please help how do i stop my 5 month old shitzu from eating poo?

Question

HE EATS THE OTHERS DOG IN THE HOUSES POO TOO I FEED HIM WELL AND PICK UP WEN I CAN BUT YOU CAN BE WATCHIN HIM ALL OF THE TIME PLEASE HELP

Answer 1

My dog did the same thing. The vet. said the dog learned this behavior when it was very young and still around it's baby brothers and sisters -or-- The dog may think it might be or is not getting enough to eat --or--the dog may think the food in it's food bowl is in danger of being eaten by another animal. (Feed dog's separately). The vet said that there is a product you can get (the vet will sell it to you), and can add it to the dog's food.
( this part sounds like a joke but, the stuff you add to the dog's food makes the dog's crap taste bad --as though there is such a thing as 'good tasting crap' yuk ! Your dog then will stop eating it's own crap and hopefully at the same time 'un-learn' the behavior of eating other dogs poo too. This product worked for my dog in about a week. I have 2 dogs . only one had 'the problem' and now the problem is gone.
Good Luck !

Answer 2

for a start it is shih-tzu not shitzu.
Has he been punished for pooing in the house? This often starts the sh1t eating.
You need to pick up the poo as soon as it has been done. You don't describe what and when he is fed so it will be impossible to recommend other ways of dealing with it. You may be doing something wrong in the feeding regime which leaves him hungry or lacking in nutrients.
What you don't want to do is add meat tenderiser to his food. That is an outright stupid thing to suggest since it contains 65% salt!!!! It could kill him or damage his kidneys.
Someone suggested sprinkling pepper on the turd. How daft is that. In the time it takes to sprinke the pepper you can easily just pick the turd up.

Answer 3

There are a few things you can do. Try adding canned pumpkin, spinach or meat tenderizer to all the dog's food in the house. These things make the poop taste bad (go figure that one, I feel sorry for the person who had to find that out). There are also food additives at the pet store made for this purpose. The problem is you may have to try several different things before you find the one your puppy dislikes. Remember this will not stop the problem over night.

You are doing the right thing by watching him and cleaning up after. But some of the time, will not work. Any type of training has to be consistent 100% of the for it to be effective. Any time you slip up.....your puppy is getting a random reward....a mouthful of poop. Your job is to remove that reward 100% of the time and with time the behavior to cease. Again this will not happen over night.

You said you are feeding him well. But are you feeding him a high quality diet? Check your label and if any type of corn or wheat is first on list, you have to switch feeds. Look for a brand that lists a good protein source first (meat by-products don't count.) When you find the new feed SLOWLY switch him over.

You should always call your vet and express your concerns with him or her.

Most puppies do out grow this nasty habit. Good Luck.

Answer 4

Make sure you have a pooper scoop to get rid of the poo before he gets a chance to eat it.

Cheap dog food though, maybe if you fed it to him in his bowl, it wouldn't have the same attraction for him!!

Maybe you feed him too well and he is getting the nurtients left in the food from the first time when his little body couldn't take in anymore of them?

Use the sweet treat treatment to try and overcome this. When you see him going to eat more poo then shout loudly 'NO' if he obeys you give him a doggie choc drop. If he goes for the poo again put him out of the room. Dogs hate being away from their owners so he will want to be back in the room with you. Keep doing this until he has learned to associate poo with shouting and being put out by you and choc drops (or whatever treat) with not eating poo. Dogs learn very quickly.

Answer 5

Some pups learn this from the mother when she cleans up after them.ALL dogs in the wild do it and they do it thinking they may not eat any time soon. but most of the house dogs do it just of instinct. The meat tenderizer and sometimes a small amount of pineapple juice will stop the behavior. The vet sells Detere tabs a daily supplement that also helps. You are not under feeding and the dog eating its poop has nothing to do with vitamins nor worms. its just a nasty habit that lots of dogs have its just most ppl don't see them do it. good luck

Answer 6

i have a dog that use to do the same thing, except she would eat my other dogs poo not her own, some dogs do it purely through a dirty habit, but i had to change my dogs diet, and it helped, some dogs do it because they have a lack of vitamins and stuff in their diet, do your best to get the poo up straight away and try changing you pooch's diet, i put my dog on a hypoallergenic diet, she doesn't eat poo anymore, and by the way its not ok for a dog to do this all the time, you have to do your best to get the problem under control, hope this helps,

Answer 7

When I had my dog she used to eat my cats poo, I mentioned it to the vet on one of her visits and he said it was due to he having a copper deficiency, and poo usually has a lot of copper in it which is picked up as the feaces moves through the intestines.Just make sure your dog does not get bad breath , brush its teeth regularly or get some doggy breath freshener tablets, and don't let it lick any ones face after it's snack.

Answer 8

I think you need to pick-up the poo when they poo...this will be a start. You should probably take your pup to the vet.,and have him checked for parvo. Parvo will kill a dog or pup quick, like within 3 day's if they contact the virus.

Answer 9

My dog did this a lot as a pup too. Its normal. Its because mother dogs regurgitate food for the pups to eat, it is a similar taste, smell and consistency to the poo and it makes them feel closer to their mother. Also feeding them food, which is too rich can be re-eaten as it still contains lots of goodness.

Answer 10

Almost all puppies go through the poo eating period. Yours like the rest will grow out of it...nasty as it is.