# Eating feces



## macdonc353 (Sep 19, 2008)

Hi....My dog has developed a very nasty habit ion the last 3-4 months. She has started eating her feces. We've adjusted her diet so she has more fiber, we've tried medication and we even tried pineapple, but nothing is working.

Are there any other ideas?

Thanks
Cara

Dakota GSD 3 1/2 yrs old


----------



## AnnaRiley (Feb 14, 2008)

A dog trainer I know told me that feeding fig newtons will stop it. Never tried because I don't have that problem but just passing along in case you want to try it.


----------



## mehitabel (Mar 18, 2004)

We have a nearly five-year-old GSD that's never stopped. And we've tried everything too. I'm pretty sure that in my girl's case, it's behavioral and a compulsion--there's nothing we could do that's going to make her think it's okay to stop.

Has anything changed in your dog's lifestyle that might be triggering this?


----------



## Rügen (Mar 19, 2008)

Hi- and Welcome!








Someone here suggested sprinkling meat tenderizer in the pups food- I don't remember how much- just a dusting I think- Good Luck!


----------



## marylou (Apr 21, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: AnnaRileyA dog trainer I know told me that feeding fig newtons will stop it. Never tried because I don't have that problem but just passing along in case you want to try it.


Chaos will eat Mishas' poop - I've been giving her a fig-a-day and he has been leaving it alone. Seems to be working for us ~


----------



## VectorSketcher (Jul 20, 2008)

Mine has done that since she was about 8 or 9 weeks old, very gross thing they do. I was told to be very diligent about picking it up immediatly after she lets it out, so I am literally out there with her every minute of the day, I have prevented her from eating it for about 5 weeks now, she would also go after my older GSD's too. I was also told to use Omega 3 Fish Oil, from Seapets, it has helped a bit I think, it is also great for their skin, coat, joints so I will keep them on that. But I really think just being there to pick up before she has a chance to grab it is the key. Mine hasn't ingested any for awhile now, but I don't trust her I will remain out there with her until I know for sure she is done with the poo munching.


----------



## kshort (Jun 4, 2004)

We have a one year old rescue who has been with us for 3 months. He's obsessed with this. I've tried everything - vitamins, Forbid, fig newtons and pineapple. The only thing that works is cayenne pepper! I pick up after him, but I'm trying to teach him to leave it alone, so I usually leave a pile in the yard and sprinkle the cayenne on it. It works - he leaves it alone, but I'm not sure what I'm teaching him!







Good luck - I'm hoping this is a temporary thing with Sam, but I think I'm being optimistic!


----------



## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

What kind of food is your dog on?


----------



## Dano (Sep 20, 2004)

I have been told that one tablespoon of A-1 steak sauce in their food helps this problem. I also read somewhere that it is usually because the food is not being digested well and just comes out the other end still "edible". My dogs did eat their stools when I fed Chicken Soup and Canidae. They stopped once I switched brands.


----------



## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

There are a few things, first is to pick up your yard. I have a fenced in ard, but if I have one that is developing this habit I make sure the yard is picked up right away and/or take this one outside the fence on leash to go potty. Sometimes it can be a learned behavior from the dam, keeping the whelping box clean.

Another thought is to try adding some Probioitics to aid in a healthy digestive track, which helps with absorption. 

I am not a fan of the latest remedy, I just start with the basic of keeping a clean yard. That mean picking up right away, if the poop is gone they can't eat it. Then my next step is to use the Probioitics. Between these two things I have stopped all poop eating even if I don't get my yeard picked up right after the poop.

Val


----------



## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

We had to use the meat tenderizer with our Beardie...this was the only thing that made it taste "bad enough" to get her to stop. 

Gross!!









Just sprinkle some on top...like salt!


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Sometimes it can be indicative of SIBO.


----------



## macdonc353 (Sep 19, 2008)

Thanks everyone. We do clean up after her immediately but she will fight us for it. She's eating Science Diet Nature's Recipe right now and has been for over 6 months. Nothing else in her life has changed so I am willing to try the meat tenderizer or anything else I can. I'm afraid she thinks it is a game at this point because I go running behind her to cleanup.

Cara

Dakota GSD 3 1/2 yrs old


----------



## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

Put her on a leash and walk her away when she is done, praise and treat. So there is something in it for her to leave the poop alone, she gets a treat.

I personally wouldn't use meat tendreizer. A 1/4 tsp is 380mg of sodium.

Val


----------



## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Check out my response under your post about Dakota needing to lose weight (Very hungry Shepherd).


----------



## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

how many times a day does she poop and are they firm? Her food isn't running through her is it? Sonny, is a partially reformed poop eater, I say that because he did it at his foster moms and when we adopted him he was pooping 3x a day. We took him to the vet and he had worms because he was reinfecting himself from eating the poop so once we wormed him he pooped a normal 1-2x a day and it is not as appealing because I think before it still smelled like poop.

