pushed products from Primal and Stella and Chewy’s instead. When I ultimately got my price quote for Answers, Woodlands had marked the price up by +25% over the competition. At the end of the day, it’s a good store but rather woefully unexceptional to justify premium prices. I’ve experienced better: I recommend the Bay Area’s K9 Scrub Club and Holistic Hound instead.

This is the cutest place to go for your animal pals. Sure, they’re more expensive, but if you MUST have an item, the price is not prohibitive. Our cat loves catnip cigars, and it’s hilarious to see that they sell a novelty tin of three cigars. Oh– and other catnip toys as well as plenty of other things you wouldn’t find elsewhere. They do the charitable thing too, holding adoption clinics. Of course, there is a wide assortment of food and other necessities. I noticed some great transporters to be used for small pets on airlines. I got the hard to find filter for my pets’ water fountain as well. It’s always fun to go to Woodlands.

Dropped by to learn more about anti-​aging supplements for my dog. Staff did not seem very knowledgeable. Plus they had so many bizarre tattos and body piercings that I had a hard time keeping my lunch down. Ending up buying a Starmark Everlasting Treat Ball. I can see why it is everlasting. Has a strong chemical smell and my dog refused to touch it after smelling it.

Awesome selection of pretty much everything you might (and might not) need! I’d love this store if I lived near here:
+ Good variety of high-​quality canned and dry food (Evo, Innova, Wellness, Tiki, several Natural something or others)
+ Toy and dishware selections aren’t bad either, if my cat’s interest in the toy correlated with the human appeal of the thing
+ Open ’til 8pm in the ‘burb gets an extra vote
+ Spacious and well-​lit, welcoming for the shopping human and canine
The layout of the store is pretty clear and appealing (dogs on the right, cats on the left, raw food freezer in the back, doggy bakery up front, …) and thanks to their stellar merchandize display, my fur ball scored a new Giants gear even though he’s not really into clothes… I’m such a sucker: p
Staff were attentive. Store is accessible and conveniently close to human eateries. Overall a good experience with a high rate of return.

This place is great. Sure, you might be able to get cheaper things online but the staff is so knowledgeable and very warm and helpful. My dog, who passed away a few months ago, had had cancer and the Woodlands staff went out of their way to always make sure I had everything I needed for her food-​wise and supply-​wise. After she passed away, they were so comforting and kind. I will continue to shop here (for my new cats). Thanks especially to Alex and Jennifer.

This place is great, super glad to have discovered it.
The space is large and dog friendly, you can actually find things you need and want. It’s clean and organized (big plus given other stores in the neighborhood). They carry many different raw blends as well as top tier products like Acana.
Some of the less flattering reviews make good points about staff knowledge and price points. That said, I know what my dogs need health-​wise and the rewards card does make a nice difference.
I’m not able to get everything I want online and I’m forgetful, so this is a really nice backup.

Were there to be a Maserati of pet food upscale-​doms, this would be it.
Woweee to the Nth!!!
Loved all of the wonderment of how absolutely well we can regard our pets (aka kids in the US of A). I mean, lucky BePoBass… theyz gonna have a virtual trip to feline Disney when I get these over to their pieholes.
Lucky them that I got paid yesterday.

I love the staff here. A few of them also work with or are associated with local rescue organizations, which in my book is a great plus showing how much they care for the animals. This store has a great assortment of the higher end, higher quality and grain free foods, so as well as being a great local business with super nice and attentive staff, they also carry a great selection of items that animals actually like, not just a bunch of marketing… =)

Very friendly and helpful staff that really care about pets.

I received an email today from Woodlands that was very nice. It showed that they had investigated their pricing, were concerned, and they also offered me a 15% voucher to use on a future purchase.
Great customer service and I truly appreciated the effort. However, even with a member card it would still be more expensive at $ 18.69, and I’d rather just not bother having to become a member and buy it elsewhere.
If I frequented that shopping center I would probably buy it there for the convenience, but it’s easier to get it at pet club (however I wouldn’t buy anything with an expiration date there) or where I buy my horse’s grain up in Novato ($ 14.97 for a 60L bag).
Thanks for the follow up Woodlands, that does make me a fan of sorts.

