Nearly every dog eats grass sometimes, and some dogs eat it all the time. You would think that veterinarians would have a pretty good idea by now of why they do it. But they don't, mainly because no one has figured out how to ask dogs two important questions: "Do you like the taste?" and "If it tastes so good, why do you throw it up?"
If only dog's could talk! But if you are like many dog owners who live in a grassy area you would swear sometimes that your dog is an Angus. Dogs just lay out in the yard and graze just like a cow. Dogs explore their worlds with their noses and mouths. And there's the grass, attractive, sweet-smelling, with an appealing texture; and it's ever-so-accessible on the ground. Why not eat it?
Dogs May Have A Craving For Greens
Dogs are remarkably flexible in their tastes. They'll polish off a bowl of dried dog food, then walk over to see if there's anything good in the trash. If they're still hungry, they'll wander upstairs to see what's in the cat's box. Basically, they'll eat, or at least sample, whatever they find in front of them.
There's a good reason for their liberal tastes. Unlike cats, who evolved solely as hunters, dogs survived by scavenging. When they couldn't catch live prey, which was a lot of the time, they'd eat the ancient equivalent of roadkill. They didn't care too much if had been lying in the sun for a week or was half-buried under old leaves. It was food, and they weren't going to pass it up. When meat wasn't on the table, they'd root around for tender leafy stalks, or roots, or an old polished bone. They simply weren't fussy, and dogs today haven't gotten any fussier. They're predisposed to like just about everything.
Watch Out What Grass Your Dog Is Eating
Unless your dog is in the habit of regurgitating grass on the dining room floor, there's no reason to worry about it. Dogs have been eating grass for thousands or tens of thousands of years, and there's no evidence at all that it's bad for them. That isn't the case, however, when grass has been treated with insecticides, herbicides, or other chemicals. Most products say on the label whether they're dangerous for pets. In any event, you should certainly keep dogs away from grass soon after chemicals have been applied. Most products break down fairly quickly, but they can be quite dangerous if your dog eats them while they're fresh.