Celebrate International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day Every February 23
Feb. 23 is International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
Today is literally going to the dogs … Because it’s International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.
The day is also called National Dog Biscuit Day. We suspect that name is specific to the United States, but we’re not sure.
We’re also not sure which name came first. Did dog-loving Americans start the day and then it spread around the world? Or did it start internationally and Americans decided to create their own similar day on the same date?
Since we haven’t been able to discover how/when/where either name started, that’s going to stay a mystery for now.
It doesn’t really matter, though. Your dog knows what’s important: Biscuits!
Lots and lots of yummy treats. All for him (or her).
All day long.
On demand. Woof.
After all, why would humans create such a day if not to shower their pooches with biscuits for the whole day?
The First Dog Biscuits: From Stale Bread to Meaty Treats
But a few thousand years ago, dogs may have been less enthusiastic about this day.
Sure, humans have been giving dogs biscuits for centuries. But originally these “treats” were more like stale or moldy bread and other things not fit for humans to eat.
There was even a version of “dog’s bread” in the 1600s that was made specifically to kill dogs. It contained things like poison or ground glass.
Not exactly the loving treats we give our pampered pooches today.
These special biscuits just for dogs may have debuted in 1860. A man named James Spratt, from Cincinnati, was traveling in England. He saw hungry dogs scavenging for scraps of discarded food. One of these foods was a rock-hard biscuit called hardtack, commonly carried on ships.
This inspired him to create nutritious biscuits with ingredients like vegetables and beef blood. He called them Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes.
Nobody had ever made food just for dogs before, and a whole new industry was born.
Other companies soon joined in making dog foods. One main competitor was F.H. Bennett, who made something called Malatoid Dog Biscuits. They did not sell well until he started shaping them like a bone in 1908. Milk-Bones were born and became an instant hit.
Another inventor, Carlton Ellis, had actually come up with the bone shape a year earlier, in 1907. But it was the Milk Bone that popularized the bone-shaped treat.
Today of course you can get all kinds of dog biscuits in all kinds of shapes and flavors. Some can even help keep your dog’s teeth clean.
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this barkingly delicious unofficial holiday.
Celebrating Dog Biscuit Day (International or National, Your Choice)
Clearly dog biscuits are the order of the day.
Dog Parents
Spend some extra time with your fur babies today, giving them extra treats.
Buy them their favorite or try your hand at making some.
If you can bake cookies, you can make dog biscuits. Here are a few recipes to try:
- Homemade Dog Biscuits: Includes apple sauce, cheese, ground/shredded meat and eggs.
- Cluck-A-Doodle-Doggie Treats: Uses chicken livers.
- Pumpkin dog Treats: Includes both pumpkin puree and peanut butter. Doggie heaven!
- Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits with Soy Milk: Dogs love peanut butter. And this recipe’s great if your dog is lactose intolerant.
- Veggie Thins Dog Biscuit Treats: Carrots, vegetable cubes and more flavor this crispy treat.
Just remember treats shouldn’t take the place of food. And too many treats can cause weight gain. But for one day out of the year extra treats won’t hurt, as long as you know his stomach can tolerate them.
Companies
Sell dog biscuits/treats? Promote them today. Create a display & remind people that treats are a great training tool.
Feeding treats is also a great bonding experience. Suggest a few varieties to help people make a new dog feel more at home.
If you have room, consider making different sections in your display. Or even multiple displays. Then make one for tooth-cleaning treats. Another for all organic treats. One for specific flavors of treats.
You get the idea. Today is all about dog treats and how they can benefit the doggies. And their humans.
Rescues and shelters might want to include a small bag of treats with every dog adoption today. Or even all week. Educate adopters on how they can be used as rewards and training tools.
So will your favorite canine be spoiled (more than usual) today?
