One of the oddest behaviors dogs exhibit is eating grass. After all, we all know that dogs evolved from wolves and wolves are strictly carnivores. Their teeth and digestive tract have a meat eater’s constitution, so shouldn’t it make sense that our beloved canines stick to meat and lay off the greens?

Well, not exactly. Dogs are actually omnivores, which means that they can digest both meat and plant food alike. That being said, there are many theories that try to explain why dogs like to munch on grass from time to time, and they’re all pretty different. Here are some of them.

Eating Grass Is A Natural Instinct

A lot of people strongly believe that grass eating is simply a natural instinct, stemming from the fact that dogs are omnivores rather than carnivores. Before humans domesticated dogs and turned them into our beloved furry friends, dogs naturally fed on basically anything they could come across. Eating in this fashion resulted in a pretty balanced diet, and when consuming the internal organs of other animals that happened to be herbivores, it’s possible that they ingested plant foods as well.

A Psychological Reason

There’s a theory that eating grass can imply a psychological imbalance in a dog. This could be due to severe anxiety or depression, and just like people sometimes turn to food for comfort, it’s possible that this is true for dogs as well – only with grass. If you notice that your dog is more anxious than usual and has started eating a lot of grass recently, it might be due to anxiety.

Improving Digestion

One of the most likely causes of this phenomenon in dogs could be that grass is a good supplement for improving the performance of their digestive tract. But why grass? Well, because grass is full of fiber that might be missing from your dog’s diet. In this case, your dog might turn to grass as a means of increasing fiber intake and, therefore, making his/her stool easier to pass. If you notice your dog eating grass, consider slowly switching to a diet with higher fiber.

So, should you let your dog eat grass? Evidence suggests that eating grass is safe for your furry canine most of the time. However, grass is sometimes treated with chemicals that could be very harmful to dogs, especially in public places such as parks. These places usually have a sign that says whether or not chemicals have been administered to grass, so consider keeping your dog off these surfaces, for their own safety. Another thing to consider is that eating a large amount of grass in a short time can make your dog vomit, and while this is perfectly safe if it doesn’t happen often, constant vomiting can endanger your pet’s internal organs and teeth.