To celebrate this day of the canine’s preferred food, we’re sharing the history of dog biscuits. So grab your pets, some treats, and have a read:

Once upon a Roman age, bread rotted fast. When the bread went bad, it was deemed unsuitable for human consumption and was tossed to dogs. People caught giving good bread to pooches were forced to sleep in doghouses; some dog lovers hid loaves in their pillowcases and fed it to their pets once the bread staled. A well-intended but unsavory gesture, similar to people of the time eating at the local watering hole and asking for sacks — now known as doggy bags — to carry rotten dinner rolls home to their pooches.

Dog treats progressed little over the passing dog years, until an electrician named Spratt decided to work on perfecting the delicacy — his decision came after he patented a lighting rod for buildings and luxury dog homes. He realized that fresher ingredients, including wheat, vegetables, and meat products, made treats more delectable. He also included a secret ingredient to gain an edge over competitors, but hunters solved the mystery after feeding their dogs Spratt’s and letting them drink water; the dogs blew bubbles and frightened away wildlife. Spratt had been using traces of soap, which was unsurprising since dog biscuits were placed in the same product category as soap back then. Spratt heeded the request of hunters with guns and dogs with upset tummies and removed all cleaning agents from his biscuit factories. The removal took months — these became known as the dog days — but his treats tasted far better afterwards. Despite this production hiccup, he was commended for helping dogs have the cleanest mouths in the world.

More dog biscuit manufacturers entered the market and Spratt eventually lost business. He disagreed that dogs wanted treats formed like bones or bacon strips, and many of the companies that adopted fun shapes remain today. We’re fairly certain that the introduction of treats with shapes convinced dogs to green-light an International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.

And there you have it. Now go celebrate today because you love your dogs, because they are sorry for eating your progress report, because they are as smart as Phil Pastoret says: “If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them.” Celebrate today because they are your dogs.

Comment here or tweet us @Chicdogwalkers with the hashtag #dogbiscuit23 to let us know how you’re celebrating.