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30 Mar 16

7 picks from Global 2016! ...

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

7 picks from Global 2016!

6.2 miles of trade show floor this year at Global Pet Expo, 3,218 booths and over 1,000 exhibitors at those booths. So to narrow this down to 7 picks – well not an easy task – and maybe not fair as I saw a ton of pet products that I would love to share  – but we would be here forever!  So I choose 7 picks and few honorable mentions!  In no particular order, here’s some of the cool products that caught my eye while in Orlando 2 weeks ago:

Automatic Litter-Robot – So this may be a steep price at $449.00 but really – if you have a cat or cats, in my opinion the Litter-Robot by Auto Pets is the way to go.  Litter box cleaning is no fun and this is virtually hands free, and should make your life so much easier.  Another great thing, this pet tech product is fully made in the USA – how cool is that?  You can see my Youtube video about coming soon!

Tall Tails Authentic Dog Products once again had a beautiful booth with many new products debuting at Global this year.  A new collection, the Run Wild collection has a bold new pattern and design on many of their exisiting products and new products like the Flying Disc which is perfect retreiving games with your dog and it even floats.  The new 3-in-1 blanket is a great combo for those dogs who love to snuggle under the covers, find a comfy place to relax on after hours of play.

Jakks Pet Faces pillows – these stopped me in my tracks because of the sheer adorableness of them. And they were incredibly soft and the faces are lifelike and cartoonish all at the same time.  Perfect gift for the pet lover in your life or even your pets.  They had many cat face pillows including Grumpy Cat, and also for dogs, a Boxer, Bulldog, Rottie, Boston Terrier, Yorkie and Pom.

The Orijen and Acana booth where they were doing a food tasting with chefs making food for people with the same human grade ingredients that goes into the dog food – it was a big hit, there were a lot of people sampling their food and their display was incredible.  They had a display of all the ingredients that go into their foods – nothing like I have seen before (it’s usually just pictures of the ingredients).  Their pet food is made in Canada, but in a few months a brand new facility will open in Kentucky and all the food will be made and ingredients sourced in the USA.

Hurtta – If you are someone who likes to go on adventures with your dog, off the beaten trail, like me – then you will love the products from Hurtta – from Finland.  Especially the Sun & Bug Blocker – it may seem crazy to put your dog in this full body coat for lack of a better term.  But just the other day I walked my dog Cody in a relatively new county park, and was picking the tiny ticks off him as we walked (and he wasn’t in the brush).  This coat also provides a UPF of 40 blocking most of the UV rays from the sun.  The other coat they had that I absolutey loved is the Ultimate Warmer.  In looking for a coat for Cody, I could never find anything that actually fits him, covers his butt and goes up to his neck.  He is a wuss when it comes to the cold, so I can wait to try this for him.

Finding toys for my dog that he won’t destroy is nearly impossible.  Even the toys that say durable, puncture resistant – are usually no match for him.  Walking the trade show floor I saw a ton of really nice toys, adorable toys, super soft toys – non of which would last more than 3 minutes.  I know many of you can relate.  On my last day at Global I saw something that I thought, hmm, I bet this would be a good choice for Cody, the Virtually Indestructible ball by Hueter Toledo, Inc.   It comes in many sizes, some even have a ball within a ball and best part, made in the USA!  Hope to get one soon to try it with Cody!

Beco Bowl by Beco Pets – if you have a big dog, you know finding a collaspable water bowl that is non-toxic and well made is hard to find.  I literally have been searching for 6-months for a Large collapsable water bowl to no avail.  The majority are made for small or medium sized dogs – or the opening of the bowl is just too small.  On the last day, literally the last 15 minutes of the show I found the Beco Bowl (thanks Dana!), so I can wait for Cody to try it.  It is sustainable, toxin free, as are all their products.

A few other pet products that I loved was the PawFlex new series of tug toys, A Pet with Paws Vegan pet carriers made from recycled plastic water bottles, Einstein Pets 1 calorie all natural healthy pet treats, and the emjoi squeaky toys!  For more pictures of great products you can click here.

If you were at Global – what was your favorite find?

Comments Off on Fun finds at Global Pet Expo
11 Mar 15

Fun finds at Global Pet Expo ...

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com – Global 2015 Top Picks!

Every year Global Pet Expo gets bigger and better – this year was no exception!  The 3-day pet industry trade show, held in Orlando March 4 – March 6, for manufacturers and retailers was the largest yet, so large in fact they had offered an indoor trolley to get you from one end to the other!  I kid you not!  This pet pro hoofed it the entire time, but it was nice to know that if I needed to – it was there.  And believe me after 3-days of walking/running around 311,300 square feet of trade show floor – that’s equilivant to 16-football fields or four miles, my dogs were barking!

