Today I hit all the pet food and treats booths at SuperZoo 2016. I'm having way too much fun at this tradeshow, it's pretty much the only situation in which I not can not only meet the people behind my favorite pet stuff in person, but it is socially acceptable to run up to them and go "OMG I LOVE YOUR STUFF!!"
I got to meet Joseph Sporn, and see a new design of non-restrictive no-pull harness that hasn't been released yet. I got to share my experience with the original Sporn halter as a child, and they sent me home with a whole bag of toys for Sisci and Ru!
Tiki Cat showed me their new mousse foods that I think my cats are going to enjoy. Solid Gold also has a new mousse cat food, it's a completely different texture than any wet food I've seen so far.
I got to see an Air Pupsaver crash protection carseat in person, and they have a really interesting concept. The seat for larger dogs hooks into both the lower LATCH system and the top carseat anchor, and the seat for smaller dogs looks fluffy enough for Ru.
Speaking of Ru, I got a Bog tag for those days when he's wearing pink and everyone thinks he's a girl. Yup, it's a gender identity tag to help ward off awkward conversations. Granted, I do put dresses on my boy dog so I'm not always trying to avoid awkward conversation so much as ambush the unsuspecting with it. Still, this is a fun and different way of announcing to the world that he is a boy who enjoys being pretty. I'm really looking forward to test driving this one.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
SuperZoo Day 1!
Day 1 of SuperZoo 2016 was amazing! This is the biggest pet industry tradeshow in he country, and it is enormous and incredible. I got to meet the people behind some of my favorite products, and hear their stories. I've had some great interactions with my favorite pet products companies in the past, but nothing beats actually talking face to face. I admit, I've done a lot of gushing. There's just so many things I love here!
First, the Buddy Belts people are the best people ever. I've been wanting one of their soft leather harnesses for Ru for years, and they let me take one home! These are one-of-a-kind harnesses that have been around for years and last forever. Look for our review of it coming soon!
I am also bringing home a Tuggo water-weighted tug toy. This is a huge ball and a big hefty rope designed to keep the most voracious tugger occupied while saving your arm. This one is definitely going in the Indestructible Toy Hall of Fame. The Tether Tug is another arm-saving tug toy we're hoping to test soon.
Ruffwear had some colorful new surprises to show off! The Front Range will be coming in bright colors with brightly colored straps instead of their standard grey. That's not the only thing departing from standard grey either, the new Float Coats will also be coming in some bright tone-on-tone colors including blue with hot pink highlights. The Webmaster will also be coming out with colored straps, and there is a Swamp Cooler attachment similar to Ruffwear's Brushguard that fits on the bottom of the harness to keep the dog's belly cool. There is a new backpack coming out that is built on the Front Range harness, and we'll also be seeing the Front Range in purple.
Speaking of purple, EzyDog is adding a super bright purple as well as an updated orange that resists fading better than their previous orange. They've got a teeny tiny stretchy shock absorbing leash for Ru-sized dogs now too.
Planet Dog is rolling out a super durable squeaky ball that's nearly solid with a squeaker buried deep inside. They also have some fun additions to the produce toy line, including a little red chili pepper that is just the right size for Ru! They are also releasing a 4" Diamond Plate ball so big dogs can play safely.
The coolest new thing I saw was probably Smoochy Poochy's hands-free multi-function leash. This is a double-ended leash with grommets along the length that allow it to be clipped to itself in all sorts of ways! The Smoochy Poochy people also approved of my unicorn and mosasaur socks.
The pet tech industry is coming out with some fascinating new stuff. The Pod pet tracker is a tiny GPS and activity monitor, they were sharing a booth with PetCube remote interactive pet cameras. The PetKit activity monitor isn't quite as fully-featured as the Pod, but it's also incredibly light and unobtrusive. They also have a smart bowl the weighs your dog's food or water so you can monitor their intake, and a remote pet camera that can be rotated remotely.
I got to visit with Dog is Good, and got my picture taken with my tote bag! Got to look at the internal construction of Snoozer's different console car seats. RC Pets and Red Dingo have some neat new prints coming out soon. Canine Friendly has a new version of their car harness that comes in some nice bright colors.
I saw way more stuff today than I can cram into one blog post, and I still have half the convention center to explore!
