For the first time ever, Dozer has agreed to sit down with me for a candid interview to share an insight into his life.
In this explosive interview that took place in his very own home, he spills the beans on what it’s really like to live the Life of Dozer!
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Dozer, it’s been a tumultuous year. What’s your take on COVID and how it’s affected your life in 2020?
COVID? What is that, a new snack? I don’t recall getting any.
Errr, no. It’s that world-devastating-virus, the reason your mum has been at home with you 99% of this year. You didn’t notice?
Oh. I thought that was just because she wanted to hang with me. I really was not complaining that she didn’t travel overseas this year.
Though having said that, I do miss my own vacations at the golden retriever boarders’ place…
OK. Well, let’s move onto a topic you are more knowledgable about. I’m fascinated by this job you do – Official Taste Tester. What are your key responsibilities?
My job is to taste food made by my mum that she is considering sharing on this website, and to give honest, objective feedback.
What an interesting job! Do you have any formal qualifications?
No, it’s something I have a natural talent for, and a field that I have always been very interested in.
I do work hard on self education every day, seeking every opportunity to hone my skills and expand my palette, from breakfast, lunch to dinner, from anyone, anywhere. See?
And do you consider yourself a high performer employee?
[Chest puffs with pride] I’ve been told by my mum that my eagerness is commendable and that my passion for food is unrivalled.
She has also praised me for the speed at which I do my job ie. eating the food I am sampling. I am fast!
Your mum cooks a LOT. Do you get to taste test a lot?
Not as much as I am willing to do, that’s for sure. I feel like my mum is suppressing my ability to do my job to the fullest of my abilities.
I’m not sure what you mean. Can you expand on this?
For example, she makes a roast beef. I am the RecipeTin Eats Official Taste Tester. My job is to TASTE IT. Yet, I get nothing more than a tiny sliver. How am I to determine if it is a good recipe or not without a sufficient quantity to sample??
Well Dozer, word on the grapevine is that you think EVERYTHING tastes good…
Tabloid lies! I have a very sophisticated palette. Like – kale. YUCK! Pork crackling. YUM! See?
Err, yes. Excellent examples. So – moving on.
Low point of 2020?
The Mystery Tummy Pain of 2020. Ooooh, that was so painful, I was hiding in far corners of the house curled up in pain. I’m so lucky my mum got me to the emergency hospital so quickly. They thought it was something scary when they started doing tests on me. It turned out to be….well, just gastro.
Wait – so everyone was super stressed about you being seriously sick and it was just gastro? Sounds like a case of Tummy Man Flu, if you ask me…..
[Sulking tone] It was BAD, I’m telling you. Even the vet thought I was like DYING of something nasty! I even turned down roast chicken. Everybody knows that’s my all time favourite food!
Plus, they shaved me to do scans. My privates were exposed for all the world to see. My mum had to use the Modesty Flowers on my photos for weeks!!
High point of 2020?
That Perfect Day, when I bounded out of bed at 6 am, my mum prepared my home cooked meal straight away, then we went off to the dog beach to play with my friends. Came home to a warm shower, snoozed in the sun to dry off.
Chased birds in the backyard, chatted to my neighbours’ dog through a hole in the fence, rolled around on the grass, played with my toys.
Finished off the day with a swim in the pool followed by a big juicy bone, homemade dinner then off to bed.
Sounds delightful Dozer. And when was this Perfect Day?
Yesterday! And the day before. Wait, and the day before that, and the day before that….. 😇
So basically you mean every day is a Perfect Day. That is Life of Dozer!!
What would you say your greatest asset is?
My looks. I’ve been known to make grown men give up an entire drumstick using just my looks.
And finally, I think it’s fitting to finish with this question: Best food memory of 2020?
That time mum was teasing me, showing me a Custard Tart she made with no intention of sharing it with me. Then she dropped it. #Karma
Ha ha! You certainly seem to live a charmed life Dozer!
Thank you for taking the time to chat to me. We look forward to seeing what 2021 holds for Life of Dozer!
Happy New Year everyone! Usually, I’d see out a year with a post filled with party foods to celebrate New Years’ Eve. But given this year will be (very!) quiet for many of us, I thought I’d do something a little different.
Hopefully it gave you a bit of a laugh!
I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I won’t miss 2020. We’ve got more challenges ahead in 2021, but surely things can only go one way – UP!
Here’s to better times ahead! Keep smiling, stay safe, and sending big (virtual) hugs to you all!
– Nagi & Dozer xx
Wonderful Dozer ☺️ and a great way to start the year, you always put a smile on my face, Thankyou. Happy New Year 🎉
HAPPY NEW YEAR Nagi and Dozer. May God richly bless you both in 2021.
Thank you for your lovely blogs regarding Dozer, I love reading about him. You always put a smile on my dial Nagi. I can see how much you love Dozer, that he’s not just a dog, he is your family.
I can relate to Dozer re: Kale “Blurgh”
I’m a dog owner and lover, I have two dogs; Silky X Maltese (male; Jippers) and a Border Collie (female, Joy).
We do home made meals for our dogs; we subscribe to Dr Ian Billinghurst “Give your Dog a bone”. Our dogs get raw foods and raw bones.
We buy human grade kangaroo mince (for the little one as he has allergies) and human grade beef mince for the Border Collie.
