February 23: International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

Today is a day just for the dogs, celebrating a creation actually made by accident, but quickly capitalized one of the universal truths in existence — humans like to spoil their dogs. Today is February 23, and it’s International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.

I wasn’t kidding when I said before that the dog biscuit began as an accident — a London butcher shop in the late 1800s stumbled upon this after the shop’s owner attempted a new creation for its customers. The biscuits tasted awful, but, amazingly, his dog loved it. It gave him the idea of making and selling biscuits just for dogs, topping off his ingenuity by baking them in the shape of bones. Well, they sold like hot cakes.

In 1908, this secret recipe was purchased by an American business who took this wagtastic idea to mass production. The FH Bennett Biscuit company was created selling the biscuit under the name Malatiod, and was granted a patent for its creation in 1911. The name was changed just a couple of years later in 1915 that’s stuck ever since — Milkbone.

Nabisco later acquired the biscuit brand and eventually other competitors came to the market which has resulted in hundreds of delicious doggie treats for us to offer our lovable pets. And It’s a huge market — more than 50% of pet owners regularly give their pets treats. Whether they’re given to help train them or as a just because, I’ll take just any excuse to give my dog a bone.

To celebrate today, don’t just give your dog a biscuit, (or, if you don’t have one, get one for a friends dog) go get some and drop them off at a local shelter, maybe even adopt a fur baby of your own while you’re there, or give it a turn and make some yourself.

Happy Holiday everyone, and I’ll see you tomorrow.