Hey brew-peeps,
I’m planning on planting some hop rhizomes, but I have to ask about the dog thing. I know that there have been a few cases of dogs eating spent hops and dying of malignant hypothermia. If there’s a chance of that happening with my dog, I won’t grow them. Does anyone have any info on whether or not dog owners can safely grow hops? Unfortunately, the only places around my house that could support hops, are places that the dog goes.
The only reports I’ve ever heard are that dogs only eat spent hops…they’re interested in the sweet wort, not the hops themselves. I’d still take precautions to see that dogs couldn’t get to the hops you’re growing, but I don’t think it’s a big concern.
A couple of dollars of chicken wire around them should keep them out.
There have been a few times that my dog came wandering over when I’ve been measuring out my hops on brew day. Having read about the malignant hypothermia (and wanting to grow hops in the future), I grabbed the bag and held it down on his level, about a foot away from his nose. I wanted to know if he had any interest in the things. He backed up, and fast - like I was holding a bag of hornets or something.
I’m planting hops this spring and I’m not worried about my dog. Like Denny said - I think spent hops are a bigger problem.
I definately contemplated keeping the dog out with some fencing or chicken wire, but the plan is to have the hops grow on a trellis adjacent to my deck, and the dog goes on the deck. I suppose I could fence out the hops initially and worry about them when they grow next to the deck.
My dog never touched mine. Only after they were in the ground a couple of seasons did I hear about them being a problem for dogs. Maybe some poultry netting for the first season just to be safe, but I’d say “grow your own”. 
My only issue with my dog and hop plants is that she likes running through the area where they are planted. In this case I’m more concerned with the safety of the hops!
^^ what he said
I have about 60 plants (10 in pots on the deck) and 50 in the ground. My dog likes to come out and watch me work on the hops. He never has expressed any interest in the plants.
Another thing, as you are growing your hops, you will want to strip off the bottom two feet or so of leaves and such. this helps reduce the incidence of mildew and promotes air circulation around the plants, as well as putting the hops out of the dog’s reach.
Spent hops are quite a different story, when I clean out my brew kettle, I always put the spent hops in a 5 Gal bucket with a tight lid. If you dedicate a bucket for this purpose, drill a bunch of holes in the bottom and let the bucket sit in the sink until they are drained–easier to handle that way.
Good luck with your hops
Bill
60 plants??? Whoa…