Global Pet Expo: 9 dog products to watch in 2017

Another Global Pet Expo is in the books. We stumbled through over 7 miles of pet products over three days in March. Over 1,100 companies showed off thousands of products for dogs, cats, reptiles, fish, hamsters, birds, chickens, and more. 

Here are 9 of our favorite dog products from Global Pet Expo -- broken up into six trending product areas to watch in 2017.

NEED TO KNOW: We did not get any compensation for this post. We did receive product samples, but all opinions here are our own.

9 great dog companies we found at Global Pet Expo: Day 1

It's Global Pet Expo week!

Thousands of pet companies from all over the world are showing their new and popular products.

Here are 9 our favorites from day 1 of Global Pet Expo.

Global Pet Expo: Photos and observations

Last week I posted pictures from the first day of Global Pet Expo in Orlando.

Then things happened, and I ran out of time.

So here's a wrap-up of the expo.

But first, some observations:

• There's an emphasis among some of the biggest food companies for more exotic meat. But with that is another issue -- the meat is not sourced in the U.S. But the good news is none of it is in China.
• The tech trend continues. This year we're seeing more activity trackers -- FitBits for dogs. One in particular even checks the dog's vitals. 
• Beds are getting fancier. How about a bed with a washable insert, or a bed with folders for those who love to dig? Or a bed that is self-warming!
• More and more companies are also looking at pet safety. From lights to glow in the dark leashes, there's loads of products coming out to make sure you can see pets in the dark.

 And now, pictures!

Thursday, Lulu's visit!

New formulas from Merrick Pet Food: BackCountry and Limited Ingredient Diets.

A highlight of Lulu's day: The treat bins.

Just one of the new treats from Zuke's.

Insect Shield has released a line of products coated to protect pets from bugs, including blankets, shirts and even beds.

Lulu and one of her favorite toy companies, Quaker Pet Group.

Lulu meets Cat Daddy Jackson Galaxy!

Popware Snack Duos for your pet!

Lulu poolside at the Purina reception.

BlogPaws chief Chloe DeVita with Lulu.

Cool doggy toys from Haute Diggity Dog.

Because dogs should have a bed as comfortable as yours!

Geeky products for your dog, including Star Trek and Adventure Time!

Global Pet Expo: Day 1 in photos

Hey gang!

I'm at Global Pet Expo this week in Orlando. One of the largest pet product expos in the country!

Here's some of the products I saw today. Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to check out! Global Pet Expo ends Friday.

Huge expo! And this isn't even two thirds of it.

GoDog from Quaker Pet Group! New dragon color, and these new ripz that sound like the doll is ripping but don't.

Brandon McMillan from Lucky Dog in between demonstrations at the Petmate booth.

Glow in the Dark collars from PetMate.

Self-warming beds from Petmate.

Spot Farms makes all-natural, made in the USA treats with meat made from local farms.

The new Motorola collar camera.

Aquariums with smart phone ports!

Tea for Spot! The green tin is a calming blend.

Great signs from Dog Speak! I actually own one of them.

Snoozer's new bed is called Forgiveness -- the insert is washable.

That's all for now. Check back for more pics Thursday.

Lulu's Favorite Things: CritterZone knocks out pet odor *SPONSORED*

CritterZone USA is one of the sponsors of the Lulu's Favorite Things Campaign, which raises money for Harbor House of Central Florida's Paws for Peace Walk. Thanks to the help of companies like CritterZone, we raised $500 for Harbor House. You can continue to help us raise money by going to the Harbor House website.
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 I first learned about CritterZone last year at Global Pet Expo. I wrote a review you can read here. 

But keep reading below to find out how to get a coupon for $10 off one of these marvelous little units.

What is CritterZone? It's a teeny tiny machine that it amazing at neutralizing odors in the room. It can purify the air in a room up to 800 square feet in size, not just for pet odors, but for allergens, bacteria,  mold, and other awful smells.

CritterZone says the machine creates a continual charged plasma flow that cleans the air. It energizes the air like what you'd find outside. It does emit a very faint ozone smell, but the unit's emission is below the FDA standard of .05 ppm.

