MY DOGS DIG GRASS –

By Thursday, July 30, 2020 14 No tags Permalink

My dogs dig grass

is what I told this elderly gentleman as he pulled up to the corner stop sign in this baaaadd vintage convertible sports car and became temporarily fixated watching the Boys munch on a patch of grass…

I laughed when he said they looked like miniature cows without the spots, then smiled and drove off.

But as I looked at Jaxson, I realized – he was right…

YouTube player

DOGS AND GRASS – 

Harley was a sick puppy (literally) when he first started feasting on grass. He battled a serious war against Giardia which required months of medication. Periodically, his digestive system would unravel.

Those were the days he’d ingest a few blades of natures green tonic and then throw up.

Doodle Dad would then tell me stories about his childhood dog “Snap” who ate grass to make himself vomit and self heal his tummy issues.

Because I never had a dog before Harley and Lee only had one dog growing up – I thought his tales was both gross and insane. Later I realized these were in fact – #truestories.

Back in the fifty’s and sixties, owners (they weren’t called pet parents then) intentionally sent their dogs outside in the backyard to eat grass if the dogs displayed signs of upset stomachs. Veterinary care was for the rich and famous. #saysLee

Many dogs eat grass. They ingest it, then vomit and feel fine. It seems to take care of whatever may be bothering them.

But what if they’re not sick? – 

SO WHY DO THEY DO IT? – 

dogs will seek out a natural remedy for a gassy or upset stomach, and grass may do the trick: When ingested, the grass blade tickles the throat and stomach lining; this sensation, in turn, may cause the dog to vomit, especially if the grass is gulped down rather than chewed.

AKC

If you think about it, dogs have been known to devour anything and everything to fulfill their basic dietary requirements. 

In some cases, dogs WILL gravitate towards the “green fields of delight” due to an underlying gastrointestinal disease. It’s up to us humans to know our dogs behavior and recognize sudden changes like:

  • lethargy
  • diarrhea
  • weight loss concurrent with grass-induced vomiting

Signs such as these are worthy of a call to the vet.

IT’S A SPECIES THING – 

Harley nor Jaxson –

  • have any underlining G.I. issues
  • suffer from dietary deficiencies
  • have a fiber deficiency
  • are that bored and/or stressed. 

So why in the Doodle do they do it?

After reading waaaaay more articles on this subject than I needed to, I came to this conclusion – 

Like cows, goats, sheep deer, elk and even zebra’s – my Doods dig grass! 

It’s pretty much like dirty socks, wet washcloths, and old tennis balls lying in the gutter. They enjoy the way it tastes…

Harley & Jaxson’s plant grazing (in my opinion) is inherited behavior similar to their ancestors who survived in the wild!

Doodle Doc and many other veterinarians consider grass eating a normal dog behavior. There’s absoDOODLEtutely no nutritional value either #anothermyth. As long as there are no dangerous fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides on the grass – they’re Golden #asindoodle

GRAZING IN THE GRASS – 

Since I doubt seriously either of them will ever grow out of this obsession, I’ve decided to grow my own weed. LOL 🙂

The next phase of our DIY outdoor projects is about to get underway – the backyard. We’re having a deck built off from the kitchen and I’ve decided to purchase two extra long planter boxes and grow some premium “Empire” grass in there #justforthem…

THEIR OWN PAWSONAL TROUTH!

This way I can re-train them to only chew on their own “home-grown” stash! 

I plan to elevate it on the outside of the deck foundation making it Doodle head height. This way they can walk right up to it like a drive up window! #haveityourway

ALTERNATIVES TO GRASS –

On a serious note: should your dog show signs of an upset tummy, you can holistically help settle their stomach by adding (to their meals) a – 

  • tablespoon of plain, unsweetened yogurt
  • daily probiotic to help minimize digestive episodes
  • small dose of pumpkin, oatmeal, sweet potatoes or bananas  

*ALWAYS make sure you check with your vet FIRST*

The Boys eat a rather limited diet of human grade food, all natural treats, fruit and veggies, so tummy upsets are rare. If there’s a need to help their digestive system, I use either pure pumpkin with/without a natural probiotic.

I continue to look for that elderly gentleman each time I walk that route. One day we will meet again and I shall hand him a GGDB card and tell him he inspired this post. Something tells me – he’ll be tickled.

Are your dogs “doing grass?” too? LOL

Your friendship refreshes our soul – thank you for reading ❤️

14 Comments
  • Richmond Henriques
    July 30, 2020

    Dear Cathy,
    Bacon, Labradoodle, and Teddy, Goldendoodle don’t eat grass. We don’t have any yet!
    They both love watermelon and green grapes and cooked Hamburger.
    We put shredded Turkey on their kibble and they eat every bit.

    Both are healthy, active dogs!!

    My best to you and yours,

    Rich, once a Captain in the 7th Cavalry

    • Bill
      August 19, 2020

      Umm, you do realize grapes are incredibly toxic to dogs right??

      Lots and lots of sources, but here is one from the AKC https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-grapes/

      • Cathy Bennett
        January 26, 2021

        AbsoDOODLEtutely!

    • Cathy Bennett
      January 26, 2021

      Those two Doods are eating well in your house!

  • Madison
    July 31, 2020

    Mom’s father in law always said dogs eat grass when it is going to rain. That pretty much has held true for Mom’s dogs. The day rain is coming we eat some grass, puke, end of story. Olivia eats it all the time and never throws it back up. We talked to our vet, and she said some dogs are just that way. Who knows. We are cows at times, but hounds the rest of the time!

    • Cathy Bennett
      July 31, 2020

      Wow!!! I never heard the “rain” theory. Very interesting Ms. Madison. Jaxson and Olivia are kindred spirits in many ways!!!

  • Tails Around the Ranch
    July 31, 2020

    Fast food grass joint…love it! Sheepdogs were genetically designed to eat grass along with the sheep they tended in the Highlands. Despite being generations removed from those days of yesteryear, Norman still manages to nosh a bit on an occasional blade now and then. And you’re right it probably does help with tummy issues.

  • Jan K
    July 31, 2020

    Oh yes, we’ve called Luke a cow many times – I even wrote a post about it with comparative cow photos – since Luke has the look of a black and white cow! LOL
    On rare occasions he does eat it to settle his stomach, but most of the time he just does it because he apparently likes it.
    Sometimes when we’re on walks he’ll stop to sample the grass, and I always tell him we’re out to walk, not snack, he can eat grass when he gets back home in his yard! 🙂

    That’s a good idea to plant special grass just for your boys!

  • Margaret
    August 1, 2020

    Our Lula enjoys grass too. We say she’s having her salad!

    • Margaret Manos
      August 1, 2020

      We also have Theo (golden doodle) he’s not in my profile pic for the reply. We didn’t have him when I set it up. When I figure out how to change it I’ll include him. (He’d want you to know about him too!).

    • Cathy Bennett
      January 26, 2021

      I like that – my boys eat a ton of salad then! LOL

  • NormanWilkes
    August 1, 2020

    So cute! This is the first time I’ve seen a dog digging grass!

  • Bill
    August 19, 2020

    Both my doodles eat grass like cows, drives me NUTS!! I started to use a pumpkin based food topper for their dog food, supposed to help their gut. Since I’ve been using it they have calmed down the grass eating, but they still do it. At least my large doodle has finally stopped eating rocks….

    • Cathy Bennett
      January 26, 2021

      For us it’s a fun activity especially in the spring and summer months. I plan to grown some in those long rectangular pots for the deck and let them rip the grass to shreds – I’ve given up fighting this fetish. LOL Take care,…