I still go out with him with every poop or watch and run out there and say leave it or tug on the lead and he has learned. It has been awhile since I tested him. I do watch for the body language after he poops if he attempts to turn around and look at it I tug on the lead and say leave it and he listens and when he does I have him run to me and get a great treat - which needs to be more appealing then the poop of course.

I know it is a bad habit to break and every dog is different. I just hope with him gaining his weight and not having the I need to eat feeling that it goes away because with he he was very malnourshed, with your pup I am sure that is not the case.


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

One word: e-collar

Let the flames begin!


----------



## stampysmam (Feb 11, 2009)

Hiya I'm am also having this problem, I feed my dog on James well beloved, as well as fish treats and vegtables but we always monitor her and pick up after her so she can't, but now she's eating any dogs faeces that she comes across in the park. I'm even trying to pick up that before she can devour it







as it gives her an upset stomach and she ends up with diarrhoea. The only thing I can think of is a muzzle but I don't want to resort to that if I can try something else instead, has anyone any suggestions?


----------



## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

take this for what its worth. kimba was a poo eater on every food she ate (all foods w/ grains). one full day after switching to a grain free food she stopped even sniffing the poops. every grain free ive used since then has similarly not produced any appetizing poos for her. 
i believe that if there is a high degree of digestibility in the food they are eating, what comes out in the end will not be very appealing. i have found some statements from various sources to support this. for example: _However, if your pup is being fed a food which contains a lot of additives, fillers and so on, a high proportion of that food is indigestible to him. 

These sorts of dog foods have a low nutritional value, and due to their poor digestibility, often a good percentage of the food passes through his digestive system pretty much untouched. When this happens, the stools may seem more attractive to your puppy, after all - they're made up of a lot of the ingredients he finds in his food bowl!_

anecdotally, it seems to me a large percentage of poop eating complaints do come from owners whose dogs are eating foods with lots of fillers.


----------



## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

We are on Natural Balance and that stinks (not normal poo) and Sonny who was a poo eater has NO interest, I watch him and pick up after him all the time immediately but at night I can't always do and and I find that he poos and leaves it.

When I first adopted him in Dec 08 I went out with him all the time and when he was done I said leave it and if he even tried to look back I pulled him toward me on his long lead. I always made sure I was a good distance so I could ensure he would listen from a distance.

Now he is a boy that doesn't need hard correction or multiple times so has learned quick.

The key is to be out there and say leave it or NO and pull them away before they even think of sniffing it. PLUS, keeping the yard clean.


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Picking up after the dog doesn't solve anything. It just makes it so there's nothing for them to pick up later. Take any one of these dogs that have poop-eating problems that were supposedly cured by leave it, or correction by you, and leave them by themselves somewhere where there is poop. Do this every day for a week and I would bet they still go after it, even if only to investigate.

Similarly, sprinkling something on the poop doesn't work, either, because they're not stupid, as some of you have shown in your replies. They just won't touch the ones that smell like something has been sprinkled on them. Same with those that mix something in the food.

What needs to be done is something that makes it so that ANY poop is not good for them to sniff around and pick up. So, what you need to do is make it so they think that their OWN action results in a correction when you are NOT present, so they can have no one to associate with the correction except themselves. If you're even present, they'll just not do it when you're around, just like a digging problem. The best way to do that is with an e-collar, with which you can set them outside in an area where they can get at the poop, or the digging, go away (like in the house), so they think you're not around, and then monitor and stim them with the collar when appropriate.

Pretty soon they will associate that unwanted behavior with something unpleasant, and your problem will be solved.


----------



## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

If a dog has a digestive problem or something like a grain intolerance then the e-collar will work as long as the dog wears the e-collar and you just keep hitting the button. 

Things like changing diet, changing the habit are things that have worked for lots of people before and after the e-collar was invented. 

e-collars have their place, but many people like to use them as a shortcut for training.

Val


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> Quote:Mine has done that since she was about 8 or 9 weeks old, very gross thing they do. I was told to be very diligent about picking it up immediatly after she lets it out, so I am literally out there with her every minute of the day, I have prevented her from eating it for about 5 weeks now,


























That's the only thing that works for me. Only difference is I'm going on 10 years with my GSD. Frankly, I know Elsa does it because she loves the way it tastes. Period. So the same as I KNOW if I tossed a bunch of steak/chicken/livers all over the yard, and the let her out unattended I KNOW she would eat all that stuff.

If I let her out in the yard alone to poo, she WILL eat that too.


----------



## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

But really isn't it the same thing with an e-collar, when it is not on or they figure out the battery is dead they can revert? If you want to look at this positive at least your yard is never full of poop lol. When the snow melted we were the only yard in town that had no poop and it was clean


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: Wisc.TigerIf a dog has a digestive problem or something like a grain intolerance then the e-collar will work as long as the dog wears the e-collar and you just keep hitting the button.


Of course there are exceptions to the rule. We just have to use some common sense. If you've ruled everything out as best as you can, and you still have a problem, feces-eating is nothing more than a habit that needs slight behavior modification.



