Why is My Dog Eating Poop? Advice From Inner West Sydney Dog Trainer

Do you have a poop eater living in your house?

I work as an Inner West Sydney Dog Trainer and face this issue quite often. Some dogs simply seem to love eating the droppings of others. And trying to stop them only makes them eat it faster, am I right? Puppy kisses and poop eating certainly do not go hand in hand. This disgusting habit can be very upsetting. This nasty behaviour can have many origins.

Mother dogs clean their puppies and the nest area by eating their feces.

It is possible that if puppies are separated from their mothers and their pen area isn’t kept clean, puppies might take this job on themselves. And it can then become a habit they carry on.

Sometimes it might indicate that something is lacking in their diet.

Some dogs have difficulty with how their bodies digest food and they compensate it by eating poop. The fewer nutrients absorbed in food’s journey through the digestive tract, the more appealing it is once it’s come out the other end.

Dogs can smell nutrition and food still in it

I’ve worked in two big dog daycares and noticed there that the more food was still in the poop, the more appealing it was to the poop eaters. Many people feed their dogs corn and other foods that they can’t process and it comes out the way it went in. This type of poop seemed always be the most “delicious”.

So how to break this bad habit?

Best way is prevention. Any doggie doors should be closed temporarily to prevent unsupervised potty breaks. Begin taking your dog outside for potty time on-leash several times a day. And keep your yard very clean! Starting a new potty habit with your dog enables you to isolate on-leash what he should not do.

You need to isolate the two acts, eliminating vs. eating the results. Leash helps your dog know which part is a no-no. If your dog turns to eat poop while on a leash you can give a quick, gentle tug and firm NO as a correction.

A trip to the vet. You can visit your local vet and ask about FOR-BID, which is a safe food supplement for dogs that makes poop taste bad. You can also ask your vet about your dog’s diet. Your vet may be able to suggest a natural enzyme that’s missing from your dog’s diet.

All these three tips together will solve the poop eating problem!

Love,

Eazy Dog Training – Your Inner West Sydney Dog Trainer