One cool thing the CritterZone can do is help remove the odor from pet accidents from carpet. The full instructions are on the CritterZone website, but basically after you clean the spot, place the CritterZone unit about six inches away and turn it on. Leave it for about half an hour to an hour.

Check out this great video from CritterZone via YouTube. I saw this demonstration firsthand at Global Pet Expo last year. CritterZone literally took the ammonia smell out of ammonia. This is great if you're trying to get animals to stop marking territory, or if you have a multi-cat household and controlling the litter box odor is an issue.



I wish I could show you the CritterZone ammonia test myself at home. I can't. I BROKE MY UNIT!

One thing that is really important with the CritterZone is to clean the unit. Over time little crystals can build up, and that can stop your unit from working. To clean it, you simply unscrew the back and brush the crystals off. Well I left my unit too long, and needless to say I burned it out. :(

But it does work amazingly well.

CritterZone has a corded unit for the house, a wall plug-in unit for the house, and a portable pack with a car adapter. All of these units can be purchased on the CritterZone website. 

A standard unit costs $99, still cheaper than buying one of the big units through a place like Sharper Image. And it has no filter to replace. If you take care of it, it will last a while. 

AND, if you use the code "lifewithbeagle" when you buy your CritterZone on the website, you get $10 off.


CritterZone also has a great blog where they offer pet tips and tricks for the home, plus news on their latest charitable works. Check out the post about Lulu's Favorite Things!

And follow them on Facebook and Pinterest for more great pet info:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CritterZone

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/critterzoneusa/

The fine print: This post is sponsored by CritterZone USA. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about CritterZone, but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. CritterZone is not responsible for the content of this article.

Global Pet Expo: If loving dogs is wrong, we don't want to be right

This was going to be a simple review of Global Pet Expo. Pictures of our favorite products, lots of puppies (because PUPPIES!!!!!!!!!!). You know, typical blog schlock.

Lulu poses in front of an overhead view of Global Pet Expo 2014.

Then this happened:

"The takeaway from the Global Pet Expo, at which 985 exhibitors of pet products were spread out over 13 football fields’ worth of real estate in the Orange County Convention Center here, is that Americans really love their dogs. And yet, perhaps as a result of so much love, those dogs are increasingly anxious, bored, overweight, messy and have terrible breath. They suffer from separation anxiety and they worry about thunderstorms, traffic noises, visitors and vacuum cleaners. Their joints ache, and they eat too fast; they chew the furniture and bedevil the neighbors with their barking. Also, drool happens." 

This comes from the New York Times article "Every Dog Has Its Daybed." It's a review of the Expo, but in my opinion it was a review that looked down its nose at pet owners -- and particularly dog lovers -- who are apparently killing our dogs with luxurious kindness.

Lulu takes a break at the Enchanted Home Pet booth.

What made it worse were the comments. "How dare we buy natural food and orthopedic beds for our dogs when there are starving kids? Why are we making slow-feed dog bowls when there's climate change? What about all those pets in the shelters?"

What. The. Hell?

You know, I admit it! Some people take this whole pet love thing a bit too far. People overdo it. Americans alone will spend well over $50 billion on pets this year.

But the majority of that, according to the American Pet Products Association, is food and veterinary care. Why food? Because people want to eat healthy, and they want to make sure their pets do too. We've had recall after recall, we've had dogs die from companies cutting corners. So people want to make sure their pet doesn't die horribly, and we're willing to pay more for that. So sue us.

Why veterinary care? Because pets are living longer and more people are making sure they're cared for. And more people are willing to try to fight illnesses like cancer and diabetes instead of grabbing the shotgun and taking the dog out by the wood shed. We're also getting more of our pets fixed so they don't have babies that end up in shelters.

$13.14 billion is what is being spent on over-the-counter meds and pet supplies. That's flea meds, toys, leashes, collars, and yes, orthopedic dog beds, sweaters, and anxiety coats (because lightning and fireworks are scary for dogs and no money spent on training or a behaviorist is necessarily going to help your dog overcome that!).

