Getting Dogs to Quitting Eating Their Poop

Two of my dogs, Lacey and Ginger, have the bad habit of eating poop when I take them for walks. It seems Ginger taught Lacey this trick. I've tried different pills and powders with no luck. Sometimes I can pick it up fast enough, but not always. Scolding doesn't help either. Any ideas?

By MaryLou from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Answers: Getting Dogs to Quitting Eating Their Poop

Read answers for this question below.

By 01/29/2010

Check out this link: http://www.dog-obedience-training-r ... w.com/stop-dogs-eating-dog-poop.html

There are a few suggestions that posters here already mentioned, and a whole lot more. That trainer suggests the major causes of the behavior are generally behavioral patterns ( that can be un-learned), but also may be physical.

If the dogs are being fed once daily, up them to two feedings; also, if their diet is high-fat ( do they get a lot of table food?) the feces may actually smell good to them, like the last meal.

I'd go through the tips for behavioral re-training there, but don't discount the possibility of having the vet give them a once-over. Parasites can also contribute to this.

By 01/29/2010

Try feeding about 1/4-1/2 cup FRESH (not canned) pineapple. The enzymes sometimes help w/ the coprophagia. Need to feed it forever, usually.

By 01/29/2010

Hot sauce, chili powder, sprinkled on the piles.

By 01/28/2010

Victoria Stilwell, on Animal Planet, addressed this problem in "It's Me Or The Dog". One part of re-training is to feed your dogs something that will make their feces less appetizing. I think it was pineapple that she fed the dogs.

But other retraining methods are needed, as well. Maybe if you Google her show, there will be a web site where you can find this info in detail. Good luck!

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Getting Dogs to Quitting Eating Their Poop

How do you get dogs to quit eating their poop?

Carol from Blairsville, PA

RE: Getting Dogs to Quitting Eating Their Poop

I don't know how to get them to quit eating their poop, but if you have children PLEASE make sure that they wash their hands thoroughly after playing with the dogs and that they keep their hands out of their mouths.

The son of a friend of mine lost the sight in one eye because he was always putting his hands in his mouth (chewing his nails, I think). The doctor said that this was the cause. (The parents weren't aware that the dogs were doing this.) He said that it comes from a parasite that attacks the eyes or the liver. (03/11/2008)

By Pat

RE: Getting Dogs to Quitting Eating Their Poop

Feed them REAL green beans. They are either missing something from their diet or need more food. Make sure you feed your dog twice a day. Also make sure to pick up the stool before your pup can get to it. Eventually your pup will stop. (03/11/2008)

By Tiff

RE: Getting Dogs to Quitting Eating Their Poop

What kind of dog is it? When I had little Yorkies and they did this, I asked their vet why. He said that tiny doggies do not absorb all the nutrition from their food the 1st time around because of their small digestive tracks and this is how they re-ingest; that it was a very old, instinctive thing. (He also said rabbits and guinea pigs will do it too.) (03/11/2008)

By doodles

RE: Getting Dogs to Quitting Eating Their Poop

As I understand, this habit goes way back to wild dogs. They ate their feces so that no predators would find them. Today, I would think the best advice would be what Tiff said, pick up the stool before the dogs get to it. (03/13/2008)

By thriftmeg

RE: Getting Dogs to Quitting Eating Their Poop

See if your dog will eat a few pieces of pineapple. It makes the poop taste bad. (03/18/2008)

By witchbabe

RE: Getting Dogs to Quitting Eating Their Poop

If the vet has checked your dog and there is nothing wrong with her or her diet, this is what worked for me; I scooped up all dog poop except left two piles. I doused them both with the hottest hot sauce I could find. That did the trick. Molly's poop eating days were over. (04/08/2008)

By Gloria