International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

Of all the obscure celebrations and erzatz holidays on the ever-expanding calendar of wacky events, dog lovers around the world (and our furry friends) will immediately recognize the validity of International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day (February 23rd each year, if you're planning ahead to stock the cookie jar).

After all, without handy baked biscuits (and other convenience foods for canines) we'd all be running around with nasty bits of raw liver and sausage dripping out of our pockets. And I don't know about you, my friends, but the tidy scooby snack in cookie form is something I do appreciate!

Photograph copyright © 123RF Stock Photos, used by permission

Dogs, of course, have long believed that a tasty biscuit is something to be celebrated (and gobbled down) every day of the year. But when did we slow-witted humans finally catch on, and name a dedicated International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day?

Alas, the origins of this meaty celebration are cloaked in mystery - but I'd be prepared to bet that the marketing department of some pet food manufacturing company might have had a small hand in starting it, wouldn't you?

No matter...

The dog biscuit itself has a long and noble history, and a rather interesting one. According to the Pet Food Institute's brief History of Pet Food, the first commercial cookie for canines was introduced in England about 1860. Oddly enough, that biscuit was invented not by a veterinarian or breeder, but by an American electrician, James Spratt, over in London to sell lightning rods, who had seen dogs on board ship being fed rather nasty leftovers and figured that he could do better. And the rest, as they say, is pet food history.

For what it's worth - and perhaps somewhat surprisingly - the earliest mention of International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day I've been able to track down (although, admittedly, I've not invested more than an hour on the search) was ThinkQuest.org page captured by the Wayback Machine on March 4, 2000.

Fruitables dog biscuits come in a whole lot of different taste combinations, but we've found the pumpkin and apple flavors are most popular with the dogs around here.

With or without special health concerns, dogs deserve a high quality of food and I like to read over the ingredient list carefully at a minimum when choosing a biscuit or treat for them. Whenever possible, too, I like to check the source of the ingredients and know something about how the products are made and the company that makes them. My pups flip (metaphorically in most cases, literally in the case of my high-energy little female) for any biscuit with sweet potatoes in it, and I find that duck is an easy-to-digest protein source that most dogs love the taste of.

Of course we know why our DOGS like their biscuits -- nom, nom, nom! -- but what is there about them for the human owner to be so pleased about?

Well, here are just a few of the many reasons why a good dog biscuit is a wonderful thing, more than worthy of getting its own special day, International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day:

1. Dog biscuits are great rewards to use in training.
2. You can carry a biscuit in your pocket without everything getting sticky.
3. A nice treat for Fido can help you to feel less guilty when you don't have time to play with him, but those big sad brown eyes keep on staring at you...
4. Crunchy snacks help to keep your dog's teeth clean and healthy.
5. Dog biscuits can entertain your pet and help to develop his problem-solving skills, if they're stuffed in an interactive puzzle toy.

If you look at the ingredient list on a package of quality dog biscuits there's really not a whole lot of difference from what's in a lot of the packaged foods for humans that you might have in your own pantry.

(For more information about dog food nutrition, I recommend consulting the American Veterinarian Medical Association website, with their Animal Health section as a starting point for inquiry.)

Have you ever tried a dog biscuit - you know, just to see what it tastes like?

I like the way Niel Jackson, who does the pet shop run in the first part of this video, has been careful to select a vegetarian dog treat for himself, as well as a number of meat-based biscuits for his buddy Dicky Dodd, back at the studio. Both of these brave taste-testers were well known presenters on 107.7FM The Wolf in Wolverhampton, UK, at the time - and isn't that nicely in keeping with the International nature of International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day?

It's great to know exactly what ingredients are going into those treats, and your pup will appreciate your culinary efforts on his behalf.