What to Do When Your Dog Eats Poop

1 What to Do When Your Dog Eats Poop

Why do dogs eat poop?

Dogs are scavengers

As not apex predators, dogs chose scavenging, eating carrion, to survive.

To humans poop is filthy, but to dogs it’s protein in another form.

Boredom

When bored, dogs treat poop as a toy, sniff, eat, find it tasty and fun, and form the habit.

Improper punishment by owner

Wrong teaching makes the dog think you dislike poop, so it eats it to destroy evidence.

Common in dogs not house-trained; scolding after accidents makes them eat it, owner’s fault.

Owners must know: house-training needs correct guidance, not scolding or hitting!

Imitation

Dogs see owners clean up and learn to do it themselves, by eating it.

Lack of trace elements

When food lacks nutrition, the dog eats poop to supplement.

It gets needed vitamins, probiotics, and so on from feces.

Thinking the owner competes for the poop

When you react strongly, the dog thinks you’re competing and wants it more.

Cleaning its own traces

Mother dogs lick and eat puppies’ waste to hide scent from predators.

Adult dogs may eat feces to erase traces when threatened.

Digestive problems

When malabsorption, indigestion, parasites, and so on

What dogs are prone to it?

Statistically, 51.1% of poop-eaters are fast eaters.

High food-drive dogs are more likely, those frantic for food, biting feet, barking.

Judge high drive by excitement and begging for food.

Picky eaters basically don’t.

If it eats dirt or grass or has other pica, more likely to eat poop.

Among neutered males, 55% eat poop.

How to correct it?

The problem is correctable.

First, increase kibble so it’s full, not hungry enough to eat poop.

If lacking trace elements, it’ll also eat dirt and grass; ensure rich nutrition and give supplements, and clean up right after defecation.

So ensure rich, complete nutrition, give trace-element supplements, and clean up promptly to deny the chance.

Stop it when it tries to taste, not before it poops, not after it eats!