So how to find new, interesting, innovative pet products amoung the 1051 booths at the trade show can be a big challenge – that is what I look for.  In the sea of the 60.5 billion (slated for this year), industry of similar products, I personally like to see what jumps out at me.  Not to say there weren’t amazing products throughout the show, there were and I saw and spoke to a lot of the manufacturers about their products.  It’s truly an incredible industry we are in, but you can get a bit overwhelmed at such a massive show.  I will say that the American Pet Products Association and the Pet Industry Distributors Association who host the show did an outstanding job once again.  I have been to many trade shows in different industries in my lifetime and a big hats off to both them.  (And also to the Impetus Agency for doing an awesome job in the press room and helping us with any questions we had – a very gracious staff).

Here are some items that stood out to me, and more on our facebook page too!

My Dog Nose It is an all natural sun protection for your dog’s nose.  Of course the first question I asked was how does it stay on if your dog licks their nose?  It does dry quickly and since it is all natural you can re-apply it.  Both of my dogs had sun spots on their noses as they got older – this would have been a great product for them since they did spend a lot time playing at the beach on long walks, etc. I really liked the feel of the product, not heavy or overly smelly – I mean you are putting it on their nose.

This was a brand new product that seemed like it could be a lot of fun for you and your kids to build your own dog house.  MyPego has an insteresting concept and you can design the way you want the house to look and pick different sizes.  The house can literally grow with your pet!  In my opinion they would probably be best for medium and small dogs – I can’t see a mastiff in one of these.  Innovative and fun concept for dog houses – check out their website to learn more about this new product.

I like this product a lot, especially if you have allergies.  Think about it you have a dog bed, and maybe you wash the cover of it, but what about the inside bed?  My dog Max’s inside was cedar chips and polyfil – how could I wash that? I couldn’t – wish this product was available then.  AllerEase® is a zippered dog bed protector helps keep the allergens (and fleas and ticks) out of the inside of your dogs bed, think about it dander and pet hair can go right through the bed cover to the inside – this will help keep out that pesky dander and hairs and it is also washable!  AllerEase® provides a simple and affordable solution for the entire family, find out more on their website.

Speaking of beds – here is a family owned and operated busines for over 80 years in which they primarily made blankets and products for babies and kids.  After bringing home many human baby blankets for their dogs, they launched into the pet industry.  Beautiful quality bedding, blankets and many more pet products.  You have to check out Tall Tails website – you will definitely find something you like for your pet that fits perfectly with your home too.

Auburn Leather Crafters have been around for quite some time, but these huge collars perfect for your large and extra large breed of dogs were new this year.  The quality and American craftmanship of their products shines through.  A big fan of this company and their leather products for dogs.  This picture doesn’t do the collars justice, not just beautiful, but functional and perfect for your Mastiff or bully breeds.

The Green Pet Shop have fantastic products that are well green and eco-friendly like this cooling mat that becomes cool on contact when your pet lays on it.  It doesn’t need any special batteries or to be put in the freezer – it has a non-toxic gel that works immediately on contact.  They now also have a whole line of warming products made from bamboo, and many other biodegradeable products as well.  You have to check out their website!

Do you like kale?  I know I like kale in a smoothie, in a salad and love making home made kale chips – so good for you too.  Did you know your dog likes it too?  New to Global this year is a pet treat you can feel good about giving your pup too, Dogs Love Kale.  Dogs are omnivores after all – and there are different flavors for you to choose from. Their ingredients are sourced in the USA and also made in the USA, love that!  Congrats to Paula and Dawn of DLK who are Long Island natives for being at their first Global!

For many more products and pictures from Global Pet Expo – head to the facebook page for American Pet Professionals!  We couldn’t fit all our fun finds in one article!
CLICK HERE!

Comments Off on Global Pet Expo Top Picks!
19 Mar 14

Global Pet Expo Top Picks! ...

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Last week was one of the pet industry’s biggest, if not the biggest pet industry trade show, Global Pet Expo held in sunny Orlando, Florida – celebrating their 10th year.   With nearly 3,000 vendor booths, yes 3,000, about 6,000 attendees and FOUR miles of trade show floor to walk – yes it was ‘Too Big To Miss’ as their slogan says.  However, being in the pet industry you tend to see a lot of similar products and I love to see pet products that stand out, and that are new and different.  And while this article could be probably 10 pages long if I posted everything that I really liked, here are some top picks that stood out to me.  From the, ‘duh why didn’t I think of that’ products to the huge amount of new technology pet products, one even invented by a 14 year old girl (love it – you go Brooke – young female entrepreneur!)

