Dog’s Bizarre Pre-Breakfast Ritual Goes Viral Around the World: “Mine Does That Too”

If you thought your dog had some quirky habits, wait until you hear about this one. A dog owner from Australia named Peter recently posted a video on Reddit that quickly captured the attention of pet lovers everywhere. The clip shows his dog performing what can only be described as a very deliberate morning ceremony before touching a single bite of breakfast. The post was shared to the popular subreddit WhatsWrongWithYourDog, and the reaction from other dog owners was immediate and enthusiastic.

In the video, the dog can be seen hovering its snout over the food, circling the bowl repeatedly, and occasionally nibbling before walking away. Peter explained that this routine only happens at breakfast time, which is also when his dog appears to be the least hungry. According to him, the ritual can go on for as long as five minutes, after which the dog eats just a small portion and wanders off, returning about an hour later to finish the rest. Dinner, interestingly enough, gets absolutely no such treatment and is devoured without any fanfare.

Peter believes his dog is essentially attempting to “bury” the food for later, much like dogs instinctively do outdoors. Since the food sits on a lick mat placed on a wooden floor, there is nowhere to actually dig, making the whole performance look more theatrical than functional. “It all ends up looking very performative,” Peter noted, which is exactly what made the video so entertaining for everyone who stumbled across it.

Experts from The Kennel Club point out that this kind of food-hiding behavior is deeply rooted in canine evolutionary history, tracing back to their wild wolf ancestors. Dominant wolves in a pack would guard and conceal valuable food resources, and that instinct has not entirely disappeared in domesticated dogs. For some dogs, especially those who have been rescued or previously experienced food scarcity, hiding meals can be a way of establishing a sense of security and control over their environment. On top of that, a dog’s extraordinary sense of smell makes the whole act of burying and later sniffing out food a genuinely stimulating mental exercise.

The comments section under the original Reddit post turned into a wholesome exchange of similar stories from other dog owners. One person shared that their female dog used to do the same thing whenever she was not fond of a particular food, essentially saving it “just in case” she got hungry later. Someone else pointed out that dogs can be prone to OCD-like behaviors depending on their breed, mentioning their Saint Bernard who compulsively licks its paws despite multiple clean vet checks. A third commenter explained that their dog only performs this ritual when offered wet food it is not in the mood for, using it as a signal that it would prefer something different and eating whatever replacement is offered right away.

If your dog has ever done something equally baffling and hilarious around mealtime, share your story in the comments!