Why Does My Dog Eat Grass?

Your dog eats grass. The internet says it's because they feel sick. The internet is mostly wrong 🌱

When owners have been surveyed about this, the majority said their dog seemed perfectly well beforehand — and didn't vomit afterwards.

So what's actually going on?

Most likely: it's just normal dog behaviour.

Wild canids eat plant material too. Fresh spring grass is sweet, cool and damp. Dogs are opportunists. Many owners notice grazing spikes in April and vanishes in November — that fits taste, not illness.

The pattern matters more than the habit.

Relaxed browsing, nibbling the good bits, carrying on with the walk = fine.

Frantic gulping, plus lip-licking, drooling, off food or repeated vomiting = worth a vet call. That's the version to take seriously.

The grass is rarely the problem. What's on it can be.

Lawn treatments and slug pellets. Barbed grass seeds in summer ears and paws. Lungworm via slugs and snails. Daffodil bulbs and mushrooms hoovered up alongside.

Know your patch, keep parasite cover current.

If your dog is well and grazing casually, you can genuinely just... let them.

If you'd rather they didn't: pay generously for a cheerful "leave it", lead through unknown verges, and give them something better to do than the lawn.

Full guide, including when to ring the vet: