Ottawa Pet Expo

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

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Industry trends

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Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Conformation (breed show ring)

Judging of dogs or cats against a written breed standard rather than against each other's speed or skill. At pet expos, conformation demos and breed-parade booths are where breeders explain how a judge reads topline, movement and temperament in a specific breed.

2

Breed standard

The official written description of an ideal specimen of a breed, maintained in Canada by the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) for dogs and by registries such as CFA or TICA for cats. Breeders at the show use the standard to explain why a pup's ear set, coat or size matters to buyers.

3

Canine Good Neighbour (CGN)

A CKC temperament and manners evaluation that tests a dog on polite behaviour around strangers, other dogs, crowds and noise. Clubs and trainers exhibiting in Ottawa often use CGN prep classes as the entry point for first-time dog owners.

4

Reputable breeder vs. foster-based rescue

Two different homing routes shown side by side at a pet expo. A reputable breeder health-tests stock, provides contracts, registers litters and takes animals back for life; a foster-based rescue houses animals in volunteer homes, home-checks adopters and usually vaccinates and sterilises before placement.

5

Microchip (ISO 11784/11785)

A passive RFID implant about the size of a grain of rice, injected between the shoulder blades, carrying a 15-digit number read by a scanner. Canadian shelters and veterinary clinics scan the standard frequency, so an up-to-date registry entry is what actually reunites a lost pet.

6

Bioactive vivarium

A reptile or amphibian enclosure built as a small ecosystem: live plants, a deep substrate layer and a cleanup crew of springtails and isopods that process waste. Herp exhibitors at the show use it to argue that a correctly planted setup needs less frequent full teardown than bare plastic.

7

Morph

A heritable colour or pattern variant produced by selective breeding, such as albino, pastel or piebald lines in snakes and geckos. Morph pricing and ethics are among the most common questions at reptile tables, since some combinations carry known genetic health risks.

8

Aquascaping

Designing a freshwater planted tank as a landscape, using hardscape (driftwood, stone), graded substrate, CO2 injection and plant trimming to build depth and perspective. Aquarium vendors at the expo typically display an aquascape to sell lighting, fertiliser and CO2 equipment rather than fish alone.

9

Raw / BARF feeding

Feeding uncooked meat, bone and organ in ratios modelled on prey, either commercially prepared or home-mixed. Because home recipes are easy to unbalance, veterinary nutritionists advise a formulated recipe; raw feeders at the show usually want to compare freezer logistics, bone content and handling safety.

10

Complete and balanced claim

A label statement that a pet food meets recognised nutrient profiles for a stated life stage, assessed against AAFCO nutrient profiles and, in Canada, federal feed labelling rules enforced by the CFIA. It is the practical way a shopper distinguishes a therapeutic or life-stage diet from a treat or topper.

11

Hand-stripping

A grooming technique for wire-coated terriers in which dead outer coat is pulled out by hand or with a stripping knife instead of clipped, preserving harsh texture and colour. Grooming exhibitors demo it because clipping a strip-only coat softens it permanently.

12

Service animal vs. emotional support animal

A service animal is individually trained to perform a task for a person with a disability and is generally admitted to public spaces under provincial human rights law; an emotional support animal provides comfort and does not carry the same public-access right. Visitors planning to bring an animal to the venue should confirm the organiser's own policy first.

13

Pocket pets / small animals

The rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, rat, ferret and hedgehog segment of the hobby, sold at expos alongside cages, bedding and hay. Note that rabbits are lagomorphs, not rodents, which matters for diet and housing advice: hay-based diets and multi-species housing rules differ sharply from rodent care.

14

Show lead and stacking

Handling terms from the breed ring: a show lead is the thin slip collar used to control a dog's head and gait, and stacking is posing the dog square on the table or floor so the judge sees the outline. Handling clinics at a pet expo teach newcomers to stack their own dog without over-stretching the hocks.