Stop Dogs Eating Dog Poop - Dog Coprophagia

How To Stop Dogs Eating Dog Poop

Dog Coprophagia is one dog problem that us dog owners hate. To us it's a filthy habit that just doesn't make any sense. I mean why would our much loved pets eat dog or cat poop when we are feeding them perfectly good meals?

Dog Coprophagia (eating feces) is most common in puppies up to a year old, but can occur at any stage throughout a dog's life. For such a wide spread problem there hasn't been much research conducted into how to stop our dogs from eating dog poop.

The good news though for us dog lovers is that there are many proven techniques or training methods we can call on to correct this habit.

If your puppy or older dog has taken a fancy to eating feces, read on...

Why Do Dogs Eat Dog or Cat Poop?

There are lots of theories as to why our dogs eat their poop - they can be broken down into two general groups:

1. Canine Behavioral Problem
2. Underlying Medical Problem

If you believe a medical problem could be causing your dog to eat her poop then a trip to your Vet is a must. They will perform an examination and can pinpoint the problem for you immediately.

An important thing to remember for all dog owners who have a poop eating puppy, is to ensure that all dog vaccinations and worming treatments are up to date. The reason for this is that various diseases and internal parasites can be passed from dog to dog through coprophagia.

Common Causes Of Dog Coprophagia

• It simply tastes good to your dog (disgusting I know!).
• Could be a symptom of anxiety, stress or boredom.
• Puppies may have a vitamin or mineral deficiency and they eat feces to restore this balance.
• If a puppy is punished for eliminating (pooping) inside your house he may on future occasions eat his poop to "hide the evidence". This could happen because your puppy has misinterpreted the punishment. In other words he believes that he was punished for pooping, rather than for pooping in the wrong area.
• Could be that your dog is cleaning up his living area. This of course should be the owner's job.
• Sometimes dogs develop this feces eating habit because they are copying the behavior of other dogs. There is also a theory that some dogs eat their poop because they see their owners cleaning it up, and they just decide to do it for themselves (not sure about this one).
• Bitches with a young litter of pups will often eat the puppy's droppings. This is to keep the area clean and also to help conceal the litter from any predators.
• Could be the result of over feeding. If a dog is over-fed he doesn't properly digest his food, therefore his feces still smell and taste like his dinner!
• If you only feed once a day, some dogs can become very hungry and scavenge around for any food (including poo).
• Some dogs have been known to develop Coprophagia when put on certain medications or antibiotics.
• A dog may eat the feces of a sick dog. This behavior is an attempt to conceal or protect the sick dog from predators.
• Dog owners have noted that when changing their dog's diet the dog has developed coprophagia - especially if the change was to a diet high in fat.