Why dogs eat poop and how to stop them
Why dogs eat poop and how to stop them
Of all the horrible habits our dogs have, such as drinking from the toilet, rolling in dead seals, licking their butts, probably the worst is dogs eating poop.
Although they may not intend to gross us out, they certainly succeed. Dogs have been re-homed because their owners just couldn’t cope with this disgusting behaviour.
There’s a scientific name for this habit, coprophagia, and also both behavioural and physiological reasons why some dogs view dung as a delicacy. If you have a poop eater, don’t despair. There are ways to discourage the habit.
There are a few scientific studies on coprophagia, e.g. a 2012 study led by Dr. Benjamin Hart, from the University of California, Davis, found that this behaviour is an innate predisposition that served to protect ancestral canids from parasites, in other words it is in your dog’s DNA to eat poop.
Poop eating may be repulsive to us but it is really not that bad from the dog’s point of view. Dogs are scavengers by nature, so their understanding of tasty is quite different from ours.
Poop eating is quite normal for dogs and puppies. Puppies especially often eat their own poop and that of other dogs or cats. Some dogs find horse manure irresistible. Eating their own faces is harmless, but consuming poop from other animals can cause health problems if the stool is contaminated with parasites, or toxins.
Puppies explore the world around them with their mouths, they love to sniff and put things into their mouth. The behaviour usually – but not always- fades as the puppy grows up.
The American Kennel Club (https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/why-dogs-eat-poop/) lists some interesting facts about Dogs who eat poop:
- Coprophagia is more common in multi-dog households.
- Poop eaters are no harder to house train than any other dogs
- Females are more likely to eat poop, and intact males are least likely
- Most poop eaters want fresh stuff, only one to two days old
- Most poop eaters will not eat their own feces, only that of other dogs
Why do dogs eat poop?
If you find that your adult dog loves to munch dung, consult your vet to rule out health problems like :
- Parasites
- Diets deficient in nutrients and calories
- Malabsorption syndromes
- Diabetes, Cushing’s, thyroid disease, and other conditions that might cause an increase in appetite
- Drugs, such as steroids
Stress can also cause dogs to start eating their own poop. Examples of environmental stressors or triggers include
- Isolation
- Restrictive confinement: It’s not unusual to see coprophagia in dogs rescued from crowded shelters.
- Anxiety: Dogs who are punished during house training may eat their own poop to get rid of the evidence.
- Attention-seeking: Dogs eat their own poop to get a reaction from their humans, which they inevitably will. So if you see your dog doing this, don’t overreact.
- Living with a sick or elderly dog: Sometimes a healthy dog will consume stools from a weaker canine member of the household. Scientists hypothesize that this may be related to the instinct to protect the pack from predators.
How to stop your dog from eating poop
- Supplements: Consult with your veterinarian about vitamin and enzyme supplements to your dogs diet. Studies have linked coprophagia to nutrient deficiency. The modern canine diet is much higher in carbohydrates and lower in meat-based proteins than the canine ancestral diet.
- Prevention: As with all unwanted behaviours stop the rehearsals. Keep your dog’s living area clean, including the yard so that there is no poop for them to pick up. If you have a cat in the household, place the litterbox out of the dog’s reach. Supervise your dog outside and on walks.
- Training: Teach a reliable recall so you can call your dog away from disgusting mouthfuls. One simple excercise, that also helps with house training, is to teach your dog to come to you for a treat as soon as he has eliminated.
- If you need help – get in touch or join one of my training programmes
