Pet Expo at the Minneapolis Convention Center was a smaller show than I expected. It didn’t fill the section of the convention floor reserved for it. The dock dogs were great. One black Lab sailed 19 feet, 8 inches before hitting the water and retrieving his lure. Another, a young Golden Retriever, could barely contain himself, scooting forward on his butt a few inches at a time in his eagerness to play the game. The disc dogs were similarly entertaining. An Australian shepherd made some amazing twists and turns to catch frisbees in mid-air. The national champion, a well-muscled pit bull, showed great athleticism and precision. The dancing dogs were rather boring. Many of Stone Mountain’s competitors in the boarding business were there (all with higher lodging prices!), and some pet food companies. I did not see as much new technology as I would have expected. It seemed like the cat area was packing up to go home two hours before the show ended. Stone Mountain Pet Lodge seemed to be one of two booths that had pet toys for sale, and business appeared brisk. It was an interesting show, but I’m not sure it was worth $8 to get in.
Posts Tagged ‘Add new tag’
Pet Expo: Worth $8?
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009Taking the Tour
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008I’ve toured Stone Mountain Pet Lodge three times now with different radio station reps. Each time the tour was the same, yet different. You open the door to the Chalet suites and the dogs immediately set up a ruckus. Loudest, of course, is Apollo. He’s a Rottweiler, all boy. You’re not going to get by his temporary abode without him knowing it. Other dogs are mellow, especially the yellow Labs. They’re the Zen dogs, just going with the flow until Mom and Dad come to take them home. Pebbles and BamBam are in the small-dog suites. Their folks must be on vacation. They’re quite vociferous, compared to the basset hounds a couple of doors down.
The last rep has cat allergies, so we didn’t visit the cattery. I wanted to see the tiny Bengal cat again. She’s so cute, like a tiger cub, only not as hefty. She’s the poor little rich kitty, hanging out in her cat penthouse, leaping from branch to pillow, hiding under the chair, and perching near the window to watch the chickadees at the outdoor feeder. In my next life, I want to be a cat.
–Cindy