Sealy dog beds start at $99.

Here's what I also know.

I brought Lulu to Global Pet Expo two of the three days. I brought her because I actually feel more comfortable talking to some of these pet people when she's there. She's a great ice breaker. But people love her being there as much as I do. People come running up to pet her because they miss their dogs. They share their stories of their pets -- not only their current ones, but the dogs they had as a child. We bond over our pets.

Lulu gets spoiled. OH BOY does she get spoiled. She gets pets and treats and pets and treats and -- did I mention treats? I have to stop people from giving her treats because I don't want her to get sick.

These are people who love pets. But that's not all they love. Many love people. Families came to display products they were proud of. One teen even developed a product (ICPooch) herself, and her family was at Global to support her. This is because pets can draw families closer together.

Then there are those of us who don't have children. We have our pets. Our pets give us comfort when we don't have a person to do so.

And the notion that for every pet in a designer dress and a posh bed feasting on kibble there's a child in threadbare clothes going to school hungry is ludicrous. I won't pretend that there are people in this world who have their priorities screwed up, but so far I have yet to meet a human that puts their pet before their child.

Lulu checks out the treat display at the Merrick booth.

Just because I keep Lulu in fancy doggy treats doesn't mean I don't also donate to causes that help humans. I do. Why wouldn't we be able to do both?

And the group behind Global Pet Expo runs a whole charity that examines the human-animal bond and finds ways to strengthen it. Both humans and pets should have great lives and HABRI promotes that.

Then there were all the pet charities that benefitted because Global Pet Expo came to town. Florida Little Dog Rescue brought pets to be adopted. So did SPCA of Central Florida. Many groups got donations of food and pet supplies.

Rocco, the pup in the front, was up for adoption at Global Pet Expo.

Note that those last few points did not make it into the New York Times article.

So before you condemn people who will be buying some of these fancy products from big and little pet stores, Amazon and Etsy websites over the next year or so, just remember -- we aren't all Leona Helmsleys living our dogs millions. We are just regular folks who love our pets because they bring us closer to each other.

Elvis and the Hound Dog have left the building.

Global Pet Expo: 8 pet-friendly Orlando spots to experience

Global Pet Expo is next week!

Lulu at Global Pet Expo last year.

For those who don't know, Global Pet Expo is like Fashion Week or Consumer Electronics Show for the pet world. People from all over the world will be in Orlando, looking at products both new and classic, everything from dog bowls to fish tanks to cat condos.

Last year, the expo was three football fields long. By the end of the day, this was Lulu.

The expo is, sadly, not open to the public. So all next week I will be showing some of the neat things I find at the expo. Make sure you are watching the blog, or that you follow me on Twitter @lifewithbeagle, or on my Facebook page. I may also try to do some Vine or Instagram stuff, so stay tuned!

If you're in town for Global, or if you plan on visiting Orlando with your pet soon, please check out some of these great pet-friendly spots. We are a great community for pets.

1) Woof Gang Bakery -- Though the first store opened in South Florida, the company is actually based in Orlando. Woof Gang is a boutique offering high-quality pet food, pet gear, fresh baked cookies and sometimes more -- grooming, day care, even a medical clinic. The stores are each individually owned. There are two not far from the tourist zone, but we have them all over Orlando.

And they are not the only pet bakeries in Orlando. Also check out Bark Avenue Bakery on Sand Lake Road or Pookie's on Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park, to name a few.

2) Orlando's dog parks -- Like a place where dogs can run and play? Orange County, Florida is home to eight dog parks run by the county, plus Fleet Peeples Park in Winter Park. My personal favorites are Dr. Phillips Park, near Disney, and Barber Park, which is near Orlando International Airport.

Dr. Phillips Park is small, but the other dog owners are friendly. I rarely see problems at the park. It;s also well kept.

Barber Park is slightly bigger, and it has agility equipment for dogs to tryout. 

Both have separate areas for small and large dogs, doggy water fountains, and places for humans.