> Quote:e-collars have their place, but many people like to use them as a shortcut for training.


Sounds like you think an e-collar is a substitute for training. But, I submit that it is not. It is another tool in your arsenal of training tools. FWIW, I personally believe that *when used properly*, it is more humane that a choke collar, prong collar, etc., and because it can help a dog learn quicker, it can actually be a *better *tool than many other tools. So, instead of being a "shortcut to training", e-collars can result in "shorter time training".


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: EllyBut really isn't it the same thing with an e-collar, when it is not on or they figure out the battery is dead they can revert?


Nope, not at all. The key is to know, or learn, how to use the collar properly. Just like leash training. If you do it right, your dog will still come when called off-lead, right? Same principle. That's why it's important to recognize that it is not a substitute for training, it is a tool, just like your leash. Think of it more like a remote leash. And, don't think of it as a shock collar. When used properly, it is NOT a shock collar. Of course, there are idiots that indeed use them as such!











> Quote:If you want to look at this positive at least your yard is never full of poop lol. When the snow melted we were the only yard in town that had no poop and it was clean


Oh, heck yeah, you should ALWAYS keep your yard picked up, even for health reasons. Just because my dog doesn't eat poop, doesn't mean I should have a mine field out there, you know what I mean? There's nothing more disgusting than a yard with dog poop. Yeck!!!!


----------



## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

One thing that slowed the late great Barker the Younger down was having peroxide handy and making sure she purged right after downing these to me disgusting morsels. A couple of times in a row with that and she would quit. (It wasn't always dog feces & I couldn't always get to it before she did if it was dog feces.) Somehow she related the purging to consuming crap rather than to me feeding her 1/4 cupof peroxide afterward - or else she connected the entire string. 
A change in diet helped for the dog crap too. Having the right porportion of dry to wet or dry to chicken was important. Chicken was best -- and the low protien dog food was the worst.


----------



## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: KShortIt works - he leaves it alone, but I'm not sure what I'm teaching him!


"Don't eat pooh that's seasoned with cayan pepper." ???????


----------



## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Wisc.TigerAnother thought is to try adding some Probioitics to aid in a healthy digestive track, which helps with absorption.
> 
> I just start with the basic of keeping a clean yard. That mean picking up right away, if the poop is gone they can't eat it. Then my next step is to use the Probioitics. Between these two things I have stopped all poop eating even if I don't get my yeard picked up right after the poop.


The problem I see with *just* keeping the yard clean and not giving them the opportunity to snack is that they're not learning to leave it alone. You take your dog to a friend's house who's got a dog and there yours is snacking on the back yard smorgasborg. Obviously, you're not going to never clean your yard, but to run out there after each and every pooh pile is deposited is not my idea of a good time. I would rather find a way for them to learn this is a "leave it" thing.









I have a company that comes once a week to clean up my yard. No, I'm not rich, and this is not expensive. I work a full time job and run a business. I would rather spend the time I can with my dogs than cleaning up after them so I hire someone to do this for me.


----------



## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: AnnaRileyA dog trainer I know told me that feeding fig newtons will stop it. Never tried because I don't have that problem but just passing along in case you want to try it.


To bad at least one of mine wouldn't give figs a chance. Hubby once gave him a fig newton. He spent a few minutes rolling it around in his mouth and then spit out a clean fig - having removed all the cookie from the outside and eating it - he wasn't interested in the fig, though. 

Darn! Figs would be a nice cheap way to make them stop the pooh eating.


----------



## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: dakotas mommyShe's eating Science Diet Nature's Recipe right now and has been for over 6 months. Nothing else in her life has changed


Her Science Diet *might* be why she's eating her pooh. I guess you don't know that Science Diet fails the good food test miserably, it gets a grade of "F."


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Isn't this a charming habit? I feed my dog TOW and it has very good nutritional ingredients. She will still go to the stable and have more horse manure in her mouth in 30 second than I clean out of my shoes in a month. I don't know as I've ever caught her eating her own or other dogs though. There was an episode on "it's me or the dog" where that was a training issue and they solved it with an flags and training.


----------



## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: Riley's Mom
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: Wisc.TigerAnother thought is to try adding some Probioitics to aid in a healthy digestive track, which helps with absorption.
> ...


I am happy Sonny is only interested in his own so I don't have the issue of eating other dogs poop. No matter what I am glad my yard is always clean daily there were days back when I didn't pick it up all the time and it wasn't fun searching and cleaning up. Plus with kids in the summer running around it is not a option to just clean it up 1x a week because someone ALWAYS steps in it and it is usually me . 

Other species poop is so appealing to dogs I think deer poop, rabbit whatever it is my husky found it and rolled in it but was NEVER interested in dog poop...cat poop I am sure there are those that don't even have to clean out the litter box their dog does it for them, my litter box is in the basement to prevent that wonderful habit.


