Coprophagia, or eating poop, is a tough behavior issue with one clear solution: Clean it up!
Humans find the thought of dogs eating poop, called coprophagia. disgusting, but the unsavory fact is that some dogs enjoy eating their own feces or the feces of other animals.
A dog may eat her own stool or that of another animal simply because she likes the taste. For example, cat poop is high on the list because of its high protein content and smell, but dogs consider deer and rabbit poop pretty scrumptious, too. Some people think that dogs eat their poop because the dog’s diet lacks a certain nutrient, but even dogs that are fed high quality diets packed with nutrients will eat their poop or the feces of other animals. Sometimes dogs will play with or eat their poop if they are bored.
Although coprophagia can be the result of a medical condition (such as pancreatitis, intestinal infection or food allergies), most cases are behavioral in nature. Unfortunately, poop eating can become a pleasurable habit that is hard to break.
How do I stop my dog from eating poop?
- The only really effective treatment for a poop-eating dog is to be vigilant and remove the feces as soon as the dog has pooped, so there is no chance of reinforcement.
- As much as you can manage it, remove the poop as soon as it hits the ground so that your dog can’t indulge in the behavior.
- There are some foods that you can add to your dog’s meal such as pineapple which is thought to make the poop taste unpleasant, but some dogs won’t eat their food with pineapple added to it.
- There are some substances that can be purchased from a veterinarian that can also be added to food and make the poop taste unpleasant, but this only works for some dogs.
- If your dog eats the poop of other animals, keep her on leash outdoors to prevent her from practicing her unpleasant habit.
- Teach your dog a "leave it" cue, so that you can ask her to stop going toward poop she finds on the ground. Reward "leave it" with a high-value treat reward, especially if your dog is successful around poop.
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