Why Do Dogs Eat Grass?

by Adam Cairn

Have you ever seen your dog eating your lawn? Many dogs do it, some regular and some sporadic. It’s a behavior which confuses dog owners who struggle to understand why a dog would choose to eat grass. Here are some of the most popular theories about why dogs eat grass, as well as some ways to stop your dog from doing it.

Most Popular Theories

Fiber

Some believe that dogs eat grass when their diet is lacking in fiber. According to this wisdom, the lack of essential nutrients forces the dog to crave fiber-rich food such as grass. If this is really the case, then adding additional fiber to their diet should ensure that they stop craving the lawn.

To Regurgitate

Another popular explanation is that dogs eat grass when they have an unsettled stomach, and eat it in order to help regurgitation. This seems to make sense, since dogs will often regurgitate after eating grass. The theory is that regurgitating the grass will help bring up any other unwanted food. Where this theory falls down is that not every dog vomits after eating grass.

Curiosity

Of course dogs are very curious animals, and use their mouths and noses to explore the world. Considering that dogs have been known to ingest paper, furniture, clothing and hardware, perhaps we shouldn’t assume that there is a good reason why they choose to eat grass. They smell grass, trees and plants to check for the scent of other dogs, so it might be that they have a chew to find out even more about the neighborhood, or simply to see what it tastes like.
There is always the possibility that dogs eat grass because it tastes so good. Dogs are omnivores after all, so they instinctively want to taste things to see if they are edible. Dogs can eat all sorts of things.

What to do about it

As long as your lawn isn’t treated with insecticide, fertilizer, herbicide or other chemicals, then eating grass shouldn’t really be too dangerous for a dog.

It could potentially upset their stomach, so you might not want to watch for that after they’ve eaten grass. Allow some time for their stomachs to settle, and you could even provide some food or water to help replace lost food and fluids.

If you desperately want your dog to stop eating your lawn, you could always consider an artificial grass lawn. This means you can enjoy luscious green lawns at all times of the year with minimal maintenance costs, and also prevent your pooch from chowing down on your turf.

Adam Cairn is a dog-lover and a gardener who writes on a number of subjects including artificial grass and creating a dog-friendly garden.