Help for Dogs that Eat Poop (Coprophagia)

Help, my dog eats poop!

First, it may be a relief for you to know that eating poop is not as bad for your dog's health as you would think, so there is no need to panic. More good news is that many dogs grow out of this behavior.

We all wonder why dog's do this behavior that really grosses us out. We speculate that perhaps it tastes good, he needs some extra nutrition, he's bored or maybe likes to "clean up" after himself. We don't really know and can only guess and try out best to solve the problem. We do know that this is not all that abnormal a behavior for our dogs since they have a heritage as scavengers (unlike our species).

The most important step to curbing your dog's poop eating habit, is to make sure that he is not allowed to continue eating feces. I know this can be difficult to manage if you have become accustomed to giving your dog lots of free time, but we all know that a habit cannot be overcome if it is allowed to continue. To this end, try to be with your dog when he goes potty or your other dogs do. When you see that a "deposit" has been made, say "good!" and toss a treat for your dog to chase while you clean up the poop. It may also be helpful to teach him to "leave it" in order to give you a little more time to clean up.

Other things to try are feeding an improved diet or an enzyme supplement to be sure he is completely digesting his food. Also helpful, can be supplements which make the feces taste more unpleasant.

What works for your dog?