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

I just remembered something I did many moons ago that was for a different purpose, but it sure made my dog at the time hate poop, which would probably work here, but I'm not sure.

Keep in mind that this was a VERY long time ago; in fact, it was in the days when Eukanuba was THE BEST dog food on the market. That should also give you and idea of how few resources anyone had to learn about dog training, let alone the popularity of the science and psychology of it that is so much more popular today.

I had a male GSD at the time, and he would poop in the house for spite when I left for the day. I know it was spite because he would make like 5 or 6 piles all around my drum set, which he knew was my pride and joy.

One day, I had had enough and was fuming when I came home. So, I gathered those 6 piles and put them in a paper grocery bag. I tied him very short to a railing inside so he could not move more than a few inches, but not so short that he was under pressure from the short tie out. I placed the bag so his head was part way in the bag. I left him like that for half an hour, and there was nothing he could do but breathe the stink fumes from his poop.

Cruel? Probably, but I was alot younger at the time, and didn't think it was cruel at the time compared to what he was doing to my carpet. There was also no physical punishment like spanking, etc. Anyway, after that he absolutely HATED poop, and didn't want anything to do with it, ever again.

For example, he would NEVER poop in a n open area ever again. I could walk him around nice neghborhoods with large manicured front yards, but he would never even consider pooping on them. He always held it until he could find a spot of overgrown weeds and debris, and poop there. As soon as he was done, he would run like he|| from it. If he ever encountered a piece of poop, even his own, he would do whatever it took to get away from it, and never even a sniff near it, let alone want to pick one up.

Is this the right way to teach a dog not to want to get near poop again? I don't know. Is it really cruel? I don't know. All I know is it worked, but I've never used that method again. And, only because I forgot all about that until just a minute ago.

I mention this here because although I did it for a completely different reason, I don't see why it wouldn't work for a poop-eater, given the results I saw, and some of you migh be desperate enough to consider a variation of it, and others might not like or have the resources to use an e-collar.

As you know, I, personally, feel that an e-collar seems more humane, along with all the other different watch-them-and-catch-them in the act methods, but that one little thing I did oh-so-long-ago did not require any follow-up whatsoever because along with all the other side benefits, he never pooped again in the house. And, besides, whether you use an e-collar, teach them a leave it, or sprinkle something distassteful on stolls, or whatever, you always have to be on your toes and worry about it, but after unwittningly appying the method I described above, I never had to worry about anything regarding poop ever again.


----------



## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

" know it was spite because he would make like 5 or 6 piles all around my drum set, which he knew was my pride and joy."

Dogs do not do things out of "spite." Spite is a human concept. If dogs did things out of spite we would all be in deep poop!


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: middleofnowhereDogs do not do things out of "spite." Spite is a human concept.


You're kidding, right?







Of course they do! You think my dog made piles like that all around my drum set on a regular basis because he had to go? Yeah, right. I can think of several other events over my life with dogs that they did for spite.



> Quote:If dogs did things out of spite we would all be in deep poop!


And, why is that? Smart dogs are like young children, who can also be spiteful, but we teach them and hopefully they don't do spiteful things. Which begs the question, what makes you think a dog is that different?


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Mr. Leadfoot, 

I am uncharacteristically at a loss for words. Actually the words I'd use to comment on your suggestion would be censored. Your recent training advice seems to indicate you're stuck in a time warp. Hopefully no one reads them and follows your advice because they will certainly cause harm to their relationship with their dog and potential harm to the health of their dog as well. Not to mention being unnecessarily cruel. 

Have you read any recent literature on dogs and dog behavior and training? Now might be a good time to start catching up.


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

So, you're flaming me because I rebut a general statement that dogs don't do things out of spite? Par, for the course, I see.


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

No, I should have clarified. My post was in response to your suggestion that someone tie their dog up with a bag with their nose stuck in a bag of feces and the suggestion that someone put a prong collar on their puppy and yank and crank until the pup stopped doing an undesirable behavior. These are both cruel and completely unnecessary and cruel old school "training" methods. They train a dog to be afraid of you. Although I realize that type of training used to be (and remains in some areas) s.o.p. for "protection" training, it does not help build a relationship with a companion dog. Those relationships should be founded in trust and calm, confident, clear and kind leadership.


----------



## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I'm not kidding. Dogs are not spiteful. None of the new literature about the way dogs think supports that. None of the old did either. It was just our projection of human characteristics onto dogs. 

Young children are human. Dogs are animals. I know a lot more about dogs than I do about young children!


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: BowWowMeowNo, I should have clarified.


Thank you for calmly clarifying what you originally posted. I was almost ready to cry foul because that first post sure sounded like an unwarranted personal attack.


> Quote:My post was in response to your suggestion that someone tie their dog up with a bag with their nose stuck in a bag of feces...


