Pet lovers rejoice! This weekend, January 26 through 28, is the World of Pets Expo. Taking place at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, the World of Pets Expo is the largest consumer pet show and exhibition of its kind on the East Coast. Furthermore, it’s a family-friendly all-in-one experience laden with educational opportunities, ongoing activities and events, competitions, demos, and fun follies featuring furry, feathered, and scaled critters of all kinds.
A beloved annual tradition 23 years in the making, this year’s installment will welcome back many of its regularly occurring offerings while also incorporating new experiences into the mix. Thousands of diverse pet products, services, and other goods will be showcased throughout the weekend. And of course, there will also be non-pet exhibitors on location as well, including food vendors (for attending guests) and other services. Click here for a full listing of the vendor setup and locations for where to find each one.
Other highlights to check out onsite include a petting zoo, 4-H clubs, avian and reptile areas, Dock Dog competitions, a Charm City Grooming competition, and the Cat Show taking place on all three days. The popular Horse Edu area featuring ongoing interactive and educational presentations is back, along with the fan-favorite Dog Lure Courses. Also, premiering for the first time this year is the new “Fun-gility” interactive dog area.
The World of Pets officially opens Friday afternoon, January 26 at 2 p.m. All events will commence with the National Anthem at 2:30 p.m. and continue on with Dock Dog competitions throughout the evening in the Main Arena. Dock Dog competitions will be ongoing all three days and include Big Air Wave – The Long Jump for Dogs and the most popular of the three disciplines, Extreme Vertical Wave – The High Jump for Dogs, and Speed Retrieve Wave – The Sprint for Dogs.
Over in the North Hall Clinician Demo Arena there will be three events taking place throughout the afternoon and evening. Beginning at 4 p.m. Rachel B. Lachow, CPDT-KA, will lead a program on The Whys and Ways of Clicker Training Your Pet. At 5 p.m. you can enjoy the funniest dog acts on the planet with Johnny Peers Muttville Comix. Then, at 6 p.m. will be The Bucket Game – Animal Positive Coalition Cooperative Care. Here you can learn how to use pattern games and positive reinforcement to gain your pet’s cooperation with routine home care and at the vet’s office.
The Expo opens on Saturday at 10 a.m., again starting off with the National Anthem at 10:30 a.m. Dock Dog Shows will begin at 11 a.m. and continue to run throughout the day in the Main Arena.
Over in the North Hall Clinician Demo Arena Johnny Peers Muttville Comix will start things off at 11 a.m. followed by 100.7 The Bay’s “Top Pet” contest at 12 p.m. Learn about some valuable enrichment skills with Enriching Your Dog’s Life: Best Friends Fur Ever at 2 p.m. and then at 3 p.m. will be K9 Koncepts –a demo on obedience, protection, and handicap assistance. Johnny Peers Muttville Comix returns at 4 p.m. followed by Training with Distractions (featuring Becca and Banjo) at 5 p.m.
In Seminar Hall you can experience A Deep Dive, Positive Reinforcement with Evan Smith at 11 a.m. Then at 12 p.m. is Ask The Trainer, featuring Michael J. Soler, Master Dog Trainer/Behaviorist of Blue Line K-9. Then, it’s How to Speak Cat with Laura Cassiday at 1 p.m. Michael J. Soler returns at 2 p.m. for The Power of Reward Training and then Melanie Canatella will be on the scene at 3 p.m. with Understanding Parrot Aggression. Learn all about alpacas at 4 p.m. with So You Want an Alpaca with Krystal McHenka. At 5 p.m. Natalie L. Keegan will lead Be Safe Around Dogs – Dog Bite Prevention for families.
Doors open again at 10 a.m. on Sunday, starting off with the National Anthem at 10:30 a.m. This is also when the first of the Dock Dogs events will commence. Again, they will continue to run through the day in the Main Arena until official closing time at 5 p.m.
Happenings at the North Hall Clinician Demo Arena will get underway at 11 a.m., starting with The Science Based Approach to Training with Melanie Canatella. Then it’s Johnny Peers Muttville Comix at 12 p.m. followed by K9 Koncepts at 1 p.m. Becca and Banjo will be back on the scene at 2 p.m. to lead another demo on Training with Distractions. Then Johnny Peers Muttville Comix returns at 3 p.m.
Over at Seminar Hall it’s The Power of Positive Dog Training with Pat Miller at 11 a.m. followed by Thinking Inside the Box: Solving Your Cat’s Litter Box Problems with Laura Cassiday at 12 p.m. At 1 p.m. Michael J. Soler is back for Ask the Trainer, followed by Fear Free Handling – Dogs with Melanie Canatella at 2 p.m. Then it’s Reptile Show & Tell with Wolfe’s Exotic Encounters at 4 p.m.
Again, there is plenty more to check out all weekend long at the World of Pets Expo in addition to all that I’ve listed. You just have to get on over there and experience it all firsthand. For all the latest up-to-date information on the World of Pets Expo, including directions, ticket pricing, and other general information, go to www.worldofpets.org.