First, the Buddy Belts people are the best people ever. I've been wanting one of their soft leather harnesses for Ru for years, and they let me take one home! These are one-of-a-kind harnesses that have been around for years and last forever. Look for our review of it coming soon!
I am also bringing home a Tuggo water-weighted tug toy. This is a huge ball and a big hefty rope designed to keep the most voracious tugger occupied while saving your arm. This one is definitely going in the Indestructible Toy Hall of Fame. The Tether Tug is another arm-saving tug toy we're hoping to test soon.
Ruffwear had some colorful new surprises to show off! The Front Range will be coming in bright colors with brightly colored straps instead of their standard grey. That's not the only thing departing from standard grey either, the new Float Coats will also be coming in some bright tone-on-tone colors including blue with hot pink highlights. The Webmaster will also be coming out with colored straps, and there is a Swamp Cooler attachment similar to Ruffwear's Brushguard that fits on the bottom of the harness to keep the dog's belly cool. There is a new backpack coming out that is built on the Front Range harness, and we'll also be seeing the Front Range in purple.
Speaking of purple, EzyDog is adding a super bright purple as well as an updated orange that resists fading better than their previous orange. They've got a teeny tiny stretchy shock absorbing leash for Ru-sized dogs now too.
Planet Dog is rolling out a super durable squeaky ball that's nearly solid with a squeaker buried deep inside. They also have some fun additions to the produce toy line, including a little red chili pepper that is just the right size for Ru! They are also releasing a 4" Diamond Plate ball so big dogs can play safely.
The coolest new thing I saw was probably Smoochy Poochy's hands-free multi-function leash. This is a double-ended leash with grommets along the length that allow it to be clipped to itself in all sorts of ways! The Smoochy Poochy people also approved of my unicorn and mosasaur socks.
The pet tech industry is coming out with some fascinating new stuff. The Pod pet tracker is a tiny GPS and activity monitor, they were sharing a booth with PetCube remote interactive pet cameras. The PetKit activity monitor isn't quite as fully-featured as the Pod, but it's also incredibly light and unobtrusive. They also have a smart bowl the weighs your dog's food or water so you can monitor their intake, and a remote pet camera that can be rotated remotely.
I got to visit with Dog is Good, and got my picture taken with my tote bag! Got to look at the internal construction of Snoozer's different console car seats. RC Pets and Red Dingo have some neat new prints coming out soon. Canine Friendly has a new version of their car harness that comes in some nice bright colors.
I saw way more stuff today than I can cram into one blog post, and I still have half the convention center to explore!
Cuddle Clones: A Custom Stuffed Version of Your Dog!
Brisbane's Cuddle Clone arrived last week, and it is amazing! For those unaware, Cuddle Clones makes custom stuffed animals and figurines of pets. They are, no exaggeration, seriously amazing.
If you have a purebred dog, especially a common breed, it's pretty easy to find a stuffed animal that looks like your dog. All I have to do to find plush Ru lookalikes is check the thrift stores for some of those promotional Taco Bell stuffed chihuahuas. Mutts are one of a kind though, so there's no stuffed Brisbanes. At least there weren't.
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| Photo by Erin Koski |
Cuddle Clones did a truly amazing job with this stuffy. Their order form asks for several pictures taken from different angles to get the markings correct. They also ask you to describe your pet's most important features. I mentioned Brisbane's fluffy earbeards, his butt floof, and that his tail curls up over his back when he's excited.
I received a truly amazing stuffed version of my dog. They got all the features I mentioned, and so much more. The fur texture is just right, the markings are just right, it even has dark areas on the belly where Brisbane's skin has darkened. The stuffed Briz has wire armature that makes it posable.
The order form gave three options for stuffed dog poses, they can be laying, sitting, or standing. However, their gallery shows some unique poses as well. They don't just make dogs and cats, either. There are Cuddle Clones of horses, cows, chickens, pigs, lizards, birds, and fish. They even make stuffed versions of virtual animals!
The price tag for a custom stuffy is pretty high, my Brisbane was $250, but the quality and craftsmanship that went into the creation are clearly worth it. I know I won't have my beautiful Brisbane for much longer, and this plush version will be nice to have when he's no longer at my side.
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