Training Tips: How to Stop your Dog from Eating Poop
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It’s tough having a dog who eats poop, but it’s more common than you think. This condition is known as coprophagia. Today, we’re going to discuss how to stop your dog from eating poop.
Because, while it’s not exactly appealing to humans, it’s a perfectly normal behavior for animals.
Why Dogs Eat Poop
There are many reasons why a dog may eat it’s own feces. The behavior can often be seen in nursing mothers who must stimulate their puppies behind to help them defecate and urinate until the puppy is old enough to control the muscles on their own. This ingestion of feces also helps keep the “nest” clean and reduces the chance of predators sniffing out their puppies.
But, what of adult dogs who eat poop? Some can become quite compulsive and will even follow other dogs around to be able to eat their feces. It’s also quite common in puppies, although we don’t know why exactly.
While there is often no obvious health reason for this behavior, it’s important to have your pet checked out by a veterinarian to eliminate the chance that a malabsorption disorder or nutritional deficiency is causing the behavior.
Coprophagia can sometimes be motivated by diet although no scientific link has yet been established. Diets that are very high in protein have been suspected to cause this behavior as dogs may want to reabsorb undigested protein. Bad diets, such as those with many fillers, have also been thought to contribute to the condition.
How to Stop Your Dog from Eating Poop
There are a few things you can do that have helped some dogs overcome the disorder.
Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
A small piece of fresh pineapple (about a teaspoon) given to your dog each day may help. Pineapple contains antioxidant, bromelain. this makes the poop less palatable (if that’s possible) by making it taste bitter or acidic.
Brussels sprouts, cabbage or other foods high in sulfur have also been shown to help in a few cases.
You can also try sprinkling a little meat tenderizer on your pet’s food (but be sure to use a LOW SODIUM type).
Commercial Supplements
Commercial supplements such as Potty Mouth, ForBid
Enzymatic Supplements
Natural enzyme supplements like Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes & Probiotics,
Probiotics and Prebiotics
Your pet’s gut health may have a lot more to do with eating their poop than previously thought. We take a close look at the importance of a good probiotic and prebiotic for pets in this article, Your Guide to Prebiotics and Probiotics/
Living Conditions
There is a belief that dogs in poor living conditions may be more prone to coprophagia. In fact, some experts consider this a compulsive behavior rather than a health condition. If true, training may be a way to keep them from consuming their waste. But, remember, while these solutions may help stop your pet from eating their own poop, it will do nothing to stop them from eating other animal’s feces.Â
How to Prevent Coprophagia in Puppies
The best and most effective solution is a training approach that works. So, what can we do about poop eating in puppies?
- Remove poop as soon as it appears.
- Don’t make a big fuss if the puppy does find some poop.
- Distract, redirect and reward the puppy for stopping what they’re doing and listening to you.
- Feed your dog the best quality food you possibly can. Proper nutrition is very important for pets. Avoid inexpensive foods or foods that have many fillers. These foods have very low nutritional value which can cause your dog to eat his own poop in an effort to reabsorb needed nutrients.
- Feed your dog 2-3 times per day (as opposed to once per day), and give her plenty of things she can chew on like low-calorie treats (or even sliced carrots, celery sticks, garbanzo beans or frozen peas) in smart toys.
- Make sure she’s getting plenty of exercise and mental stimulation.
- Increase walks and try taking your pets on “scent walks” where they are allowed to just wander and sniff things.
Tips for Training a Dog That Eats Poop
Leash Control
Keep your dog on a leash whenever she’s outside to prevent her from engaging in the unwanted behavior during the training period.
Reward During Defecation
As your dog is defecating, scatter some tasty treats in front of her and quickly pick up the waste before she finishes eating. This reinforces positive behavior by rewarding her for pooping and for not eating it.
Controlled Exposure
For training, take her on a leash to an area with poop, allowing her to get close enough to see and smell it, but not eat it. If she strains at the leash, wait patiently until she gives up and turns away. Then, reward her generously with something she loves, whether it’s a special treat, verbal praise, or playtime.
Repetition and Reward
Repeat this training frequently, rewarding her each time she chooses to look away or walk away from the poop. Over time, she’ll start to associate seeing poop with the expectation of a reward from you.
Randomized Rewards
Once the desired behavior is consistent, begin rewarding her randomly. However, stay unpredictable and generous with the rewards to prevent her from reverting to the old behavior.
