Dogs have been eating grass since, well since dogs have been around, with no ill effects except for the occasional bout of vomiting, which bothers the owner more than the dog. Eating grass is a life-long habit with many dogs. If your dog decides that it’s no longer in his best interests, he’ll stop eating it on his own.
Nobody really knows why dogs eat grass. There are a few theories out there. Some say they eat grass because they have an upset stomach and want to make themselves vomit. Another says they are trying to supplement their diet with nutrients missing from their dog food. Another says that dogs are omnivores which means literally “eat anything”.
I’ve seen many dogs chomp away on grass without any side effects, including not vomiting so I don’t believe dogs eat grass to make themselves throw up. It’s true that when they do throw up there may be some grass in there, the stems and blades have tickly hairs on them that can irritate the stomach lining. Dogs are quite capable of throwing up all by themselves without the aid of grass.
Diet Supplement?
As far as eating grass to supplement their diet, most high quality dog food contain the nutrients a dog needs daily. The primary focus on the phrase “high quality.” If you feed your dog nothing but canned meat, I could go along with this theory. Dogs do need vitamins and minerals other than those contained in meat. Canned dog food does contain some other nutrients but the problem is they are usually mushy and too soft to maintain healthy teeth and bowels. Dogs that are fed canned food are more likely to develop dental problems and constipation from the lack of fiber and roughage.
You do need to keep an eye on them when around lawns that have been treated with fertilizers or pesticides as these are very toxic to dogs. And those clumps of grass that drop off the bottom of the mower can have gas or grease in them, so those should be avoided. The command that works great for me is “drop it”.
Things You Can Do
If your dog’s grass eating really bothers you, you can try a few things. Since one common theory is that they are trying to supplement their diet, try giving them some vegetables with their food. Carrots, tomatoes, and apples are good. Stay away from grapes, raisons, and onions as these are toxic to dogs.
The experts pretty much agree that grass eating is just one of those things, as far as your dog is concerned. It doesn’t hurt him and he really seems to enjoy it. Dogs don’t actually need variety in their meals like we do. They are creatures of habit and will eat the same thing day after day as long as it tastes good. Maybe they eat grass just because it tastes good.
A great resource worth checking out is Kingdom Of Pets which has more information on dog psychology and general canine behavioral traits, with a particular focus on problematic behaviors. Take a look at Secrets to Dog Training. It’s a complete, detailed manual for the intelligent and responsible owner, and covers everything from obedience training through to preventing and handling a huge variety of common problem behaviors.
I’ve observed that some dogs love to eat grass more than others. In my opinion, this is an instinct that they have carried over from the wild. It is an instinct of self-preservation i.e. to supplement their diet with inadequate valuable nutrients and to help rid their gastrointestinal tract of irritants.
I know of a dog owner whose dogs love to chew lemon grass that was planted in their garden. In this case, I think it’s for medication purposes considering the therapeutic properties of lemon grass.
There are many people who believe that dogs eat grass for nutrition. Getting rid of irritants is another theory that could be true.