Wags & Whiskers

These people are snooty!
I have been around labradors my entire life and understand their behavior and temperament very well. I also have had a lot of experience training dogs. I just got an 8 month old Labrador puppy after my previous lab passed away. My plan was to shop locally to support our local businesses and so I went to Wags and Whiskers to buy supplies for my new puppy, Vince.
Immediately upon entering the store with Vince at my side (perfectly in a heel position), another dog gently met Vince and they began sniffing each other. The lady behind the counter was very frightened, and in a sharp tone, said, «careful!»
OK, I get it, we don’t want a dog ruckus in the middle of the store, but puppies sniff each other and get excited — that’s simply what they do. Neither the owner of the other puppy or myself would have allowed any mischief to ensue and we were both actively chaperoning the entire encounter.
Next, I noticed that the kennels and beds that they had in stock appeared quite cutesy and flimsy or at least poorly made. I asked whether they had any more durable beds for Vince who enjoys a good chew when no one is looking — or when one is looking for that matter.
«They don’t make anything like that»
…What? I’m Pretty sure «they» (whomever they are) do, indeed, make exactly that.
I was instructed to go to another store, perhaps Petsmart or Petco — both national chains.
They also didn’t have the appropriate sized kennel for a lab. Guess what. I was again referred to a national chain for this item.
At this point, I decided to take the lady up on her suggestion to use another store and was walking for the door when she said, «You need a new collar for your puppy. We discourage choke collars»
Alright. That does it!
Firstly, it wasn’t a choke collar, it was a show collar and lead used to training — specifically healing (Vince is learning very well, by the way). Anybody who has spent any time at all with an adolescent labrador knows that these guys are highly energetic and very smart with the potential to become easily distracted and/​or destructive if not given proper instructions for obedience. They need to be taught early good manners so that they make the wonderful adult pets for which this breed is so well known.
Secondly, I have been using these «choke» collars for all of my dogs and they all grew up to be wonderful pets that didn’t require them much after puppyhood. I know very well how to correctly place the collar and am quite knowledgable about the appropriate application of it as well.
Thirdly, don’t EVER impose your personal point of view of human/​canine relationships on to me or tell me how to raise MY dog. How rude and presumptuous can you possibly be? If you would like to talk to me about why you think one type of collar is better than another, that fine. But don’t just make a blanket statement looking down your nose at me as I am leaving your store — without buying anything I might add because you didn’t have anything to sell me! You didn’t even suggest ORDERING something you didn’t have in stock to accommodate me!
In summary:
1. The store has a cutesy feel and appears to have flimsy/​cheaply made products.
2. They have very limited products in stock and make no effort to order things they don’t have so that they can keep your business.
3. The lady we dealt with yesterday was unhelpful, condescending, and rude.
PLEAST STAY AWAY!!!

Cute pet-​centric stop in 12 South! Parking available in adjacent lot. Lots of organic and healthy-​ish snackeroos for my pup, other collars and gear available as well (a little pricey for my taste, however). I haven’t explored the grooming services. Girl working the front counter was very warm and approachable – helped me select some treats for my maltese pup.

My fiancé and I had just decided to adopt our first pet (cat) together, and before I started going out for supplies, I checked places around me. Wags & Whiskers in 12 South was the closest, so I decided to stop in… And boy am I glad I did.
The first thing I noticed was that unlike the rest of 12 South, it is EXTREMELY easy to get parking here because they have a small lot behind their building. I came in in the middle of the day while it was not busy at all, but I was happily greeted by a woman named Jody (hope I got the spelling right) as I walked through the door. She immediately asked if I needed anything, and even though their cat supplies are a very small part of the store, she was eager to help and extremely knowledgable.
Not only do they have food and treats, but they also have high quality litter (ask them about the refillable litter that they have), litter boxes, toys, and lots of other small items.
I have nothing against large chain Pet Stores, but I would much rather come to a locally owned place like this, especially since they were so nice, knowledgable, and seemed like they actually cared.
I will be going nowhere else for food and supplies for our cat now that I’ve been here. Thanks for everything!

I love this place. Whoever is working is always very nice and patient. It’s clean, organized, smells good, and they have a lot of stuff. There is no bathing area here. This is our go to dog supply store. They sell all kinds of the dog food Fromm. I get good advice on dog care and maintenance, it’s very friendly here. They also have cat stuff too, in a cute cat section of the store.

As a loyal customer of the East Nashville Wags and Whiskers location, I was totally prepared to continue being a patron there even after my move to the other side of the Cumberland but was elated with the service, selection, and layout of the closer and newer 12 South version too.
The staff at the East location transferred over my Orajen/​Acana petfood loyalty card over too which is great because I am just on bag away from earning a free bag of dog food! Making the investment in sustainable and nutritious dog food is simple with this program as my investment is rewarded with the customer loyalty program.
The 12 South location has been open for around a year and offers up the same dedicated customer service, vast array of pet products, and fun gift items.
Prices are also very competitive.
If you’re interested in learning more about their products or feel uncertain on what types and brands of food will be the best option for your pet, their trained staff will take the time to walk you through the process. Your pets will thank you!

While it was a little bit hard to find at first, this little store stocks the essentials for your cat or dog. They carry the higher quality pet food brands, a selection of toys and miscellaneous pet supplies in a super convenient location in the 12^th South area (right next to the church where 12^th goes from 4 to 2 lanes– sorry not sure of the name). The staff is very friendly and even offered to special order the cat litter I wanted every month (awesome!).