We have a Thermomix and Dad processes vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, apples, pears, celery, zucchinis etc and mixes them in with the mince and makes 250 gram servings for the big dog, he freezes the other patties, and he cooks either sweet potato or pumpkin and mixes that in with the kangaroo mince and makes up 150 gram patties, freezes them as well, so that they get raw foods, none of that processed rubbish.
However, in saying that, we buy expensive dog biscuits, ‘grain free’ for the Border Collie. She had pups in June and seems to have an increased appetite, the little fella he doesn’t get any biscuits as they exacerbate his allergies.
Anyway, I better let you go.
Thank you for such wonderful cooking experiences that you have provided me this year, as I mentioned once before, you are my ‘Go to’ website for inspiration. If I’m in the mood for cooking something, I go to you first, I use my Thermomix as method, however, I use your recipes for ingredient.
HAVE A WONDERFUL 2021
xxx
OMG. That was the best thing ever! As someone who will always click through to a recipe even if I’m not interested in the recipe just to see what Dozer’s up to, that was an awesome fix 😂😂😂
PS – the first time I saw that story about the dropped custard tart, I actually thought Dozer must have actually made a dive for it. I’m not sure if you just happening to drop it is more or less devastating 😂😭😂
Dozer, such a clever interview. Love seeing you in your mum’s posts. You always make me smile.
Thank you
It’s been a year to forget but you and Dozer definitely made it easier to get through x
Awww thanks for the “interview” with Dozer. He is indeed “living the life”❤️ Our fur babies make every day a new adventure or just brighten it by making us laugh. Plus you make a pretty good reporter!
Dozer:
I roast bones for my son’s chocolate Labrador. I think it is safer and tastier than the raw bones? Can you pass an opinion on this?
Also, if you put a bit of salad dressing on the kale, it would taste really good. Just a suggestion for you to try.
It is absolutely not better; stop now! Cooked bones can splinter and cause digestive trek injuries no matter what bone you give the dog. You cannot think of dogs in the same way as humans when it comes to food. Dogs can eat a lot of raw meat and it is actually better for them. Plus raw bones are very good for their teeth..
Just noticed the salad dressing comment as well. Again, it is not good to give dogs salad dressing. They are full of sugar; dogs cannot metastasize sugar, which is why chocolate can kill them. Nagi only gives Dozer very small “tastes” of her recipes. Dogs eat because it is their natural instinct to do so to survive. They do not eat based on taste. Albeit there are obviously foods they “prefer” over some other foods, but if a dog is not introduced to these foods, they do not know any different..
PS- This is also why a lot of fruit is dangerous very dogs, such as grapes etc.
All the very best to you & Dozer for 2021.
Love all your recipies but must admit I have to check Life Of Dozer first. Loved his interview, so truthful he’s a natural. Keep well .
There is no shame in telling me you check out Dozer first! I do the same when I use my own recipes LOL! N x
Thank you and Dozer for sharing his interview. You are so lucky to have such an in-house food expert with such discerning taste. He has a great deal of responsibility in keeping you grounded and on track. I’m quite sure he misses going to camp as much as you miss traveling. We here in New Jersey love your unbelievable recipes and look forward to a new year of deliciousness. My two Havanese (both <20lbs) are extremely fond of all recipes I’ve tried. EllaMae and Paco are most grateful and look forward to following you and Dozer in this new and improved year. Be well and be careful.
Thanks for sharing this fun interview with Dozer it really gave me joy. I have always had a dog by my side but recently had to give my dog to my son due to my health issues. Seeing Dozer & your creative writing about him helps relieve my loneliness for my dog. I love your blog & recipes & I’m so thankful you do what you do.
I wish you a new year filled with joy & creativity & unending fun with Dozer.
Thank you, Nagi. Thank you for sharing your life, your pup, your food, your creativity – all of it. I’m so grateful. This made me smile.
Oh the joy of Dozer !! Earlier in my life I shared 16years with my own “Dozer”. Every Dozer episode is read with a smile and I love your recipes too !!
Big Thankyou.
Happy New Year to you and Dozer! Dozer’s interview brought a chuckle and smile … and was a great first read for the New Year! Think we are all looking forward to a better year ahead…stay safe and stay well Nagi!
I really enjoy your website, and especially enjoy your comments about and with Dozer. Thank you for making this dismal year more fun.
Happy New Year Nagi and Dozer! Loved the interview and all your posts. Thank you both for getting me through 2020.
Dear Nagi and Dozer, You two are Awesome and Amazing!!!!! Love the interview and pics. Very cute. Obviously, thousands of followers feel the same way as I do. You and Dozer bring smiles and happiness to people with your stories, pictures and, of course, your recipes!! Happy New Year!!
Nagi, this is brilliant. I think I’m a little bit in love with Dozer. (Don’t tell my cats.) You bring such joy not just to my palate. Love your recipes, videos and attitude toward life. Keep it coming, please!
Pretty sure you just interviewed my dog! Happy New Year and thanks for all the fantastic recipes that kept us going through 2020. x
Nagi & Dozer – thank you for keeping a Brit in lockdown 3?….4?….lost track…..in the UK in good spirits. The Dozer interview was fab. I really look forward to and love your emails. Long may they (& you both) continue x
Love your interview with Dozer. You have a great sense of humor! I love your recipes and every one that I have cooked turns out perfect and puts a smile on my hubby’s face. Have you ever thought of publishing a cookbook? Have a wonderful 2021, Cheers,Kathy