Let me know what you think and if you see anything you too like below:

High tech:

The first high tech pet product that stood out to me was Voyce, kind of like a Fitbit for dogs.  At first glance you may think, why does my dogs heart rate, respiratory rate, activity, rest, distance and calories burned need to be monitored.  You can upload all this information to your computre or smart phone, and after speaking with one of their reps, the aha moment came.  What if your dog was sick or having medical issues, you can then bring the information to your vet to show the days your dog wasn’t feeling well and they can look at the info.  It goes beyond that and I emplore you do your research – but seems like a very cool product, and I think great for senior dogs too.

From the Voyce website: Voyce measures key vital signs and other wellness indicators through wearable technology and proprietary algorithms. Using that information, Voyce provides you with trends and valuable insights, helping you stay proactive about your dog’s overall health, behavior, and wellbeing.

This next high tech device was invented by a 14 year old girl Brook Martin, yes folks a very wise young and inspiring entrepreneur.  She came up with the clever idea when she was just 12!  (Love that!) Brooke told me her Golden Retriver Kayla had some serious separation aniexty and she wanted to figure out a way to help.  So she invented iCPooch, which allows you to video chat with your dog and deliver a treat using a tablet, smartphone, or computer from anywhere.  Available for purchase in May 2014, this was Brooke’s first Global Pet Expo, congratulations Brooke! (Brooke’s dad, Chris Martin President and COO of the company, was there with her and he couldn’t be prouder!)

Functional for your pet:

A product that I thought, hmm why didn’t I think of that was the PawPlunger.  Not high tech, but during the muddy winter months, and constantly cleaning my dogs feet with a towel – which never seem to fully do the job – I am looking forward to trying this product out.  (Of course you want to get your dog used to it, and never force your pet’s paw – just another chance to do a little training to help your dog used to this new routine).

For the cat owners, here is a new kitty litter scooper just launched at Global, the KittyScoop.  The scoop, scoop’s your cats waste from the litter box right into a biodegradable bag that is lined inside the scoop so you have less mess when cleaned the box.  You have the option to not use a bag and just scoop and the back of the product has a door you can open to get rid of the waste.  I think using the bag is a great option.  Seems like a great new product for cat owners and will encourage you to keep your cats litter box clean.

Do you keep chickens?  If so, you need to know about these products that at first glance just looks like chicken clothing.  Ok, stop.  It is chicken clothing, but these chickens are not going to be in the NYC Pet Fashion show any time soon.  The are purely functional, and life saving at the same time.  Created by Crazy K Farm Pet and Poultry Products, the little booties pictured below – are not just cute booties but are used when a chicken has an injury to their foot.  It keeps their foot protected from all that they walk in and helps keep a chance of infection out.  The little jacket with eyes on it?  It is used to ward off birds of prey who are not interested in going after a chicken with those big scary eyes staring back at them – pretty ingenious if you ask me, and who knew?

A company that out of the gate has been donating to a bag of food for every bag purchased is Dog for Dog.  They also won an award at Global and it’s a wonderful concept.

Another new pet food company is Caru, who make natural stews and treats for pets, which was born due to their dog Karu’s really bad food allergies.  All their ingredients are sourced from the USA and made in small batches.  The owners are also medical professionals, they are also passionate about using earth and land-fill friendly packaging and do not use cans for their product.  There are four different flavors to choose from.

Petsafe who recently launched a new line of pet treats all made in the USA also are called Indigo.  There are a few different products, dental treats and I can tell you that my Max loves, loves, loves the smokehouse treats.

Pet Products for the Humans!

Giving your friend a present for their pet?  Now you can wrap it in pet safe wrapping paper.  This product I loved because it is different.  Printed with soy-based, non-toxic ink, it comes in all different prints and patterns.  Made by Pet Party Printz and made here in the USA – this is an adogable way to celebrate your pet or friends and families pets with gifts you bought for them.  We all know dogs love to rip open presents (well every dog I have ever had did!).  It also comes with Rip and Stick technology so there is no tape needed to use to wrap the gift, cool.  More pet retailers should be carrying this product!

Dog is Good has a new line of bags and magnets that are hysterical, and every pet parent or rescue person will totally get a kick out of.  I just love this new product line, make a perfect gift to give your favorite pet parent (hint hint!).  For our rescue groups, they would also make fabulous raffle prizes for your next event.

And if you are in your 40’s and up, and you are holding that printed card out further than you used to, you may need some new readers.  The new line of Dog Bone readers may just be what you are searching for.  Normally this is not something I would gravitate too – but they are pretty cute and come in different designs for both dog and cat lovers and different magnification levels.

To see more pictures from Global Pet Expo, CLICK Here!