Dogs eat poop

A frequently asked question by dog owners is, my dog keeps eating its own poop, how can I stop it? There is no simple answer or solution to the habit of eating poop, otherwise referred to as Coprophagia. Unfortunately dogs may be drawn to the highly unsociable practice of eating their own poop or other dogs poop for a variety of potential reasons.

Dogs have a naturally developed instinct to both guard their own territory from intrusion by other dogs and also to maximise their dietary efficiency. These two factors are suspected to be the most likely cause of dogs eating their own poop.

The dogs we accept into our family homes as pets today have all originated from wild animals such as the Grey Wolf.

It is believed that in the wild where food is often scarce and difficult to find or catch, such animals may eat their own poop (faeces) to digest as many nutrients as possible from scavenged or hunted food. It is also believed that wild dogs and wolves may eat their own and other animals faeces (poop) to recognise and identify territorial intruders or mask their own sent.

It is unfortunate that this built in survival instinct is widely inherent in the pedigrees and mongrels we now treasure as family pets.

There is another factor unique to domesticated dogs that may be responsible for coprophagia. This cause is unfortunately down to dog owners providing their pets with a house training regime based on punishment and not praise. In such circumstances it is believed that dogs may associate going to the toilet with punishment. This negativity encourages the dogs to only go to the toilet when humans are not around (hence, I cant believe it, didn’t do a thing on walk, got home and there’s a stool on the carpet) furthermore the dog may attempt to hide stools by eating them to prevent being punished.

So how do we break the habit?

Firstly, as I am sure you are now aware, there is no single reason that is openly identifiable as the definite cause of dogs eating their own poop. We must therefore as responsible dog owners attempt to remove the obvious temptation and address the many factors that may have induced the desire in the first place.

Factors that may induce dogs to eat poop (coprophagia)

Temptation to eat dog poop - dogs may eat dog poop for many reasons and a simple solution is to house train dogs properly and clean up poop from the dogs surroundings at the earliest opportunity. As dogs may also eat dog poop whilst out walking it is important to steer them away from poop whilst on the lead and observe them carefully whilst off the lead.

Cleaning poop from their own surroundings - It is important for us as dog owners to take full responsibility for keeping our pets surroundings free from dog poop. Dogs like most animals do not like to live amongst their own faeces and may be tempted to clean up for themselves if we don’t offer the support they deserve.

Dietary deficiencies causing dogs to eat poop

It is important for anyone considering taking on the responsibility of a new dog to fully understand the dietary requirements and frequency of feeds that the breed of their choice will need. Of course the needs of dogs do differ even within the same breed at times. If we take into consideration the age and weight of the dog and allow ourselves to be guided by the advise of reputable breeders and food manufactures we should be on the right track.

If we cut corners with our dogs diet their may be an imbalance or insufficient nutrients to support their needs. Dogs may then eat their stools to improve their intake of nutrients. Also cheep dog foods are often difficult to digest and the stools of dogs on such diets can include high levels of undigested food. This may in turn encourage the dog to eat their poop.

Another dietary factor that may encourage dogs to eat their own poop is hunger. Feeding the correct amount of food for your dogs weight at the appropriate times and frequency is essential for your dogs health. This important good practice is also a great way of reducing the chance of your dog getting hungry and feeling the need to eat its own poop.

Dogs may also be drawn to eating their own poop when suffering from underlying health issues affecting their ability to digest and utilise the food they eat. It may also be a sign that your dog is suffering from the infestation of an intestinal parasite such as worm. In such cases the parasite benefits from the dogs healthy diet leaving insufficient nutrient to support the dogs dietary needs. In such circumstances the assistance of a vet should be sought as a matter of urgency.

Curiosity builds dog poop eating habits

A dogs curiosity will encourage it to investigate everything in its surroundings, including dog poop. Furthermore, dogs may be encouraged to investigate dog poop when they observe us cleaning it up around the garden and mimic what we do (allelomimetic behaviour). They may see the poop as something that is good to handle because they see their owner picking it up on a regular basis.

An unfortunate coincidental of this initial investigation is that the dog may actually enjoy the taste and texture of the faeces and thus develop a taste for poop that forms into a habit.

Boredom and attention seeking - play with me or I’ll eat it!

A very important part of dog ownership is dog entertainment. Dogs need a good balance of exercise from dog walks and stimulation through play interaction around the home and garden with their owners. These two important aspects both relieve boredom and de-energise our pets. Without a good combination of both our pets are likely to mischief for entertainment which may include eating poop. They may also recognise that a normally disinterested dog owner suddenly gives them lots of attention when they are caught in the act of eating dog poop. This can become a method of gaining your attention even though it may not be welcome attention.

Stress, anxiety and fear

There are many issues that may stress our pets or make them anxious. These issues may include the conditions in which they are kept, the levels of exercise they receive, picking up on negative things happening in their home, abusive behaviour from owners or maybe a new addition to the family that they do not understand, amongst others.

Chastising a dog for going to the toilet where it shouldn’t or eating their own dog poop will only confuse them. This will instil negative memories together with fear into the dog. It is very possible that the dog will develop a fear of going to the toilet in view of their owner and attempt to hide their poop by eating it to prevent punishment.

Masking sent - territorial and puppy preservation

Dogs have naturally developed and built in instincts to protect their territory and defend their puppies from predators. In order to mask the presence of themselves to potential challengers to territory and dominance a dog may eat their poop to disguise their presence. A bitch with a litter of pups may also eat her own poop and the poop of her litter to prevent predators locating their position.

Summary

Put your dog on the correct diet and feed them at regular times with the correct amount of food for their weight. House train them properly using positive motivation and not negative reaction and punishment. Let them out regularly and clean up their mess before they can. Remove boredom through regular exercise and stimulating interactive play with you. A combination of the above should when put in place help stop your dogs eating their poop.

Treatments to prevent dogs eating poop

There are certain dietary supplements that can be used to help break the habit of dogs eating their own poop.

For further information visit our page - Stool Repel, stop dogs eating their poop!