Canada's Largest Pet Show

Showtrends, a division of 1031222 Ontario Limited, is proud to present the 16th annual All About Pets Show - Canada's largest, premiere pet showcase.

The show is held at the International Centre, a world-class facility ideally located for easy access from anywhere in the Metropolitan Toronto Area.

The All About Pets Show features more than 180 exhibitors and over the last 15 years, the attendance has averaged 34,600 visitors.

Meet representatives from the pet industry showcasing their products and services. Exhibitors include pet manufacturers, distributors, retailers, rescue organizations, breeders and breed clubs, pet boarding, and traveling with your pet... just to mention a few.

Some incredible feature areas you won't want to miss including the Dog Demonstration Ring, Parade of Breeds, World of Cats, Ask the Vet, Adopt a Pet, World of Birds, World of Fish and Aquariums, Pet Travel and Pet Grooming Showcase to name a few.

Come and join at the All About Pets Show, April 10-12, 2009! A true pet lover's paradise dedicated to promoting the responsible ownership of pets. We are proud to deliver to our exhibitors and visitors a first class, consumer pet show.

History Of The Domestic Cat

Cats have always been very fascinating creatures and they are no less so today. They have become one of the worlds most sought after pets over the years as they are perfectly suited to the lifestyles of everyone. Independent, beautiful and easily cared for, cats are the ideal pet for many people.


Lions and tigers, today’s wild cats, descended from miacids, which were early carnivores. The wild cat developed into 3 main types of cats. These are the European wild cat, the African Wild Cat, and the Asiatic Desert Cat. The African Wild Cat is believed to have evolved into the domestic cat due to the Tabby markings they possess.

The domestic cats of today still show many of their wild ancestors’ traits. Those intelligent, almost human appearing eyes, their body shape as well as their feeding and grooming habits all come from these ancestors. They also possess the ability to spring into action at a moment’s notice. These are some of the characteristics that seem to make the cat so fascinating.

Cats were first domesticated around 4,000 years ago. The first people to realize the value of keeping cats were the Ancient Egyptians. They used them to protect their stores of food from vermin and other pests. The cats were also quite revered by the Egyptians as hunters, as well as being worshipped as gods and goddesses. Cats living in Ancient Egypt were quite safe as anyone who dared to kill a cat was put to death. In addition, cats were mummified upon death before they were buried.

It wasn’t long before other ancient civilizations began to domesticate cats. Tame felines made their way to Italy and spread throughout Europe from there. Shorthaired domestic cats began in Egypt and longhaired cats had their origins in Turkey and Iran. Domestic cats also began spreading over the world from India and into China and Japan. Eventually, the Pilgrims brought domestic cats to the New World with them. Aside from a brief period of time during the Middle Ages, when some people believed cats to be in league with the devil, they had become the most popular house pets in the world.

There are 36 recognized breeds throughout the world, with the Siamese being at the top of the list. However, it is the non-pedigree domestic cat called the mixed breed that seems to be the most popular among house pets. Of these, the black and white cat is the most popular, with the solid black cat and Tabby following respectively. With the evolution of these cats, it is very difficult to find homes today that do not boast at least 1 cat as a pet.

Dog Shows

Dog Shows are viewed by most as a fantastic opportunity to talk to breeders, handlers and groomers about a specific breed of dog. After all, all dog owners do need to know a lot about the dog breeds so that they can make good choices both for the benefit of the breeds in not buying from breeders who might be perpetuating genetic problems or unwanted dog personality traits just for short term wins at the shows.

If you are interested in a breed but don't know much about them, it has always been true that you should go find where they are showing and talk to some folks. Dog shows are a means of evaluating breeding stock, and each entry is judged against its breed standard . Dog shows are organized to award honors to breeders who have managed to cultivate the best in the standard, and show it off to the world as near perfect as the standard can stand to be.

There is nothing better than seeing each different breed displayed with top of the line attributes and being rewarded for all the hard work it took a breeder to get to that point in his hobby.

My friend is a great dog owner, a breeder and a fan of many breeds. She tells me that her own reason for participating at dog shows is simple: "I like the people. It seems to me the people who are attracted to dog shows are both people and animal-oriented. Its fun, and why not!

But, in truth, dog shows are important for other reasons, one being simply economical and commercial. A dog show in the US, with around 1,000 entries brings in about $750,000 dollars daily to the community in which it is held. Yes, dog owners do spend money, and they are commercially a very good to sell them other services and goods in the area.

