Will dogs bother with fresh hops?

**lou2row** · 11-02-2011, 04:55 PM

I have two labs and would like to try growing hops. I'm just worried they might try eating them (they tend to graze on grass like cows). Most stories are of dogs eating them discarded from the wort where they were sweetened.

Will they try to eat fresh ones?

Copperpots_Brewing · 11-02-2011, 05:00 PM

That would probably depend on your dogs. Some dogs eat everything! Just remember, hops are poisonous to dogs and could cause some pretty serious health issues to them. If you are going to start growing, your best bet would be to block or fence them off so you wouldnt have to worry about the pups.

**lou2row** · 11-02-2011, 10:44 PM

The poisoning is the reason for my concern. This is a hobby, but those two girls are my babies. I may have to see about finding a spot at work I could grow a few vines.

BryceL · 11-02-2011, 11:15 PM

I have a dog and 6 bines at home in my backyard. I just made a cheap fence with some grade steaks and chicken wire. It's a bit of a pain getting in there and working the soil, but I figure better safe than sorry. She seems to keep out of them.

**tchuklobrau** · 11-03-2011, 02:27 AM

I have a 35lb daschund that will eat your buick if you let her. She however pays no attention to my hops, even while I was harvesting. Most animals know poison plants in the wild, the problem is when we boil them/ mix them with yummy grain. I personally think that is what causes the problem the yum factor from the grain, drowns out hte omg this is bad for me factor of the hops.

**ClarnoBrewer** · 11-03-2011, 03:39 AM

I live on a hop farm. 120 acres of bines, and during and after harvest, there are cones everywhere. Our springer is also a grass-grazer, but has shown no interest in hops. As a matter of fact, I've never seen any animal attracted to hops (excluding homebrewers). I agree that it's probably just discarded hops that are wort-soaked that are a problem.

**ThreeDogsNE** · 11-03-2011, 04:07 AM

My very chewy Golden Retriever puppy ignores my hops plants, which are unfenced, and goes over to the fence to chew the grass that grows there (which she then pukes). She has damaged them as she chased my son's Viszla, or my daughter's Great Dane, or both, through them. They broke a few mature bines at the base, and that might drive me to fence them. My prior old German Wirehair and my Cocker Spaniel also ignored them. They will grab tomatoes to play with as balls, but have not mouthed the hops at all. I think you are making a safe bet in planting them.

Fid · 11-03-2011, 04:50 AM

My dog loves ripping vines and roots out of the ground... He's a pretty bad ass gardener really. I don't have any hops growing so I can't give any personal experience but it seems that there is quite a bit of debate over just how toxic they actually are to dogs. I came across this article, http://rwcbeerclub.com/blog/?p=177 though, as you said, my dog's my baby too so I think I'd lean towards fencing them off rather than risking it.

hopmomma · 11-03-2011, 04:22 PM

There are deterrants you could buy, like sour apple spray. Try spraying this on a spot in the lawn the frequent and see if they avoid it. Or try making a vinegar/water sloution and test that. The vinegar will keep bugs from eating your hops as well. But it has to be diluted or it will burn your plants...learned that the hard way. My dog avoides my plants but I put up a small fence to deter him and neighborhood cats that like to poop in my gardens (that cat also poops in my daughters sandbox and anywhere else he wants..) also the hop flowers should be high enough away from them during bloom. This is my set up. We used cabinet knobs and string for training the hop bines and to support their weight while adding an artistic flair to the garden. The bush next to it is tomatos.

RobWalker · 11-03-2011, 09:49 PM

I'd suggest vinegar too, that'll keep 'em away without buggering your surrounding greenery, and it wears off in a few months.