3) Park Avenue, Winter Park -- The city of Winter Park is not too far from Orlando, and Park Avenue is the downtown area.  While dogs are not allowed in Central Park, they are welcome to walk around the street on a leash, drink from outdoor water bowls, sit with their owners in outdoor cafes and even enter the stores. As long as your dog is well-behaved, they are welcome. There is also The Doggie Door, a shop for pets and their dog lovers, with treats, toys, clothes and pet lover items like clothes, games and household items.

Dogs are welcome at some of the festivals, farmers markets and parades throughout the year. There are two big dog events on Park Avenue as well -- the Doggy Art Show, and the Halloween Costume Parade.

4) Dog-friendly dining -- While we are talking outside cafes, Orlando was actually the pilot city for dog-friendly dining in Florida. We have lots of restaurants who welcome dogs on their patios. It's good to ask ahead of time though, because not every patio allows dogs (which to me is silly, but what can you do?).

5) Quantum Leap Winery -- You won't find a vineyard growing Pinot Noir or Chardonnay in Florida. The grapes just can't survive here. However, we do have wineries that bring the grapes to Florida and make their own wine. Quantum Leap does this with an eye towards being as environmentally friendly as possible. Dogs are also welcome in the main wintery show room. You dog may meet owner Jill Ramsier's dog Kaley. And you can try some of her own wine -- Kaley's Rescue Red. Proceeds from the wine's go to benefit SPCA of Central Florida.

Quantum Leap Winery is in Orlando in the Mills 50 area.

6) Mall at Millenia -- This high-end mall may not like me broadcasting this, but you can bring your dog there. Dogs are permitted at the mall in Orlando, provided they remain in a carrier or a stroller. Of course, service dogs are welcome everywhere.

So Lulu will not be going to Mall at Millenia any time soon. However, it makes sense to me that frou-frou dogs are welcome at the frou-frouiest mall in Orlando.

7) Rocky's Retreat -- Get your dog a massage. Rocky's Retreat is a fitness center for dogs, featuring hydrotherapy, massage, Reiki and even aromatherapy. Don't have time to get out to Winter Park? They'd do your dog's massage at your hotel. Call for pricing.

8) Pet-friendly events -- Plan your trip around a pet event! There is always a pet-friendly event going on somewhere in Central Florida each month, from big events like Barktoberfest and Paws in the Park in Orlando, to smaller events like Barks and Brews, Pookie's Rescuefest and the Doggy Derby. That's why I have an Orlando-area pet events calendar.

Have an event you'd like to add to the calendar? Let me know!
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So, what would you like me to focus on at Global Pet Expo? Here's your chance to weigh-in and help me shape my coverage!

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Global Pet Expo: Day 3 in Pictures

Last day of Global Pet Expo.

"Hey Mom, I'm gonna stay home, if that's ok with you."

Some really awesome cat toys from the Pet Links System.

Also new... grooming perches.

Another awesome grooming tool for cats.

You've heard of Bed Head shampoo. They also make Pet Head shampoo...

Like mitts, bath towels, even bathtub drains.

PetSafe makes all kinds of products, and you may not even know you have them... from toys to water dishes to harnesses. Lulu's harness is from PetSafe and I never even knew it. This year they came out with 40 products, including new smoked meat treats that Lulu loved.

Check these out! Boots and socks for all kinds of weather. We'll be trying these out. They are from Canada.

RefinedKind made these awesome cat box covers! I wonder if this would work for Miss Galadriel.

You've probably seen this catnip company in the stores. I got a plant to take home and try out.

At least two companies are selling Garfield toys. Who doesn't love Garfield!

They had almost everything at Global Pet Expo!

My pictures from the Expo probably represent a tenth of the products displayed. Hopefully over the next few months I'll have lots of reviews and new products to show you and tell you about, including products from Natural Balance, Nutro, Jones Natural Chews, Samsung, Critter Zone, Anxiety Wrap, Thundershirt, Bayer and More! My first trade show! It was an amazing experience.

Check out the rest of our Global Pet Expo coverage.