Most dog parents have caught their pup nibbling (or feasting) on grass at some time or another, although not many people know why their pets are picking up this habit.
When dogs eat grass it isn't necessarily a bad thing, according to dog experts, as long as it's not traced with chemicals such as fertilizer.
Here's four reasons why our pups love grass so much:
1. Grass is a nutritional necessity.
Before dogs were domesticated they used grass as a natural medicine to cure a stomach ache or other sickness since it's packed with nutrients. Experts from PetMD say this shouldn't be of concern to dog parents unless there is a "sudden increase in grass eating" because "it could be a sign of a more serious underlying illness that your dog is trying to self treat."
2. Dogs are natural scavengers.
When today's domesticated dogs' ancestors lived in the wild they were scavengers and looked for nutrients anywhere they could find. Some experts suggest this is why dogs like to eat grass when they're in a backyard full of it.
"Your dog eats every last morsel he can find under your dinner table after a meal, so why stop there? As natural scavengers, canines are programmed to search for nutrition anywhere they can find it," reported Ceaser's Way, a website based on Ceaser Millan - the Emmy-nominated host of Dog Whisperer."
3. They are looking for attention.
Many dogs, who know they're not supposed to eat the grass in the backyard, do so anyway because they are bored and looking for attention.
"This reason is lumped together with eating grass for attention getting because both incidences result from a lack of owner interaction or engagement," reported Canine Journal.
"Dogs, like humans, require stimulation and that stimulation should come in the form of mental and physical exercise. When a dog does not receive enough exercise they will become bored and begin to entertain themselves. In some cases a dog will entertain itself by being destructive and chewing through furniture, in other cases a dog will entertain itself by finding something - anything - to do and this can include eating grass."
4. It tastes good.
This may seem like a very obvious answer, but it's among the least considered explanations for dogs eating grass. Dogs may be seeking out to nibble on grass for the same reason we seek out to eat the sweets we're supposed to stay away from - it just tastes too yummy to avoid!
"Most people who have seen their dog eat grass have noticed that they go after it as if they actually enjoy the taste. After all, most dogs would probably not eat it if they did not like the taste," reported Pet Info.
From the looks of the dachshunds in this video, loving the taste of grass very well may be the case:
