my dog eats poo (no joke)?

Question

what can i do she is 8 months old and eats poo she eats it straight away when shes done it and i have tryed to tell her off but it makes no difference i just cant take he out cause if she finds some she will eat it, i have tryed giving her loads of food but she still manages to find space for it. bought a muzzel but she wont even move with it on HELP

Answer 1

There is something called distast that you put into a dogs food that will make the poo not so appealing to them. Check your local pet store or contact your vet.

Answer 2

This is a VERY common problem. It even has a name -coprophagia - which basically means 'dung-eating'.

It is normal for wild and straying dogs to eat decomposing bodies and feaces because they are just as good at scavenging as they are at hunting. The instinct in our domestic dogs is still strong - any dog worth his salt will eat or roll in a dead rat or any type of faeces.

It is disgusting to us and some dog care books still refer to it as 'depraved appetite' although as far as a dog is concerned there is nothing depraved about it.

It has nothing to do with what you are or are not feeding your dog or how much food you are giving it. She is NOT lacking in anything.

There may be commercial products which make the faeces unpalatable to the dog and there are certain foods you can give the dog to help her stop but I don't want to suggest them as they don't work on all dogs and might upset her digestion.

The best thing is CONTROL. When she is doing a poo have a treat ready and give her it straightaway before she can do anything else and make sure she gets the treat and not the poo.

TEACH her what LEAVE means. Set up a little training session'

Offer her a really nice treat in your closed fist.

She will sniff and nibble to get it.

She might paw at your hand.

Don't say anything.

At some point she will back off ever so slightly; as she does so say (don't shout) LEAVE.

If she continues to stay back - that is she is not physically trying to get the treat - open your hand and tell her TAKE IT and let her have the treat.

What she will eventually learn is that 'Leave' means she can't have it and 'Take it' means she can.

When you think she is getting the hang of it try telling her to leave toys, food or whatever. Make sure you reward her when she does.

EVENTUALLY you will be able to tell her to leave poo!

Good Luck!

Answer 3

HI, I know how you feel as my previous dog and my current dog goes through this phase!

Working as a Veterinary Receptionist, I can assure you this is a very common problem - even the Vets (who you would think know everything) can't come up with a reason for it. Having done a Receptionist course and this was one question that came up, through my research apparently when dogs were wild this was normal for them to do. It is actually called Corphoragia! One theory seems to be that they are gaining extra vitamins or nutrients from the faeces (whether the dog's own or another dogs).

You can buy a spray from most pet shops to spray on the faeces which taste nasty to your pet. Alternatively when the dog goes for the faeces try and distract it by saying in a strong voice (not shouting) "Leave" and treat straight after with a tit bit. After a few times, the dog will learn not to touch the faeces and eventually you should be able to withdraw the tit bit (if you want to) at a later stage. Please remember, that if it is another dog's faeces your pet has eaten, it is important to regularly worm your dog as the faeces may contain worms or eggs. Good Luck! Sandie

Answer 4

Dogs normally eat their poo if they feel that they have not got enough from their food, ie nutirents and vitamins so they re-digest it.
You need to ensure that you are feeding her a good quality dog food with all of the nutrients and vitamins a growing puppy needs.
It wont make any difference how much food you feed her if her body tells her she is lacking something - you need to change her food (gradually) to one that's higher in nutritional value.
I would suggest getting her checked by your vet to make sure she doesn't have any underlying medical deficiency.
You can ensure that all of her "business" is cleaned up straight away to prevent her from doing it as much but you need to get her body to stop telling her she is lacking something - no amount of the wrong food will satisfy her and it is dangerous to just keep giving her more and more food.

Answer 5

Try feeding her garlic tablets - should make the poo (more) disgusting to her. Train her not to by giving here a treat after she poos and this will give you a chance to pick it up. Also try dry dog food - she is less likely to be attracted to eating it second time around. Good luck!

Answer 6

I know dogs eat grass if they have upset stomachs to deliberately make themselves throw up and get rid of whatever is bothering them, but I never heard of that.

Rabbits are actually supposed to eat their own droppings because their digestive systems work better that way and they get more nutrition from their food.

With that in mind I'm guessing it's a dietary deficiency the dog is trying to cope with instinctively. I'd consult a vet, though.

Answer 7

all animals eat their own poo from time to time, it is for roughage to re-process the food they have eaten and get all the nutrients out if it. It is pretty goss though so they probably shouldn't do it all the time, try a dog trainer or someone like that for a bit of advice, Good Luck = )

Answer 8

They say that the dog is trying to get the rest of the nutriants that where not used the first time!
My dog is on a heathy balanced diet but will eat continually and anything at that. I think its now a habit. If she feels slightly peckish and has just done one she happilly have a nible!

Answer 9

this problem can be resolved quite quickly. When you take the dog out, don't scold her for this as you are reinforcing the behaviour. As soon as she is done take her away from the mess so she cannot reach it and clear it up, this is if your out on walks!
At home, go out with your dog, and take her indoors as soon as she's gone, don't let her near it. Once she's inside, clear it up away from her sight.
Most dogs do this because we like to clear up as soon as the dog has gone, so they think it is bad to leave it there and so hide it by hoovering up!
Never scold your dog!you'll make things worse.
Reward her for going, then if she tries to eat it, say a big no! or leave! depending on the commands you've taught her. Remember she is still young. You don't need a muzzle, especially on a dog her age.
just plenty of praise for going then clear up out of sight. She'll learn quick.

Answer 10

dogs do eat there own poo it is a way of getting nutrients back from food that has already passed through the digestion system.
(dogs gulp their food so fast)my own dog does this too occasionally. it's a natural thing to them in the wild so don't worry

Answer 11

My dog does too. She is 11 months old. I have read this can sometimes be because they get certain nutrients out of poo? My vet said not to worry, and she would grow out of it. It started when she was 6 months old and I have noticed her doing it less and less.