Dog food comes in tin cans, paper bags, stand up pouches, and a range of other packaging mediums. These packaging mediums are the most prominent in the dog treat packaging industry. The history of dog treat packaging is over 150 years old. Initially, tin cans were the only option for dog treat packaging. The Second World War changed that irrevocably. Today, a variety of packaging mediums are used.

Legend has it that when an electrician from Ohio was in London, he saw a pack of dogs dining on the food thrown by some sailors. Upon returning to the U.S. he made a “cake” from the beef, vegetables, and meat. That was in 1860. (Three White Dogs Cookbook, P.J. Blue) It was the first time someone had created food especially for dogs. The American electrician packaged this dog treat cakes in tin cans, and sold them. Thus tin cans were the first medium of dog treat packaging.

America’s involvement in the Second World War brought about a change in how companies packaged dog food. There was a shortage of tin so paper bags were used to package dry dog food. The post war boom brought in newer packaging mediums, of which stand up bags were one. Today, stand up pouches are a preferred method to package dog food.