Didn't you see that I prefaced the story with



> Quote:Keep in mind that this was a VERY long time ago; in fact, it was in the days when Eukanuba was THE BEST dog food on the market. That should also give you and idea of how few resources anyone had to learn about dog training, let alone the popularity of the science and psychology of it that is so much more popular today.


and that I later said


> Quote:Cruel? Probably, but I was alot younger at the time, and didn't think it was cruel at the time


I also said



> Quote:Is this the right way to teach a dog not to want to get near poop again? I don't know. Is it really cruel? I don't know. All I know is it worked, but I've never used that method again.


and even



> Quote:some of you migh be desperate enough to consider a variation of it


I'm not one of these BS people, who pretend they are something they are not. In that post I:

1) I openly admitted it was way back when before I knew better

2) Admitted that it might have been a bit harsh

3) I said I did it because of the dog's repeated acts of spite (let's not go there in this particular post) and people, even you, can do all kinds of things other people will think are inappropriate at times of frustration (I did say I was fuming at the time, didn't I)

4) I even questioned if it was the right way to teach something

5) Moreover, I said I never did it again

6) If that's not enough, I think I pretty clearly stated that I only offered it in case someone who was desperate might be able to derive some kind of variation out of it.

I think you need to chill a little on this one, because with all that stuff I interspersed throughout that post, as well as the closing point, I think it was pretty clear that I wasn't suggesting that anyone do exactly what I did.



> Quote:...and the suggestion that someone put a prong collar on their puppy and yank and crank until the pup stopped doing an undesirable behavior.


You're completely wrong here with your incorrect, out of context, accusation.

First, of all I did not say to "yank and crank", as you so "eloquently"(NOT) put it. I clarified so many things on that thrread. There's nothing wrong with a prong collar, when used properly, and I think I even clarified that, and also said I expected people to use good judgment. But, I guess that doesn't apply to how people like you read things, huh?

FWIW, the term "puppy" can conjure up all kinds of cute and fluffy images, but 16 weeks is really 4 months, and a 4 month old puppy is past that doesn't know anything stage, as well as is easily smart enough to know that when Mommy's teeth (prong collar) tighten around his neck (not yanked and cranked like you suggest), he knows he's doing something wrong.

Your response or should I say reaction to that particular post leads me to believe that you don't know how a prong collar is supposed to be used. When used CORRECTLY, it's actually a very good tool, and just like any tool, including a leash, if used incorrectly, of course it can be used abusively.

You can think what you want, but I don't think you have the right to personally attack me and take what I say out of context when you misunderstand something. Sure, you can question, and ask for clarification, but to attack me, and then ask everyone on this forum to not listen to what I have to say?

Let me ask you something: When you go to a vet, are you the type that listens to what they say and go with it, no matter what? I'm not. Just because he/she has a degree, so what? That degree certifies that the vet has learned how to use the tools available to him/her, but that's it. While I do give them the benefit of the doubt when they say something I feel is dubious, I take whatever they say with a grain of salt. And, might I suggest you do the same with everything you read, so that JUST IN CASE you misunderstand something, you can help prevent yourself from getting all riled up and wrongfully accusing someone of something, just because you disagree.

I mean, back to the vet thing, I know of breeders who can assess and treat dogs with much more accuracy and efficiency than a certified vet. And, I've seen vets who at first poo-poo a theory just because they didn't learn about it in school. But, over time, once they've been exposed to different things, they've come to accept that what they learned in school aren't the only ways to "skin a cat", as the saying goes. Oops, was that politically incorrect to say here?


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: middleofnowhereI'm not kidding. Dogs are not spiteful. None of the new literature about the way dogs think supports that. None of the old did either. It was just our projection of human characteristics onto dogs.


Let's forget the literature, for now. After all, even I can write something but does that mean it's gospel? I'm sure I can find at LEAST a couple of people who would agree that it's not!

Anyway, think about your own experiences with dogs when I play out this scenario.

You have a crate-trained, house-broken dog who is taught basic obedience, along with what items in your house are appropriate for him to play with. He has nylabones, stuffed toys, a couple of Kongs, or what have you. When he was young, he was caught chewing on, and was subsequently taught that, your $300 Italian Ferragamo shoes were a no-no. You instead gave him a nylabone when teaching him those shoes were YOUR property, not his.

Over time, as your dog matured, you started entrusting him with free reign of the house, slowly building up to your extended absences. For the most part, things go well, with the dog every so often taking one your Ferragamo shoes to his play spot, and you later discovering it amongst his toys. When he sees you find the shoe, he hangs his head, gives you that droopy-eared look, and while you know that HE knows it was wrong, you verbally scold him, then swap in his favorite nylabone, and put your shoe away.

One day, you were gone from the house longer than usual, and you come home to find not one, but both, of your Ferragamo shoes strewn about the house, this time with bite marks. Not punctured, but you can see them when you look close. You finally decide you better put them on a high shelf, which you indeed do.

Over the next few days, your schedule is stable and things go smoothly. Then, one day, you're gone longer than usual by an hour. When you come home, there's a pile of poop in the closet, right where your shoes USED to be. "This never happened before", you think to youself, "The dog must have really had to go. Poor thing, I left him too long."

