Any day is a good day to give your pup a reward but tomorrow, February 23, is International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day; a perfect day to offer your deserving dog with something extra special! It is not known who created this holiday, but it had to be a dog lover!
Dog biscuits have existed for a very long time – at least since the Roman Times. The dogs biscuits found back then were much different than the gourmet options our furry friends have today. Primitive ‘dog biscuits’ were really just hard, stale old bread. Old bread in those days was called ‘dog’s bread’ -a long shot from a meaty Beggin’ Strip! In the 19th century hunters offered their dogs hard barley meal biscuits to supply them with ample energy when out on a hunt. The early grain only biscuits expanded to encompass vegetables, meat, and bone meal. In the late 1850’s an electrician from Cincinnati named James Spratt observed a pack of dogs eating the rock hard biscuits sailors kept to eat on ships, inspiring an idea. In 1860 he invented Spratt’s Patented Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes, composed of real meat and sold as dog food. Shortly after, in 1908, F. H. Bennett Biscuit Co. created a hard-baked, bone shaped biscuit made of meat products and cow’s milk, called the Milk Bone.
As dogs advanced from guards, hunters, and workers into positions as companions and family members, dog treats advanced as well. There are still numerous plain dry biscuits on store shelves but there is also a myriad of other dog treat choices to pick from - healthy, gourmet, crunchy, chewy, meaty, jerky, cookie, with or without icing… The list is endless!
International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day is one of the simplest holidays to observe. Just do what us dog lovers do best – Pamper your precious pup! Give your dog an old favorite, try something new, or make something homemade… No matter how you choose to celebrate, your canine companion will be pleased!
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