One of the favourite parts of my day is coming home from work and being greeted by my adorable dog, George. Seeing his little furry face light up and his tail wag makes the long commute home from work seem worth it. It also lets me quickly slip into relaxation mode and gets me set for a good night.
With my dog being more like my baby than a pet, my first job is to get his dinner ready, before starting on my own. George is well aware of the Pecking Order. Before I’ve even got through the door with my bags of shopping, he gallops over and jumps at my leg for cuddles before dinner. I, of course, always oblige and throw my bags down in the middle of the corridor and get my well-deserved cuddle for the day.
Once all the baby talk and dog cuddling is done, he knows the drill. So with him following me excitedly, I head to the kitchen and grab his bowl. Despite mealtime being as regular as clock work, each time George acts as if it is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to him. With ease, I pour his food into his bowl and feel like the best Mum (ok, dog owner) in the world.
However for pet lovers like me, feeding dogs hasn’t always been so easy. While these days there are an extensive variety of pet food available, it hasn’t always been this way. The history of the good old dog biscuit amazingly dates back to 1860. Funnily enough, it was an Ohio lightning rod salesman, James Pratt, who created the first dog biscuit. After travelling to London, Pratt observed sailors tossing ‘hard tack’ to the stray dogs that lived across the docks. The hard tack was a staple food for sailors venturing on long sea journeys and military campaigns and made from a mixture of flour, water and salt. Being a keen entrepreneur, Pratt took note of this interesting idea and ran with it.
Pratt quickly got assistance from a baking firm and create the ‘dog cake’, which became the first official dog biscuit. With the dog biscuit becoming very popular with English country gentlemen, in 1895 he introduced the idea to wealthy American dog owners. It wasn’t long until other companies cottoned on to the idea, with an American competitor creating a dog biscuit shaped like a bone in 1907. Up until 1992, it was Pratt’s dog cake and the bone shaped biscuit that defined the commercial dog food market.
In the twenties, the commercial pet food industry began to grow from just pet biscuits. Canned foods, pellets and a range of dehydrated meals became available on the market and were manufactured from meat and grain mills scraps. Controversially horsemeat was an ingredient, however was soon scrapped. During this time it was only wealthy Americans who could afford the treat for their beloved dogs. The commercial pet food industry was then greatly impacted upon by the Great Depression. People searching for an income began trying to sell bagged or canned pet food, with lack regulations in place during the time.
Luckily these days for George and me, finding dog food is easy. These days, I’ve even started ordering his Dog Food on-Line. It allows me to book ahead and ensure George’s little tummy is never left grumbling. It also makes sure I never have to do the desperate dash to the supermarket when the packet of dry food runs out. I find it more comforting having my stock of dog food ready to go, so George never gets hungry. If you care about your dog just as much as I do, I would advice checking out the wide range of dog food that’s on offer at Pookinuk at http://pookinuk.com.au/. For future reference George loves the puppy treats they have on offer.
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