It’s an open-ended question that always begins with yes and ends with but. Yes, they can because they’re made from cornmeal and water, but they might make a dog ill if the dog in question has an allergy to corn (which some dogs do), or if some of the additional ingredients that a chef or cook adds aren’t exactly conducive to canine digestion. The main issue with grits is because they’re made from simple cornmeal and water, for the most part, they’re all filler and no killer until you put your own twist on them. They’re designed to fill you up with empty calories and plug a hunger hole without letting you pile on too many pounds. The primary ingredient is, at the end of the day the same as one of the often-used bulking agents that a lot of dog food brands put in kibble, so if you do feed them to your dog, you’re just giving him something that he’d already used to eating as part of his daily diet.