But, again, those in favor of dog shows, say that they are an useful option since the breeders that attend these shows are either showing their dogs or are there to see the performance of a dog that they bred and sold in the past. When you meet and then choose to buy a dog from a breeder you met at a dog show you know a good deal about that breeder. For one, their presence at the show shows a commitment to their dogs, which is very a positive sign that you might want to do business with this breeder. The first thing you want to know about a breeder that you might buy a puppy from is whether they are just in it for the money. or because they truly like and love their animals, if it is the latter then their dogs will be a much better buy than a simply commercial breeder who only really wants the money.

Dog shows are busy, noisy and crowded, and people can easily become separated. Pick out in advance a time and place to meet up in case anyone gets lost.

Dog Shows are held all over the country and provide a good way to see lots of dogs and meet lots of owners. If you subscribe to the AKC Gazette you will receive their events magazine which contains a schedule of upcoming shows. Dog shows are held to determine which dogs can relate the most closely to their breed standards. A dog's conformation is a factor in determining how well that dog may do it's job.

Breeds that have been selected for one or a few particular traits may be more at risk of developing undesirable variation for those behaviors. This does not mean that dogs selected for protective behaviors are more aggressive than dogs for which this selection of trait is absent.

It is always true that breeding and genetics determine how a puppy will look at adulthood. I describe the purchase of a show potential puppy as an educated risk, but do undertake some homework first before you consider a breeder and check whether they are AKC listed and better than that, such as accredited etc.

Breeder lists generally take one of two forms: Either the list is composed of those who ask to be included. Or the list is based on a general database, such as a membership list, and may include non-breeders and novice breeders as well as experienced breeders.

Do pick the best breeders all the time. To do that you will need to do some web based researched and beyond that you might want to seek out other breeders in their area to obtain their views by email.

Do chose carefully because there have been some surprisingly cruel genetic breeding incidences recently. Breeders can go too far to oblige the judges for some features, and select too extensively for this feature, leaving the breed damaged. One example is pugs with eyes that bulge so badly their lids scarcely meet well enough to wipe the eyeball clean. The poor dogs undergo a lifetime of chronic conjunctivitis, that eventually scars over the cornea and blinds them. This is not good, in fact it is deplorable, so please take care not to unwittingly buy one of these animals, breed form the dog yourself unwittingly perpetuating the problem.

So. what do we ask of the dog show fraternity?

Judges must please be careful at all times at shows to assess specimens of all breeds objectively, regardless of personal favorites. In some breeds, the males and females of the breed have decidedly different appearances, and it is often the males who have the quintessential look of the breed, make due allowance.

Finally, breeders please take note that obtaining a Championship win does not mean necessarily that your dog has the qualities necessary to become a candidate for breeding. Remember, a dog show is about a dog's outward physical appearance and not its ability to produce a genetically high quality litter. Please think long-term for the good of all your breeds. Provided breedes do this, then we will be alright, and dogs shows are to be applauded

Dog Training Tricks

Having problems with your pooch? Is she piddling on the rug? Is he dragging you down the street when you try to walk him? Chewing on your shoes or raiding the trash? Or do you have a new puppy you want to start off on the right track to prevent these problems from ever happening in the first place?

You don't need an expensive trainer for these everyday issues (though I do recommend a professional if you have a particularly aggressive dog that may require special understanding and handling). Nor do you need to attend the pet store "obedience classes" unless you'd just enjoy doing so. I'm going to show you here a couple of tricks to prove to you that you can train your dog to do anything you'd like, within his capability, and do it positively while both of you have fun. Just try them and you'll see for yourself how quick and easy this is.

First, it's important to understand that dogs live to please us. It may not appear so when your dog is ignoring your commands - that's because he doesn't understand your commands or perhaps your method for teaching him has backfired on you, which is the most common problem. What you think you're telling him and what he's thinking may be two very different things.

For example, you may want your dog to "come". Under what circumstances have you been giving that command? Are you yelling it at him for him to come to you only when you're unhappy with him and when he's to be punished somehow? Not exactly motivating. Certainly an unsuccessful approach.

It's well worth a few minutes of play every day to teach your dog to "come" immediately and every time you command it. And I do mean "play", not "work" - it's fun and a great bonding experience. Food is a terrific doggie motivator, so get some small one-bite treats (no big biscuits that take time to eat and thus distract from your goal). When you're sitting there watching TV or at your computer, most anywhere really, tell your dog to "come" with a calm, happy voice and give him a treat when he does.

