The chief taste tester and beloved best friend of RecipeTin Eats’ Nagi Maehashi has gone to the big dog kitchen in the sky.
Dozer, the beloved canine companion of RecipeTinEats founder Nagi Maehashi, has died aged 13. The Golden Retriever entered veterinary ICU on January 22 with a double lung infection. Always the optimist and with the very best care, he rallied and returned home before being readmitted.
On February 3, Maehashi posted a blog titled The Final Chapter: Life of Dozer, accepting the reality of her dog’s decline and announcing she was stepping back from work to be with him in his last days and hopefully weeks. On Sunday, she confirmed that on February 5, he wagged his last.
Dozer predates RecipeTinEats by two years. As a founding member of the popular recipe-creation team, the adored 40kg dog was installed as Chief Taste Tester even though Maehashi admits that, in true retriever style, he wasn’t that discerning.
“He’s useless at taste testing because according to him, everything is scoff-worthy,” she wrote. “From broccoli to mango, peas to sushi, he inhales sweet potato skins and devours watermelon rinds like they’re meaty bones.”
The sweet softie was a constant presence in RecipeTin Eats photo shoots, and he attended book signings, dinners and fundraisers alongside his owner. When he couldn’t be there, he came as a cardboard cut-out.
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Dozer updates became such a part of Maehashi’s communication with her devoted audience that the dog now has his own tab on every blog post. Readers can “jump to” recipe, video or Dozer, where the content includes cute snaps under the dining table, health updates, pics of Dozer at the beach or, perhaps, staring longingly at the washing machine while his toys tumble inside.
Dozer appeared on PlaySchool and the cover of The Big Issue, also featuring in a children’s book called Row, Row, Row Your Boat (With Monsters) by Adam Simpson.
The breed’s average life span is 10 to 12 years. In 2024, aged 11, Dozer underwent surgery for laryngeal paralysis, a condition that made it hard for him to breathe. He recovered slowly and was never quite his old, bouncy self.
The sweet softie was a constant presence in RecipeTin Eats photo shoots, and he attended book signings, dinners and fundraisers alongside his owner.
Post-surgery, Maehashi wrote, “You’ve been the one constant in my life since the moment I got you. You love unconditionally. You’re unwaveringly faithful. You want to be friends with everyone. I have wanted you all my life. But I waited and waited until I knew I was in a position to be able to care for you properly, when I was done with the corporate world, travelling overseas and working long hours in the city.
“I knew you would need care and attention as you grew older. You’re so fit and healthy for your age, but it was inevitable that time would catch up with you one day. Whatever the coming years bring, I will be here for you to do whatever I can to make your life happy and comfortable. I love you with all my heart, Dozer.”
In the introduction to her 2024 book, Tonight, which has Nagi and Dozer on the cover, the author wrote in her introduction: “Cooking, eating, photographing and sharing recipes of damn tasty food with people all around the world, with Dozer by my side, is what makes me happy. Full stop, end of story.”
The world has only known Nagi alongside her sidekick dog. His story has stopped, he will live on in RecipeTin Eats books, blog and in the heart of his adoring custodian.