You clean up the poop, scold him lightly, because you think it was your fault, and life goes on.

The next day, you ensure the closet door is closed. You come home and there's poop right outside the closet door. What do you think this time?

Sure, there's bound to be some "expert" that says you aren't doing something right, and a dog surely wouldn't do that out of spite. A dog is simply not a high enough species to know what spite is. 

I say, "Bah, Humbug", for lack of a better expression. Admittedly, a dog may NOT know that what he's doing is termed "spite", but I submit the act is what I would term spiteful.

Granted, spite doesn't always manifest itself with poop. My most recent male up until about a year old, did not like to be left in the car, or so we THOUGHT. Mind you, we did not leave him in the car in the heat, or for any extended period, for that matter. One day, when he was 6 months old, we pulled up to a 7-11, went in to get some drinks, and came out to find the driver's seat completely shredded. I mean SHREDDED! Foam was everywhere, and the seat back just just frame and springs. What the....? In less then 5 minutes? We were so shocked, all we could do was scold him, and dumfoundedly drive home. FWIW, he never did anything like that again.

Until....

One day I went to a laundromat to wash something that wouldn't fit in our washer. I pulled up, got out, found I could only manage to take the item itself into the laundromat, and not the box of detergent (can you see where this is going?). I went in, dropped the item onto a washer, turned right back around, and went back out to get the detergent. What do you think I saw? There he was, foam in his mouth, shaking the crap out of the box, detergent everywhere. Apparently, he figured he would show me a thing or two for leaving him in the car for less than one minute. The window was down so I leaned in and yelled, "Hey!" Have you ever seen a dog jump out of his skin? I shocked him so bad, I could see strands of his hair fall out as he seemingly jumped straight up a foot and over three feet, akin to the cartoon character, Snagglepuss, saying "Exit, stage right!"

While some would call that mischief, to me, that's spite.


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: dakotas mommyHi....My dog has developed a very nasty habit ion the last 3-4 months. She has started eating her feces. We've adjusted her diet so she has more fiber, we've tried medication and we even tried pineapple, but nothing is working.
> 
> Are there any other ideas?
> 
> ...


Back to the OP's original question. I have two suggestions and both have worked for my dogs. 

Chama is a poop eater and has been all of her life. Meat tenderizer is MSG and I wouldn't give that to my dog, nor does it work for most dogs anyway. Don't know about fig newtons (?!) but I know that Chama has done this all of her life no matter the quality/quantity of food she was eating or the supplements she was on. For Chama I taught a "Leave It" command with a very high value reward. So you are basically trading up for the poop.







She is very easy to train and that has worked just fine. 

There's a new method I learned about from Patricia McConnell and I've used it with Rafi. He doesn't eat his poop but I decided to train try this anyway. You teach an incompatible behavior that you start immediately (or even just before) after they've finished pooping. So for Rafi the second he finished pooping I started calling his name and waving his ball around (you have to choose something that really gets the dog going and in Rafi's case it's a game with a toy). Then I would play a very excited little game of fetch with him. Now he automatically races over and sits in front of me the second he finishes pooping and I reward with his game of fetch. 

Either technique should work for this problem. A good "Leave It" command is essential anyway so I would teach both.


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

That sounds like a good suggestion for a dog that eats his poop immediately after he's "done" it, but what would you suggest for a dog that goes after poop AFTER the fact, when you're not around? Or, later stumbles across a piece that you uninitentionally left in your yard, or whatever?

I am NOT trying to instigate anything here, I ask ONLY because those are two different things, and possibly require two different solutions.

I am also NOT trying to prove any points, as people should ultimately do what they think is best.

What I AM doing is asking in EARNEST for any suggestions you may have, as I come in peace.


----------



## AndreaG (Mar 3, 2006)

I haven't read this thread, but how can they eat their poop? (mine never tried this, no experience here). But... if they are doing their business while superwised, and never outside on their own, how can they do that?
Our dogs are only in the yard when I am, too, or they are on a walk when they go, on leash.


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Some dogs eat their poop immediately after it comes out. The incompatible behavior training works well for that. Others eat their poop later and the "Leave it" command works well for that. 

If you leave your dog outside, unsupervised, with poop that hasn't been picked up then that is an easy solution that only requires training a human:

Go outside with your dog and pick up their poop right away!


----------



## AndreaG (Mar 3, 2006)

isn't training the human the solution for at least 80% of dog-issues?


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: AndreaGI haven't read this thread, but how can they eat their poop? (mine never tried this, no experience here). But... if they are doing their business while superwised, and never outside on their own, how can they do that?
> Our dogs are only in the yard when I am, too, or they are on a walk when they go, on leash.


Some dogs can develop this habit simply from the environment in which they are housed at a very young age. For example, if the area in which they live very early on is not kept clean, very young pups can "stumble" upon stools, and pick up this habit. And, it doesn't take long for such a habit to develop if their environment provides such an opportunity.

