Stop A Dog From Eating Poop – The Correct Method To Stop Dog Corprophagy

To stop a dog from eating poop is a must if you dog embarrasses you by eating his own feces when you are talking to someone in the park.  In this article you will learn how to correct this filthy habit. 

There are a few different theories why dogs eat their own poop however the reasons can be broken into to tow categories.

1. Dog Behavioral Problem.
2. Dog Medical Problem.

If your dog has been sick and started eating their poop since then a visit to your favorite veterinarian is a must. There may be an underlying medical problem left from the illness that is causing your dog to behave in this way. Your veterinarian will be familiar with the medical reasons for this behavior and will be able to offer treatment or advice as well as give you dog a thorough health check up.

Ensure that if your dog has just started this behavior to keep their vaccinations up to date. Many diseases and parasites are spread through excrement and your dog could be exposed to serious illnesses.  There are the main reasons why a dog behaves in this way and must stop a dog from eating poop .

Reasons and Causes Why Dogs Eat Poop.

Some dogs find the taste appealing. (ewww)
High fat – low fibre diet. Dog diets high in fat and low fibre are digested too quickly and the dog might try to digest it again to gain the necessary nutrients they need for health.
A symptom of Dog Separation Anxiety or boredom.
Some puppies experience vitamin or mineral deficiencies and eating their poop restores the delicate balance in their intestinal system.
Bitches of young pups will clean the pups as needed to keep the area clean and puppies may copy this behavior.
Puppies may “hide the evidence” by eating it if they have been punished for leaving little surprises around the home. Puppies don’t understand what they are being punished for and will think that they are being punished for actually pooping rather than going in the wrong place.
Maybe your dog is trying to clean their living area – either inside or in the yard. If you suspect that this is the reason then you need to clean the area daily.
Copying other dogs behavior.
Over feeding -if your dog is getting too much to eat it is likely that he/she won’t be able to digest the food properly and the partially digested food is eaten again.
Under feeding. Some dog owners only feed their dogs once a day leaving the dog hungry and they will go into scavenger mode and eat anything around. It is best to feed your dog twice a day.
Medications or antibiotics. Some dogs develop poop eating behavior when they are being treated for other aliments.
Some dogs may eat the feces of a companion dog who is sick. This type of behavior is an effort protect the companion dog from predators.
Change in diet. Radically changing a dogs normal diet can cause dog coprophagia. This is most common when the diet is higher in fat. (see point 2)

Stop A Dog From Eating Poop.

Some suggestions to help stop dog from eating poop are as follows:-

Adding to the diet.
Add a little pineapple, spinach or pumpkin to your dogs meals. Apparently when these foods are digested they smell and taste terrible to dogs. There are also specific additives that are designed to make the poop smell bad so your dog is not tempted to eat it. These products are available through your local veterinarian.

Health Maintenance and Diet.

Ensure your dog is wormed regularly and gets regular check ups from the vet.  A healthy dog with a nutritious diet high in fiber will be less likely to engage in behaviors like eating poop.

Clean Living Environment.

Keeping your dog’s living area clean will reduce their need to clean it up themselves. Daily removal of any poop in the house, their room and the yard will make a big difference.

Dog Training Devices.

Negative reinforcement by the use of a choker collar can be helpful if other methods fail. In worst case scenario you could use a well fitting muzzle and only remove it for meal times, however this is an extreme measure and may not curb the behavior but only disable your dog from doing it. On the other hand, this could be a practical solution in the short term so you can take your dog out in public with  out fear of them eating theirs or another dogs poop.

Dog Training.

By leaning good dog training methods and techniques for effective command training you can train your dog to respond to commands like “leave it” or “no” or “off”. Using positive reinforcement and praising your dog for good behavior can work well also.

Most dogs grow out of wanting to eat poop by the time they hit twelve months old, however this is usually to long  to wait for most dog owners to wait.

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