February 23 Has Gone to the Dogs – Happy International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day!

February used to be a gloomy month, halfway between the major holidays and green shoots peeking up from the ground. We fixed that by making it a month to celebrate, among other things, past presidents, football, African-American history, new television shows, the human love of your life, and the appearance of an extra day every four years.

But what about pet lovers? Well, February is National Pet Dental Month and Responsible Pet Owners Month. It’s the month the Westminster Dog Show occurs (congratulations Malachy, the Pekingese, for winning this year’s Best in Show!) and National Spay Day happens. Pet lovers are all for responsibility, but what about just plain fun and good lovin’?

But, did you know February 23 is International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day?

Yep. No matter what time zone you’re in, if it’s February 23:

• In France, give your dog a “biscuits pour chiens”
• In German-speaking countries, a “Hundekuchen” is what dogs prefer
• In Mexico or Spain, gather the “galletas para el perro” and spread some dog cheer
• In Italy, dip a biscotti in your own “caffe”, but give a “biscotto per cani” to your dog

Biscuits and dogs go hand in paw – well, hand in mouth!

Have you ever wondered when it was that humans started realizing that dogs will do what we want, or that we can make dogs happy (which dog lovers adore!) by simply giving them a small piece of food?

As social beings, we break bread with other humans, in part, to bond. Dogs are social creatures, too. When you give your dog a dog biscuit you are helping cement that already-tight bond of love and trust between your dog and yourself.

Dogs have eaten and enjoyed discarded bread since the Roman Empire. In mid-1800 Great Britain, dog treats made of grain and baked were given to hunting dogs for extra energy.

Commercial dog biscuits were first “invented” in the late 1800s by a man from Cincinnati who saw dogs scavenging on hardtack (a long-lasting sailor’s bread) disposed of at the docks in London. He patented the idea and sold the biscuits as dog food. In the beginning of the 20th century, another brilliant American inventor, whose dog biscuits were not selling well, decided to make the biscuits in the shape of bones, and that’s where we get the familiar treat we give our canine companions today.

What can you do to celebrate this doggitylicious day?

• EASY……Give your dog a biscuit when he sits, gives you a paw, quiets down after alerting you to a visitor, or just because you love him.
• HARDER…..Put your dog in a down-stay and put a biscuit in front of him. Make him wait until you say, “OKAY!” and imagine his excitement as he scarfs down the biscuit!
• HARDEST….Teach your dog to balance a biscuit on his nose, flip it in the air, and then snap it up!
• Bring a bag of biscuits or two to your local animal shelter
• Leave bags of dog biscuits in the appropriate container at a nearby food shelf.
• Take a bag to your veterinarian’s so they can distribute them to client’s dogs, if they wish
• If you work in a dog-friendly environment, grab some biscuits and dole them out among your canine colleagues (with their guardian’s permission of course!)

Trying to teach Rudder to hold a biscuit on his snout. He didn't do it, but got the biscuit anyway!

Biscuits, though an old-fashioned treat, remain a healthy favorite. Biscuits made with quality ingredients not only taste good, but the scraping action most dogs use to chew them help remove debris from their teeth that could cause dental problems later.

Remember, treats should not constitute more than 10% of your dog’s daily diet, even on this day devoted to the familiar bone-shaped treats.

Well, I know that tonight I will go home and try, once again, to balance a biscuit on Rudder’s big snout. Trouble is, I’m not very strict, and when eyes start crossing and drool drips, I just end up handing it to him and calling it a day. But today at least I can call it an “International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day”!

[CLOSED:] Enter our Drs. Foster & Smith Dog Biscuit Giveaway! To enter:

How many are we giving away, you ask? Well, it depends. We announced this Giveaway on our Drs. Foster & Smith Facebook page. The number of “Likes” on that Facebook wall post will determine how many bags of dog biscuits we give away.

• 50 “Likes” – we give away 1 bag of dog biscuits
• 100 “Likes” – we give away 2 bags of dog biscuits
• 150 “Likes” – we give away 3 bags of dog biscuits
• 200 “Likes” – we give away 4 bags of dog biscuits
• 250 Plus “Likes” we give away 5 bags of dog biscuits

So leave your comment here on this blog post to enter the Giveaway. Then visit our Drs. Foster & Smith Facebook page and “Like” the wall post to increase your chance of winning. Tell your friends to like the Facebook post so we give away more bags of dog biscuits! Ends Thursday (02/23/12) at 11:59 pm CST.

Related Posts:

• Deer Antlers for Dogs Are GRRRRRREAT!
• Pur Luv Dog Treats Receive 4 Paws Up!
• Quado Bone for Dogs (Product Review)

Details:
* One entry per person. No purchase is necessary to participate. You should be a legal resident of the United States and 18 years or older. Void where prohibited. Shipping to winners will be supplied by Drs. Foster and Smith. Lucky winners will be chosen by Noon CST on February 24, 2012, but the deadline to enter is 11:59pm on February 23, 2012. Winners will be announced on www.dfs-pet-blog.com /2012/02/dog-biscuit-appreciation-day/. Sponsor: Foster & Smith, Inc., P.O. Box 100, Rhinelander, WI 54501-0100. Employees and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. Winner will be notified by email, and must reply with their shipping information within 7 days. Failure to reply within the 7 days will forfeit your prize.

Tagged as: Dog Biscuits

About the author: Barb is a Certified Veterinary Technician with degrees in Journalism and German Studies from the University of Minnesota. She lives happily in the northwoods of Wisconsin with her Newfoundland, Rudder, and her tuxedo cat, Max. Barb is Senior Copywriter for Drs. Foster and Smith dog and cat catalogs and has been with the company since 1999. See more articles by Barb S.