Can dogs eat almonds? Yes. Are almonds good for dogs? Not really. There are certain foods that should never be given to a dog, even in tiny amounts.
Chocolate, for example, is highly toxic to dogs, and even a small piece can have very serious consequences.
Grapes and raisins can also be quite harmful; in fact a handful of raisins might be sufficient to kill some dogs. We had a beagle who loved grapes. She didn't get them very often, but when we had some, she'd often get one or two. Later, we read that grapes can cause kidney failure and death in dogs. Our beagle died at a fairly early age, of kidney failure.
When one has a dog, it's best to feed it what is known to be good for it, and that's mainly dog food. There are other foods a dog can eat, and many of them get a few table scraps now and then. It's a good thing, however, to know not only what is good and nutritious for a dog, but what they should definitely not eat.
Nuts Are Better Left Out Of The Diet - That brings us back to the question, "Can dogs eat almonds?" Let's rephrase that to "Should dogs eat almonds?", and the answer should really be "no" and not "probably not".
Nuts, in general, are not particularly good for dogs; some being more harmful than others.
Dogs should definitely not eat macadamia nuts, which are highly toxic to them.
Walnuts are not recommended either, though it's the shell and not the meat that seems to cause a problem.
The Humane Society lists both macadamia nuts and walnuts as food that should never be given to a dog. The Society doesn't include almonds in their list, but it would be best not to give them to a dog anyway.
One of the problems with nuts, besides the possibility they may be toxic, is that nuts in general are hard for a dog to digest and can certainly cause a problem for that reason alone should a sufficient amount of them be eaten at one time.
Nuts still in the shell can also cause problems, especially if the dog cracks and swallows a shell which of course cannot be digested and may have sharp edges. Some foods, possibly including some nuts, have toxins that are not harmful at first, but will tend to build up over time in the dog's system if it continues eating those foods. For that reason alone, it would be best not to feed a dog almonds. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Leave Out Pits As Well - Fortunately, many of the food items that are dangerous or deadly for dogs are those things we would not give our pets anyway, but some, we might.
Avocado pits are especially bad, but most dogs are unlikely to be fed one. Give a dog an avocado pit and it might play with it, then chew on it. If it cracked and ate the pit, it would most likely turn into a life-threatening situation.
According to the Humane Society, apricot pits and cherry pits are also bad. A dog is more apt to eat the latter, but it may pass it through before harm is done.
It's the same situation with apple seeds. In this case, the toxins present accumulate over time. An apple isn't going to hurt your dog, but a steady diet of them probably would.
One vegetable that one might be tempted to feed a dog is an onion. One might not expect the dog wouldn't like the taste, but one never knows. Don't do it.
Onions, and garlic as well, are bad for dogs.
Getting back to the question, “Can dogs eat almonds?” one more time. Definitely not!