Dog Won't Eat His Food Unless It's 'Prepared' First

When Enzo came down with a stomach bug of some kind, his vet recommended that his family feed him wet food for a few days. Once he was feeling better, they introduced him back to his regular food by mixing it with the wet food so that his stomach wouldn’t get overwhelmed. Eventually, they started giving him his regular food again — and that’s when something weird started happening.

For some reason, Enzo stopped eating. His family was worried he might still be sick, but he seemed fine. He just didn’t want to eat, and for a golden retriever, that was pretty unusual. Enzo’s family tried to pay attention to his cues, hoping he would give them some clue as to why he wasn’t eating, but at first, they just couldn’t figure it out.

“You can tell he is always thinking and contemplating,” Alicia, Enzo’s mom, told The Dodo. “He has very expressive eyebrows that communicate his thoughts about everything.”

Enzo’s family tried to brainstorm different reasons he might not be eating and come up with solutions to help him. Finally, though, it dawned on them why he might not be eating — and the answer was actually pretty funny.

“One day we had an idea,” Alicia said. “Sure enough, we picked up the normal food, stirred it with a spoon, placed it back down … He instantly ate it.”

Enzo had watched his special food being made while he was sick and decided that’s how his food should always be prepared — stirred with love by his family. Once they started stirring it for him again, he was more than happy to eat whatever they gave him.

Now, whenever it’s mealtime, Enzo’s family makes sure to stir his food before presenting it to him. It’s a routine that makes him happy, and as long as he’s eating, his family is happy to oblige.

“It’s now just a step in our routine,” Alicia said.