Not impressed with the service at the DIY pet wash. I have been twice and had poor service on both occasions. The people who work at Woodlands when I was there seemed to be faking the customer service.
The DIY pet wash was nasty both times, shampoo was lacking, no one was checking in with customers to see if we needed anything while washing our dogs. A simple «how is it going»…“can we help you with anything” would have gone a long way. On my most recent and last visit, one the employees asked me how I liked the DIY wash… so I let them know I had little — no shampoo, the place was a mess, and the bath leash hook up was way to short on the stall… the employee didn’t say anything they just half smiled and sort of walked away.
very odd these people of the strip mall Woodlands.

As a former journalist in the pet industry I’m not easily fooled by hyperbole or mediocrity or hype.
I’m so not impressed by the staff who are all smiles until you have a problem or you ask a tough question, or you question the truth about something they’ve told you. And that annoys me and tells me that the customer service is phoney.
These people are not at the leading edge of health for cats/​dogs and small animals — they are parroting what their sales rep told them, they are not thinking for themselves and frankly I find that to be pathetic.
They don’t stock everything you need for your animal. They’ll have splashy accessories which gives the store the impression that they are well stocked and stocked with the hard to find stuff, but its a false impression.
Rob the owner did not get back to me when I ultra politely sent him an email about something which was worthy of a reply, even a reply that would take 30 seconds to type out. That blows and is 200% unacceptable.

The staff is so friendly and helpful. We bought a gate for my mom’s SUV and they actually helped us install it. I know this sounds like regular good customer service, but I must mention that it took 30 minutes. My dog is super-​smart and kept figuring out how to get around the gate. We would set it up, walk in the store, then find her in the passengers seat again — tail wagging — she thought it was a game — such a b*tch. Anyway, we figured it out together and I am so relieved they were willing to help– yay!

It’s not discount but this is the best place to go for top-​quality pet food and treats along with helpful, knowledgeable and friendly service.
I’m a fan of the on-​site do-​it-​yourself dog wash too!

The staff were so welcoming and eager to help, without trying to hard to make a sale.
They have the best cat toys and treats, and don’t charge out the wazoo like most pet boutiques. Great, small store and worth spending your money there instead of mass retailers. The customer service and hand-​picked, superior selection of items make it silly to go elsewhere.

This is the place to go if you have a DOG in Marin! So heck, if’n yer finding it ain’t cheap (and it ain’t), then you can still supplement yer purchases by going to Pet Club in Corte Madera (ICK!!) or Petco in San Rafael (ok — I do it sometimes). But Woodlands earns their keep in my book — it’s not pretentious, it’s just a great experience; they have the coolest, friendliest customer service, the place is well-​kept, clean, organized, and they pack an amazing amount of really quality stuff into a good-​sized, non-​intimidating space that’s very manageable to navigate with yer pooch in tow. Have not yet used the DIY pet wash, but I think we shall!!- it’s a great idea. For the service, selection, and overall vibe, 5 stars all the way!
P. S. For the reviewer who said there isn’t ample parking, I felt the same way until I checked ’round back — there’s a ton.

When I first moved to the North Bay I checked out all the pet stores around the area. I asked questions. I checked prices.
* What brands did they have?
* What did they not have?
* What was the cost compared to the other pet stores?
* What were the proprietors like?
* Was it a chain or a local store?
* What were the hours?
* Were they open on Sunday?
* What was the parking situation?
* What shops did my new neighbors with pets recommend?
* How did they treat pets that came in?
* Were the customer service folks knowlegeable about pet issues?
* What kennels /​vets/​grooming shops did they recommend?
* Was the shop clean and well organized?
* How far did I have to drive to buy pet supplies?
Woodlands was the closest to my new house and close to my main grocery store, so they got the complete & detailed review. I wanted this to be the store that I did most of my shopping in.
They passed with flying colors, except for a couple of things.
* Parking is very limited.
* They carry good brands, but not a lot of choices.
* And, the one that cinched the deal — -
prices were typical Marin County. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!
I learned I can save lots of money by driving to Corte Madera to the Pet Club. The Pet Club is not high end shopping like Woodlands. It’s like going to Safeway, instead of Whole Foods, for the staples. For the major portion of the shopping it is just as good. I only go to the high end shops for both me and my pets for stuff I just can’t find elsewhere cheaper.
Yes, Woodlands is a great store. If you have $$ to burn and don’t need to search out the best prices, by all means go there. They are nice, professional and knowledgeable folks. But, if you are like most of us, want & need to cut corners where we can, I recommend looking around at the other choices in Marin. The drive just may be WAY cheaper.