Friday, February 23rd is National Dog Biscuit Day! The special holiday is the perfect chance for dog owners to treat their beloved dogs to a tasty snack. The holiday is also observed all over the world as International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.
While some sources say that the origins of the holiday are unknown, some sources mention the international day may have evolved in honor of an ancient Roman tradition. In these days, dried bread made from bran was given to dogs. Centuries later, bran bread was considered distasteful so it was frequently used to feed dogs on a regular basis. However, in the 19th century, dog biscuits were created. In following years, they were made from meat products and they sometimes included dietary supplements, so that the supplement could keep dogs as strong as regular, healthy dog food. Contemporary dog biscuits were first made by an Ohio electrician who wanted to make high-class dog treats to sell to England’s upper class gentleman in 1860. Soon, it became a popular treat amongst show dogs. After the success of commercial dog biscuits, canine foods like bones, treats, and other dog goodies began to become manufactured at home and abroad.
We love when our dogs are happy and if you’d like to celebrate with your pup today here are a couple tasty recipes to make your dog:
Jeffrey Beall/Flickr
1. Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions:
Step #1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Step #2: Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Add water to make dough. Mix until dough is dry and hard. Next, roll the dough into a ½ inch thick roll. Proceed to cut into ½ inch bites.
Step #3: Place in a baking pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until the biscuits are hard.
Betsy Weber/Flickr
2. Bacon-Flavored Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 teaspoons bacon fat
- 5 cups whole wheat flour
Instructions:
Step #1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie tray.
Step #2: First, beat eggs into a large bowl. Slowly stir in milk, water, bacon fat, salt until fully blended. Next, slowly stir in the flour to make stiff dough. Break off pieces of the dough and roll them into 2 inch balls. Placed on the baking sheet.
Step #3: Bake biscuits in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Store in a covered container in your fridge
3. Diabetic Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 pound beef liver (small pieces)
- 2 eggs
Instructions:
Step #1: Make sure to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Use parchment paper to fill a 10 by 15 jelly pan.
Step #2: Pulse liver in a food processor until finely chopped. Add flour and eggs and continue to pulse until smooth. Spread evenly in your prepared pan.
Step #3: Bake biscuits for 15 minutes or until firm. Cut into tiny squares with a pizza cutter. The biscuits should have a texture similar to a sponge. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Dog owners can get as creative as they want with these tasty treats! Dogs also love flavors like bananas, corn, and broccoli; you could make original recipes with these healthy and wonderful flavors. Explore more dog treat recipes here!
It’s great to reward our dogs with a special treat for good behavior or merely to show that we love them. Don’t forget to share photos of your dog enjoying a delicious dog biscuit with the hashtag #DogBiscuitAppreciationDay on Instagram!
