Dog eating poop or Coprophagia is a sickening habit that some dogs develop. 

No one really knows or understands why some dogs will go straight to a pile of poop left behind by another dog. 

It’s natural for a dog to want to sniff the poop of another dog because the dog that left it there will have left a scent for other dogs to read, having the dog eating poop is a different matter. 

Here are some common theories for your dog eating poop :

1. A dog will eat another dog’s poop to supplement his own, nutrient deprived diet. 

He is not getting enough nutrients and vitamins from the food he is being fed at home so eats the poop of other dogs in the hope that he will receive these nutrients. 

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2. The dog eating poop may have come from the scavenging/carnivorous instincts of dogs.  When carnivores kill another animal typically they will devour the whole animal including the carcass.  It has been suggested that poop eating is an instinctive behavior of eating the whole animal. 

3. Stress or boredom may be a cause of your dog eating poop. Dogs who do not receive enough attention, affection, exercise or spend a lot of time on their own can develop negative behaviors such as spinning in circles, chewing their own tail and the gross behaviour of the dog eating poop.

4. Your dog eating poop can cause worms or internal parasites to consume the nutrients and calories in the dog’s stomach and digestive tract. Typically, a dog with worms will have a huge increase in appetite and will eat all the food he has access to.

In more advanced cases, a dog infested with worms will turn to what he sees as edible (such as poop), which he would not normally consider appetizing, to satisfy his intense hunger.

5. Dogs that have not been housetrained properly will sometimes eat their own poop in an attempt to hide the mishap from their owners. This is especially true of dogs whose owners tend to punish them for housetraining accidents, whether out of frustration or because they believe their dog is somehow doing it on purpose.

A dog that’s pooping indoors either has not been housetrained properly. This is why you need to learn how to housebreak a dog, in which case the accidents are not his fault; or the reason is due to an underlying medical condition.

To rule out if it is a medical issue, your dog should be taken to a Vet for a check-up (especially if the indoor pooping has started suddenly and without warning).

6. Female dogs eat the poop of their puppies to keep the den area clean and to hide the existence of her pups from potential dangers and predators.  It is thought that a puppy dog eating poop is because they copy their mother’s behavior.

Even with the common theories it’s not really known exactly what causes your dog eating poop and it’s very difficult to fully cure a dog who enjoys this habit.   

However, here is a list of tips for minimizing and coping with this behavior. 

a. As soon as your dog poops in the back yard clean up the mess straight away.  He won’t be able to eat poop if it’s not there.

 

b.   Train your dog to understand the “leave it” command as well as other dog training commands.  This is a great command to use especially when he is off his lead. 

 

It will also come in handy with other objects you want your dog to leave alone such as broken glass, wire and poisons. For the best online dog training guide read our review of 'Secrets To Dog Training'

 

c.   You can add food such as pineapple, canned pumpkin or fresh grated zucchini to your dog’s food which will make his poop smell and taste disgusting; although your dog may get used to the taste and continue with the poop eating habit. 

 

d. Check your dog for worms and give him a dose of worm tablets.

 

e.   Ensure that your dog is getting enough attention, exercise and activities to keep him occupied.  Make sure if he is left alone he has enough toys and chews to keep him stimulated and not bored.

Conclusion

As with any negative dog behavior you may need to try a number of different methods before your dog decreases or stops eating poop.  If you find that this disgusting habit is not decreasing or is getting worse see your local Vet who can offer advice and check your dog for more serious issues.  

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dog eating poop

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