In the wild, canines will rarely, if ever, soil their dens. Additionally, in general, the only time a wild canine will even eat feces is when they're either starving, or a mother senses danger, and will eat the feces of her young in an attempt to prevent other predators from smelling evidence of young pups and making a meal out of them.

Although there are alot of largely unsupported theories surround ing this issue, there are circumstances where something lacking in their diet precipitates such behavior, which simulates the "starving" behavior as mentioned above.

If owners don't let their dogs into areas unsupervised, they may never see this behavior, even if their dog would indeed do it. Constantly picking up the yard is also something that will prevent an owner from seeing this behavior; consequently, poop-patrol can be seen as an avoidance, rather than a re-conditioning of a poop-eating dog's behavior.

There's also the matter that even if an owner does keep their yard clean of stools, if they leave the dog out unsupervised, should the dog defecate, then either immediately, or later, consume the feces, the owner would again not know the dog has this habit.

So, so far amongst this thread, and all the other writings on this forum, in print and out there on the world wide web, there seems to be very select humane ways to stop the dog from doing this that doesn't require constant human intervention, such as picking up immediately, sprinkling stools with deterrents, feeding certain additives that supposedly make feces taste bad (oxymoron), not allowing a dog to be unsupervised, etc., and as is evident by this thread alone, there are many people searching for a resolution to this not-so-common, yet not-so-rare phenomenom.

Those of us that do not have poop-eaters, or do not leave their dogs unsupervised in areas where they might defecate and susequently consume their feces, are fortunate because poop-eating can indeed be a hard problem to lick (pun intended), if it's not a health-related problem, but rather, a habit.


----------



## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

> Originally Posted By: AndreaGI haven't read this thread, but how can they eat their poop? (mine never tried this, no experience here). But... if they are doing their business while superwised, and never outside on their own, how can they do that?
> ....


They can be very very fast. Humans are not always perfect... What can I say? A dog's radar on "snacks" and the "eat it now" response can be amazing. What appears to be innocent "reading the news" to me can be something I regard as quite nasty.


----------



## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

Not everyone goes out with their dogs if they have a fenced in yard they may just let their dogs out out the back door to run, play and then they do their business and it is missed. That is what I did when we had a fenced in backyard in our prior home. 

Which is quite OK if you don't have a dog that eats poop. Sonny is my first dog poop eater and until you get one you don't realize how forunate it is not to have one out of all my dogs (5 in total that we ever had) he is our first one that has displayed this habit.


----------



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: EllyNot everyone goes out with their dogs if they have a fenced in yard they may just let their dogs out out the back door to run, play and then they do their business and it is missed. That is what I did when we had a fenced in backyard in our prior home.


Yep, people often forget their are environments different than our own. That's why it is so important to take everything you read/hear with a grain of salt. I, for one, live in an area where EVERYONE has a fenced in back yard, so our dogs are lucky to have free reign outside, if we allow them to. And, I see no reason NOT to let them, provided they don't shred my yard, as I have alot of money in the landscaping.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: BowWowMeowSome dogs eat their poop immediately after it comes out.


Halo likes it fresh, so fresh in fact that she's almost gotten







on by Keefer because she's got her head practically up his butt!







I can call her away from her own poop to come to me for her treat and then go clean it up, but Keef poops at the far end of the run, and if she sees him start to squat she's charged down there and positioned herself to catch it practically before it hits the ground. 

Yesterday I had to pick her up and carry her back into the garage and close her outside the garage pen so she couldn't follow me back outside. Poor Keefer was walking around trying to be able to poop without a puppy head up his butt.







Maybe I need to start treating her when HE poops, lol!


----------



## AndreaG (Mar 3, 2006)

Wow!!! now I know how lucky we are, then.


----------



## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

i have one that will eat the other two dogs poop, and like Halo will eat it fresh right there when it comes out. so i have to make sure they all go out separately, and clean it up right after. funny he won't eat his own just the others.
makes me wonder if its the type of food i feed the others since he is on different food. maybe there is a certain ingredient in the other dogs food that is attracting.. the other two dogs are on TOTW Pacific Fish, i am thinking its the yucca, since that makes the stools smell better.

debbie


----------



## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

Just thought I'd drop back in and let ya know if you haven't seen it there's talk in another thread about pooh eating being related to the dog's food. Some people have found that if they switch to grain free food, their dog stops eating pooh. This isn't the reason all dogs eat pooh but is apparently a reason some dogs do. 

I have tried a few different products over the years, none of them worked. This last one I tried (Dis-Taste treats from http://www.fostersmith.com) seemed to work for my male but not my female. That's the closest I've gotten to finding anything that worked for any dog. In fact last week I caught Nissa laying down in front of a pile like it was a smorgasborg and about vomited myself. I think if there was a big enough pile she have laid their snacking all day - eeeeeeeuuuuuuuuwwwwww!

