Dogs Eating Dirt?

Our two dogs & our sons dog like to eat dirt. I noticed they have special pockets in the yard where they chew the dirt. Does anyone else have dogs that like to eat dirt? I know the dirt has minerals in it so maybe they are getting their minerals from the dirt? I had a rescue dog I took in a 2 1/2 years ago & I had him tested for kidney failure (which he was having) & he was continuely eating dirt & had very bad breath. These three dogs aren't related & are young dogs 1 to 6 years of age. They are all healthy & in good flesh. They get a yearly vet check. They are outdoor dogs also.

What dog doesnt like to eat grass/dirt should be the question :D Black mulch is a favortie of Coco :)

I've never had a dog that ate dirt....would that be like pica in a human?

It's not surprising for a young dog to eat dirt. By young, I mean from birth to 3 years old, depending on breed ;) Physical maturity doesn't mean a thing. It's MENTAL maturity that's a bit more ambiguous.

Does your dirt have cow or chicken manure in it? My dogs looooved it when we doused our plants with chicken manure. Also, do you have a lot of backyard critters that maybe use your yard as a bathroom? My dogs love all kinds of poop, ranging from dog poop to goose poop. And, yes, dogs can eat dirt if there are nutritional deficiencies in their diet or, more often, it's a nasty habit (to us) with lovely (to them) rewards.

I've had dogs who ate grass occasionaly, but never dirt. I have no idea
why they would eat dirt, but my quess is a mineral deficiency. I'd check
them for parasites too. There's a good channce of picking up worms from
the soil.

Sunny loves dirt and her favorite snack is clumps of freshly cut grass. We try to prevent her from eating dirt and grass but sometimes, we lose the battle. It is most apparant when her poo is the color of grass...:)

I do worry about parasites from the dirt but figure the grass won't hurt her. I try to avoid letting her chew on mulch as I have heard certain kinds can be toxic. Oh, and sticks...she loves them too. Sigh........