# what is the best (poop eating)coprophagia deterrent



## Commandoo (Dec 16, 2011)

WHat is the best detterent to stop my 5 month german shepherderd poop eating
habbit. i live in surrey BC canada


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Management  

Most love eating poop the same as I like chocolate, and you can't keep me away from chocolate if it's just sitting there!

Good info on (click this ----> http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...d-keeps-eating-poo-even-after-i-stop-him.html


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## Minnieski (Jan 27, 2009)

Prevention. Take him out on a leash to go potty, and clean up the area at least every other day. He can't eat it if it isn't there.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

My shovel works the best for me.
Seriously, I tried everything.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

I'm with them. Pick it up immediately. Had the same problem with my dog. Tried all the products and so-called remedies without success. The only thing that worked was poop-removal. It helped in 2 ways: (1) kept her from being able to eat it; (2) She 'grew out of' finding it interesting sooner because she didn't have access to reinforce the habit


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> WHat is the best detterent to stop my 5 month german shepherderd poop eating habbit.


Being outside with him.


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

I was going to say the only thing, ONLY THING I have found that works is:

DILIGENCE!

I have to watch Scarlett like a hawk, then swoop in and scoop the poop before she can gobble it up. She goes through phases of eating it; usually after a round of the runs. 

It isn't any fun, but hey, your yard stays cleaner.


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## Witz (Feb 28, 2011)

Had the same problem until about 2 months ago (he is now 10 months old). My problem was that he was only interested in his newly produced load, nothing foreign or aged. At first we watched him like a hawk. He would do his business and turn around and go for it. We would yell "no" or "eck" (sp?) and most times it worked. It did not seem to be having any effect (over 4 months) to correct him verbally so, out came the electronic collar. One time is all it took. I have used the collar on him for emergency recall reasons only at a very low "nick level". I turned the intensity of the collar up so he did get a zap and like I said, one time and he never did it again. Not sure if any others have used this approach, but it is a disgusting habit and potential health issue that I am at complete peace with using the electric to solve it. Would he have stopped eventually like some dogs do, maybe, but I was done with this issue.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Wearing a cone maybe? Diligence cleaning isn't always the answer. I pick up poop at least once a day on a regular basis and on nice days more like every time there is a potty break (3-4 times a day). Mine would literally eat it warm. Unless you were within 3 feet of him doing his business, too late, wasn't a matter of just walking over and picking it up right away. I would often go out with him and stick the scoop under his butt as he went, that was the only way to prevent him from getting it. If I watched from a window I could pound on the window and yell and he'd still turn around and eat it before acknowledging me. He grew out of it around 6 months. I think it may have partially been a digestive thing, because he used to poop like 5-6 times a day (like when I got home from work he'd poop three times on that one potty break) and around 6 months he switched to pooping twice a day and stopped eating it.


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

Witz said:


> out came the electronic collar. One time is all it took. Would he have stopped eventually like some dogs do, maybe, but I was done with this issue.


We have an electronic "tone" thing that if Scarlett just sees us hold it up to the window, she will not go for the "gusto". BUT, our diligence does require us to watch her go...standing right by her if necessary.

She ONLY has a total poopfest after a round of the runs now. Nevertheless, we are voyeurs of her pooping everytime she goes out. Someone has "the watch". 

The electronic device works great~I don't really even have to keep batteries in it...I just have to keep it in my hand. That's where we fall down. 

Is it more of a chronic problem for females?? Or is this just a GSD thing in general?? I know other dogs do it too...but usually they outgrow it, where a lot of GSD's don't seem to...


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Abby seems to have grown out of it ... for the most part. I think one thing that contributed to the habit was that she thought we were playing a game when we 'competed for the prize' after she pooped. So we just took her with a leash in the yard and led her into the house immediately after then went back out for pickup. We also do a lot of walking in the woods and she got used to walking away from it there, so that helped. When we took her on neighborhood walks we would have to step on the leash to keep her away while we picked it up and that got old for her so she stopped competing for it. So the solution is a 2-parter: get her used to walking away and picking up. One other thing. We add Prozyme to her food to help insure more complete digestion and I'm pretty sure that helps.


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## k9ma (Nov 15, 2002)

My gsd ate his stool sporadically. I switched him to raw at 2 years of age, and until his passing @ 13 he never did it again.

At my job we prescribe ForBid, or suggest Adobe meat tenderizer, or pineapple.


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## Cetan (Oct 8, 2011)

My puppy at 12 weeks knows well enough not to do more than a cursory sniff of his material. A firm no or hey is all I've needed for now.

It's my friend's cat's poops, and the deer poop on my property that I have to watch out for.  With that, I've had to physically move him with my hands or the leash.


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## Rahrah (Oct 30, 2011)

k9ma said:


> My gsd ate his stool sporadically. I switched him to raw at 2 years of age, and until his passing @ 13 he never did it again.
> 
> At my job we prescribe ForBid, or suggest Adobe meat tenderizer, or pineapple.



^Yep, this.

Ours would eat hers too until we switched to raw (switched at 3 months, now almost 5 months). 
Not interested in the slightest anymore


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## BigChiefServiceDog (Dec 18, 2011)

*I know way too much about poop *

There are many theories about poop eating but from my observations over the years, the one that make the most sense are the fact that it simply taste good to the dogs....

A couple of other theories I've learned are:

a) trying to "hide" the evidence usually due to strict potty training methods (of course, I'm not saying this is always the case), which would give credence to the theory that it is a neurotic disorder

b) undigested food stuffs left behind - usually found with low quality diets.

In the wild, the females were known to clean the area of the den that the pups would sleep in, hence the practice of crate training where the size of the crate would be just big enough for the dog to stand up, turn around and lie down. That's where the old adage "an animal shouldn't soil it's own den" originates.
Also, the females would typically ingest the stools around the dens so as to deter other animals from finding their pups.
As a general rule, most pups grow out of this. 

I, personally, am with all my dogs at all times and the rule in my apartment building is that immediate cleanup is necessary ( I agree no matter where I live anyway). It helps because I am always aware if anyone is sick, where my gold necklace went, etc..... (LOL). So not only my dogs but the other tenant's 2 dogs get picked up immediately. We have a fenced in yard with no access to anyone else. 

Unfortunately, Chief is a QUICK little bugger!
He has a fascination with my Boston - Jack and whatever happens to be coming out of Jack's behind!:shocked: He ignores his own and Lola's, just wants Jack's......
Now they are all on the raw diet and TOTW buffalo/venison diet ALS and my peas/carrots/beets mix. He is very good regarding the "leave it" command when it comes to everything but this one thing! So I did some research. 

Pineapple chunks. :crazy: All the dogs in the house are now eating pineapple after their meals. It's supposed to make the poop taste nasty . All the dogs love it except one. Jack. Go figure! The one dog who supposedly, according to Chief, has the tastiest poop!:crazy: So I have to hide his in the food  I've been doing this for a week and so far (crossing fingers) - so good......


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