Only one treat, we aren't trying to teach him to beg! A little later, tell him to "come" and give him "lovies", pet him, praise him. Another time, play with him with his favorite toy for a few minutes. Show him that "come" means something good will happen. Do this frequently throughout the day , rotating the rewards, and you'll see that he will soon be happily obeying your command every time. Sounds easy, doesn't it? It is!

Want your dog to be well-behaved on a leash? This, too, is quick and easy, usually just a matter of stopping the walk when pooch starts to pull. Your dog wants to GO, to explore and sniff - that's his motivation and fun. Stopping dead in your tracks keeps him from what he wants to do. Shorten the leash length to keep him at your side and in a calm voice (very important - if you yell or show emotion, you'll just excite him further), tell him to "calm" or "shhh", whatever comes naturally to you, and stand there until he calms down.

When he does, continue your walk, repeating this as often as necessary until he understands what you expect from him and learns to "walk nice" (my particular command for a rowdy dog). It can usually be accomplished very quickly, often in a single session with a quick reminder if he forgets it the next time you walk.

When it comes to walking, I believe this is one of the most important things you can do for your dog and for you. It not only gives you both healthy exercise, it allows for deeper bonding and understanding between you, the foundation of trust so important in further training. It also gives your dog that mental stimulation he needs to be well-behaved, socialized and happy. I don't do the "heel" thing when we walk - I have little interest in having a "Stepford" dog. Instead, I want our walks to be his time to stop and sniff (within reason) and to explore.

I just insist that he "walk nice" for both of our sakes, which is defined as a loose leash and not losing his mind when he sees other dogs. The training technique I described above usually accomplishes both of these goals.

Just these two techniques I've described can be used with variation to deal with most any issue. For example, want your dog to leave your shoes alone? Give him own chew toy and reward him with a treat at first for choosing that over the seductive shoe. Spend a few minutes each day with this exercise. If that isn't enough, or in addition to the above, you can use the "leave it" command technique. For this, place the shoe in front of him and when he reaches for it, say "leave it", giving him a treat and praising him when he does. Repeat as necessary, making him wait longer and longer for his reward.

Want your dog to be calm when the doorbell rings? Use a variation of the leash training technique and the "shhh" or "calm" command you used on your walks, which he now understands, working with a friend or neighbor who is willing to come over and ring your doorbell until your dog "gets it".

Establish the foundation of reward for the behavior you want and he'll start learning new behaviors very quickly. He'll snap to the reward thing and look forward to learning new things, knowing something good will happen when he does... and just because it's fun!

I've just given you a quick overview here, a place to start. There are many more proven techniques that I hope you'll want to learn now that you know you can train your dog and how rewarding it is for both of you!

Pet Insurance For Dogs

Many people could not contemplate a life without their dog as they see them as more than a close family member but as a regular companion that they may not have ever experienced in another human being.


Taking your pet out for a walk or for a simple game with the Frisbee can ensure a healthy workout for you and in the most enjoyable manner possible; your pet gives you silent company on lonely evenings and is more than delighted to take a backseat when you are surrounded by your friends and family. It is understandable why many individuals prefer the company of their dog over that of another human being when they so rarely demand anything other than your love.

It is not very often that we are able to show our admiration the way your dog displays theirs for you but keeping them healthy is one way and a good dog insurance plan is a way we can give something back. Various dog pet insurance policies exist and how complete they are will depend on the supplier as some will incorporate routine visits to the veterinary to check you dogs health in addition to positions like accidents or even illness can also be covered. Even the healthiest of dogs can become sick and knowing you have pet insurance for dogs that will pay for medical attention means that the cost is never a concern.

Fortunately for us, our pets are now in safer hands than ever before and we have improved medical techniques to thank for this but these treatments are only available if you can afford them. It is even now possible for certain pets to have transplants and even the likes of hip replacements which not so long ago were not even thought about. Dogs too are prone to certain specific diseases like enlargement of heart, epilepsy, hip dysplasia which can be even be genetic.

Many diseases that dogs are prone to suffer from do not occur until they reach middle age and of course by then, the dog is a member of a immediate family and loved by everyone. So by providing a comprehensive dog health insurance for your dog you can offset any financial worries that medical treatment may cause and still give your pet the best health care. Dogs, no matter how well looked after do require regular checks for the many other problems they can be prone to: like mites, worms and vaccinations plus having their teeth cleaned for example.

All of this and more should be part of the regular check a dog has when they visits the vet and is incorporated into most policies. If you love your dog and want them around for as long as possible, this is the way to ensure it will happen. Other pet owners or local dog clubs, even your vet should be able to provide details of reputable insurance underwriters that will be able to help you arrange insurance for your dog.