At the center of it all though was pets, how to keep them happy and healthy in mind, body and spirit was the main focus. One of the most easily recognized dog toy is the Kong, which was on display high above the convention floor - giant sized. We met with one of the Kong expert trainers, Sandy Howle. She shared that play is important for dogs of all ages in order to keep their brains stimulated. For this reason Kong has different colored Kongs that represent different hardness. The iconic red Kong might be too hard for a dog with less tooth and jaw strength; an older dog might need a softer Kong. Whatever stage of life your dog is in, Kong has a toy to fit their needs. 

Pee pads become a necessity at various stages of a dogs life, they were also on display at the pet expo. One pee pad in particular targeted (pun intended) male dogs with its pop up fire hydrant! Bill Klein of the popular reality TV show The Little Couple told us that he came up with the design for the Pop-Up Pee Pad because traditional pee pads did not work for his male dog - with nothing to aim at - the dog would rather pee on the chair leg! 

The pet expo was filled with great ideas like these. We met a ton of pet industry people who love animals. Best of all, there were cats, dogs, fish, lizards and puppies throughout the convention center! That is our kind of trade show.