Is your dog eating poo? It's one of the worst habits your new puppy (or older dog) can have...
…it’s gross; it’s disgusting; it’s sometimes embarrassing; why in the world does my dog do it?; is it dangerous?; will it hurt her? We’ve heard all of these comments and questions. And as bad as the habit is, it’s actually pretty common and fairly normal.
Let’s talk about poop eating.
"Poop eating, however, is a normal, natural canine behavior at some life stages."
Coprophagia
Dogs do many things that we humans find surprising. When they meet another dog, what do they do? They sniff each other to say hello. Dogs drink out of the toilet bowl. They’ll roll around in really stinky things (like an animal carcass – true story). Momma dogs will lick her puppies to stimulate the digestive system and cause the puppies to potty. Momma dogs keep their whelping area tidy by “cleaning up” all the puppy poop. And yes, some dogs eat poo.
Coprophagia is the scientific term for “poop eating”. It’s a relatively common tendency for dogs, but perhaps the one that bothers us the most. What causes it, and are there steps we can take to stop it?
Is it common?
A study by Dr. Benjamin Hart (American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior) concluded that almost a quarter of all dogs are “poop eaters”, and 1 in 6 can be considered “serious poop eaters”. His conclusion was that poop eating is in a dog’s nature to do this.
“Our conclusion is that eating of fresh stools is a reflection of an innate predisposition of ancestral canids living in nature that protects pack members from intestinal parasites present in feces that could occasionally be dropped in the den/rest area.”
So please tell me why my dog likes POOPSICLES!
The whole thing is so gross to humans that it’s often cited as a reason for rehoming or even euthanizing dogs.
There seems to be some debate amongst the experts as to why some dogs eat feces. Some, like Dr. Hart, believe that this is a behavior that has evolved over time. A behavior that will “protect the pack” by hiding scent or removing potentially harmful parasites from a den. Others feel it might be more of a behavioral issue.
Our experience is that, simply, some do it and some don’t. Even siblings from the same litter, raised in an identical environment, will sometimes be very different in this way.
"Good info....BUUUUUT, it's still grossing me out. How do I stop it?"
For puppies, we recommend just keeping them away from poop, keeping their areas clean and using positive reinforcement in an attempt to teach them that the behavior isn’t acceptable. It’s sometimes possible to break the habit before it becomes a real problem.
For older dogs, here are a few things to try:
- As with puppies, keep your dogs living area and play areas clean of poop at all times. And always clean up after your dog when in public!
- If you have a cat, keep litter boxes clean. Some dogs love cat poop, too!
- Train your dog well, especially the commands “leave it” and “come”.
- Provide your dog with excellent nutrition. As we’ve said many times, your dog’s nutrition is the single most important thing that YOU control in your dog’s life. We recommend that, especially in the first 2 years of life, you feed your dog quality dog food. There are many terrific foods out there. One we recommend is from Muenster Milling. (Click here to read about their food and for discount codes.) Feel free to message us for other terrific options.
- Add supplements to your dog’s diet to ensure he’s not missing out on any important nutrients. There are terrific toppers you can add to your dog’s food. Example are:
1) Freeze dried toppers for gut health. (Muenster also offers terrific toppers. Click here or here.)
2) Bone Broth – another excellent nutrient source for gut health.
3) Omega 3 or Coconut oil to add to food. (Coconut oil is a natural anti-parasitic supplement.) - Add supplements to your dog’s food to change the flavor of the poop. Yes, this sounds gross, but it has worked for us before! Here are a few ideas of what to add:
1) Pumpkin puree has worked well for us – from the grocery store. (NOT pumpkin pie filling haha). Or, something like this might work – click here.
2) We haven’t tried these, but these treats claim to help stop the habit and there are many good reviews. Click here or here. There is also a spray that you can spray onto poop, to “train the dog” that poop tastes bad. Here’s a link => click here. (These sprays can also help prevent chewing on furniture, etc.)
And lastly, while it's not common, eating feces could be related to a health problem.
It is possible that coprophagia could be caused by a medical condition. Something as obvious and easy to treat as parasites; or perhaps something more complex like a malabsorption syndrome.
We always encourage you to talk with your vet about these types of issues. We like to try the most non-invasive, most natural and organic and least expensive options first; but if none of the ideas above work for your pup, you might want to have a chat with your vet.