I decided to give grain free food a try, chose (dry) Taste of the Wild. Hubby picked up a bag on Friday and I've been mixing it 1/2 & 1/2 with their current food as a gradual switch. Knock on wood, so far I have yet to see either one even pay attention to the pooh let alone snack on any.

An additional bonus? The TOTW is $20 LESS per bag than the Eagle Pack Holistic we've been feeding. If this works (and I'm not saying for sure it does yet because I feel it's to soon to tell & there is still grained food in the dishes until it's a full switchover) to me is the absolute best thing! I won't have to try&buy different things only to find they don't work and that I've once again wasted my money, I won't have to make sure they get their dose of pooh eating prevention (one less thing for me to have to remember and do) and I'll save a chunk of money.


----------



## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

some of you may have seen this per google... but i found it awhile back and sent it to a friend that was having these issues.

Why Dogs Eat Poop: 20 Reasons

1. Your dog might be hungry. If your dog doesn't have access to food, he might eat poop.

2. Some dogs will eat poop to clean up an area like a housekeeper. This is most likely if your dog is confined to a crate or kennel, or when he's chained up or otherwise restricted. He's taking care of his space.

3. If your dog likes to carry poop, and then eat it, it could be genetics. Some dogs have instincts to carry stuff in their mouths.

4. Your dog might be eating poop because of parasites or worms. They can suck nutrients out of your dog, driving him to eat poop. It might also leave him extra hungry because of the lack of proper fuel.

5. Your dog might be eating cat poop or other animal poop to get key nutrients and minerals not available in his own food.

6. Some dogs will simply eat poop to pass the time. Dogs will eat poop because they are bored or lonely. It can be a sign of neglect.

7. Your dog might eat poop because he's anxious, nervous or otherwise upset. Stress will drive animals to do odd things.

8. Some dogs will eat poop to hide the evidence. If you punish your dog for pooping, he might eat it to stop you from getting angry.

9. If your dog has puppies, she might eat puppy poop. This is an instinct to hide the poop from predators. Poop is evidence. Getting ride of it keeps her puppies safe.

10. Some young dogs and puppies will eat poop as a novelty. That is, they'll eat poop as an experiment. They don't know better.

11. If your dog watches you pick up poop, he might learn to do the same. This is called allelomimetic behavior. Your dog observes you and learns from you, by putting the poop in his mouth you put poop in a bag.

12. Your dog might see other dos eating poop. From this, they learn to eat poop too.

13. Many dogs simply like the taste of poop. This obviously doesn't make sense to dog owners but that's irrelevant. Some dog like to eat it and that's that. It's warm, moist, and very much like what your dog was given as a very young puppy.

14. If your dog food lacks key nutrients, he might eat poop. Your dog is trying to get "food" with nutrients any way possible, even from his own poop.

15. Sometimes dog poop seems like dog food. This can happen when dog food is low quality and includes materials that are easily passed and not absorbed by your dog. When the dog poops, it seems to be very much like the food he just consumed!

16. In some cases, dogs will eat poop if they are given too much food. This is especially true if your dog's diet is high in fat.

17. Some dogs will eat poop to gain attention. Many dog owners get very upset when their dog eats poop, which means the dog gets attention. This is a wonderful opportunity for your dog to interact with you, although it is because of negative attention.

18. It is possible that some dogs will eat the poop of other, more dominant dogs. Your dog might be more submissive than other dogs, resulting in strange poop eating behavior. This seems to occur more in households with multiple dogs where dominance and submission is a factor. Obviously this doesn't explain much about dogs eating cat poop or other animal poop.

19. It is possible that your dog wants to eat more than one time per day. If you only feed your dog once per day, and your dog eats poop, it could be an indication they want to eat more frequently.

20. In some cases, your dog will eat poop by accident. Dogs are curious and will try to eat almost anything, including poop. Dogs explore the world through taste and smell, much more than humans.


----------



## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

I'm almost afraid to say this "out loud" and I'm even more afraid to get excited ... but it seems that changing our dogs over to grain free (in this case Taste of the Wild) has stopped the pooh snacking. I'd been mixing 1/2 & 1/2 the grained food and the GF as a gradual switch. From day 1 mixed, not one single poo-sickle was devoured which is a switch from almost daily snacking. Then one day about a week later, I caught Nissa eating pooh and called her away. From that day on, I stopped mixing, they get straight GF and no more pooh-sickles









They're now also eating their entire meals and are hungry for them on a regular 2X a day basis, which prior to GF, it was hit and miss as to whether or not they'd eat. Additionally, they're not quite as wired as they used to be - I'm beginning to think perhaps the grained food didn't agree with them as well as our new TOTW or perhaps there was an allergy or something. Even better, they'd both put on 3-4lbs and the vet had said it had to come off. The switch in the food took off the weight PRONTO and they're both now back where they belong scale-wise.

Saving $20 per bag doesn't hurt either. I think this switch has been a very good thing for us.


----------

