For some reason one of my dogs picked up the habit of eating dog poop. Not his own poop but my other dog’s poop. When I first caught him doing that, I was instantly grossed out and couldn’t believe my own eyes. I started researching and trying to find out reasons why dog would do such thing and how can I stop them?
Here is what I found out….
Dogs eating poop is a behavior called coprophagia. It can be a variety of reasons, which can be grouped into medical, behavioral, and environmental categories. Understanding the root cause can help in addressing the issue effectively.
Medical Reasons
- Nutritional Deficiencies: Dogs might eat feces if their diet lacks certain nutrients, such as vitamins or minerals.
- Parasites: Intestinal parasites can lead to malabsorption of nutrients, causing the dog to seek out additional sources of nutrients.
- Malabsorption Disorders: Conditions like exocrine pancreatic insufficiency can prevent proper digestion and absorption of food, leading dogs to eat feces.
- Other Health Issues: Conditions like diabetes, Cushing’s disease, or thyroid problems can increase appetite and lead to coprophagia.
Behavioral Reasons
- Attention-Seeking: Dogs might eat feces to get attention from their owners, even if it’s negative attention.
- Boredom or Anxiety: Dogs left alone for long periods or those that are not mentally stimulated may eat feces out of boredom or anxiety.
- Imitating Other Dogs: Puppies often learn by mimicking adult dogs. If they see other dogs eating feces, they might do the same. ** I believe this is the reason for my own dog.
- Cleanliness Instinct: In some cases, dogs, especially females with puppies, might eat feces to keep their environment clean.
Environmental Reasons
- Access to Feces: If feces are readily available in the dog’s environment, they might be more likely to eat it.
- Scavenging Instinct: Dogs are natural scavengers and may eat feces simply because it’s available and they are inclined to investigate and eat things they find.
Specific Scenarios
- Puppy Behavior: Young puppies may eat feces as part of exploring their world, but most outgrow this behavior.
- Overfeeding: Eating too much can lead to undigested food in the feces, making it more appealing to the dog.
Other Considerations
- Taste and Texture: Some dogs might find the taste or texture of feces appealing.
- Hunger: If a dog is not fed enough or not fed on a regular schedule, they might eat feces out of hunger.
How to get your dog to stop eating poop?
It involves a combination of addressing potential underlying medical issues, providing proper training, and implementing behavioral modifications. Here are several steps you can take:
Medical Checkup
- Visit the Vet: Ensure your dog doesn’t have any medical issues such as nutritional deficiencies, parasites, or other health problems that might cause or contribute to the behavior.
Diet and Nutrition
- Balanced Diet: Ensure your dog is on a well-balanced, high-quality diet. Sometimes, dogs eat poop due to a lack of certain nutrients.
Behavioral Training
- Supervision and Management: Keep an eye on your dog when they are outside. Immediately clean up after them to remove the temptation.
- Training Commands: Teach your dog commands such as “leave it” or “no” to discourage the behavior. Reward them when they obey.
- Positive Reinforcement: Reward your dog with treats or praise for not engaging in the behavior. Positive reinforcement is key to changing habits.
Environmental Management
- Prevent Access: If your dog tends to eat poop in specific areas, restrict their access to those areas.
- Litter Box Management: If you have other pets, keep litter boxes out of reach and clean them regularly to prevent your dog from accessing feces.
Behavioral Deterrents
- Taste Aversion: Some products are available that can be added to your dog’s food to make their stool taste unpleasant to them (e.g., For-Bid, Deter).
- Deterrent Sprays: Use sprays that make the poop unappealing to your dog.
Enrichment and Exercise
- Mental and Physical Stimulation: Ensure your dog gets plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. Boredom can lead to undesirable behaviors like coprophagia.
Consistency and Patience
- Consistency: Be consistent with your training and management strategies. Inconsistency can confuse your dog and make it harder to break the habit.
- Patience: Breaking this habit can take time. Be patient and persistent with your efforts.
Professional Help
- Consult a Behaviorist: If the problem persists, consider consulting a professional dog behaviorist for personalized advice and training.
I hope this was helpful because it is certainly helpful when I learned how to address the dog eating poop situation in my case. I believe in my case my dogs are curing creatures and they don’t necessary eat a lot of poop but he takes a bite, which is enough for me to say No No more. 🙂
