Why does a 5 month old puppy start eating his own poop?

Question

And how to train him to stop doing this? Already tried the NO NO NO when I catch him in the act but he keeps on doing it.

Answer 1

When he was a puppy, mom taught him this, as the method of keeping his nest clean..so, to him it is not wrong.. he is now being stressed for some reason, and reverting to his earlier, happy puppy-hood, when he was safe and secure with mom and litter-mates..The action is much as a child, when reverting to thumb sucking..
the key to stopping the behavior is to learn what he is stressing about...the scolding will only enhance the problem..

Answer 2

This a not uncommon behvior called coprophagia. Did you housetrain him by rubbing his nose in his accidents? That can sometimes be the cause.

Otherwise it may have to do with a nutritional problem. Make sure you are not feeding cheap food. Iams, Science Diet, Authority are good brand. Puppy Chow or Dog Chow will sustain life, but are hardly the best choices. And we won't even go into off brands. There is a very expensive brand called Innova EVO which I am very pleased with, but like I said it is expensive since there are no grain fillers.

You probably will not be able to convince the dog not to eat poop from himself or other animals. I certainly can't keep my dogs out of the litter box.

This is the perfect example of prevention being the better part of training. Here is the magic answer:

Scoop your yard immediately after your dog goes. Problem solved.

Plus people can walk around in your yard without having to worry about "landmines."

If you are unwilling to take the simple step that is necessary to prevent your dog from doing this, there is an additive for his food you can get that makes the poops taste bad. Not sure exactly what it is called, but you could ask your vet or pet store.

It is best to get this under control before it become too much of a habit.

Answer 3

This is a problem that won' go away. My dog a mini dauchshund does it and I spent a fortune buying what the vet suggested a veggie powder stuff that you put on the food and then when the dog poops he doesnt' want to eat it b/c it "tastes" nasty. Spent over $250 bucks to do this "treatment" and it didnt' work. He is four years old now and if I dont' go out with him and watch his every move he will still do it. No amount of spankings and the NONONO worked. Good Luck. I was told though that the "treatment" can work some dogs just really dont' care and as long as it is only their poop you dont' have to worry about worms and other problems as much. Talk to you vet when you go back for the next round of shots and let him/her advise you though.

Answer 4

Mine did the same thing. I was told that I should never let him see me cleaning it up as he would think that that's what he would do - I would shovel it into a small box or garbage bag. So I had to do it when he was in the house. There is a medication that will stop it because it makes the poop taste really bad. Didn't work on my guy. You can't believe the number of stupid suggestions I got from people who don't have pets! Anyhow, I finally solved it myself. I would take him out with me, and bury it in the dirt. Now he has one place in the yard that is his 'bathroom', and he hasn't eaten any poop since.

Answer 5

Are you feeding her the correct stage and amount of food? Sometimes dogs do just have an over developed sense of hygiene and keeping the den clean, but sometimes if a poop smells like it still has a lot of nutrients in it they will consume it again. Besides that the obvious and easiest solution would be to clean up the poop asap. Dogs should be doing all their pooping on walks and using the garden just for weeing inbetween. Dogs would not be forced to foul their den in the wild. When out in the garden they should be supervised at all times, whether you are watching them through a window or whatever - then if you see them poop in the garden it is out to collect it (paying no attention to the dog).

Answer 6

Yes, they will. Some are worse than others. Be sure your puppy is getting the right vitamins in his food. Are you feeding him the correct amount of food? Talk with your vet about this....If you walk him on a lead you can prevent this, also keep your yard picked up. When he is finished, scoop it up and throw it away. If there is nothing there, he won't eat it.

Answer 7

There may be something lacking in his own diet. I'd switch food to something more nutritous. Also, there is a pill (over the counter) that you can buy that will prevent this from happening. You can sprinkle it in their food, give a pill, or buy something different and sprinkle it on the poop itself. One product name is For-Bid, it is sprinkled on the food.

Answer 8

Why does an 8 year old pick his nose?

Answer 9

Cuz he probably ate cat poop first

Answer 10

dogs in general usually eat their own poo, vomit and various other things. i'm not sure of any way to get them to stop except using strict and consistent discipline when they do.