The act of eating stool or feces is called coprophagia. Many animals in nature including bears, wolves, big cats, and other creatures are known to do this. The theory on ‘why’ they do it is simply because there are left over nutrients to be ‘mined’ from poop.
It also happens to be incredibly disgusting.
You should definitely get your dog to stop doing it right away.
Here are some tips on how to do that:
- Get your dog on a quality food. I would say that the majority of poop eaters that I meet are dogs on low quality dog food. Low quality foods are almost always rife with corn, soy, beat pulp and other fillers. Why are fillers bad? Simple. Dogs can’t digest them. In not being able to digest them they get pooped out in much the same way they went in.If you take a creature that isn’t so averse to the fact that this substance just exited from their derriere, allow them to realize that this smelly substance is very similar to the food they ate a few hours ago, how hard is it going to be to convince the dog not to eat it?
I can just picture the inner monologue the dog is having, “Wait a minute…you put it in my bowl and tell me it’s fine to eat it. When I eat it after I poop it out you get ticked off. What gives!?!
Look for foods that contain any amount of corn, beet pulp, soy, etc. and STAY AWAY! Guess what folks? Many vets recommend the absolute WORST dog foods out there. I’m not going to list the major brand name that is most often recommended…let’s just say it rhymes with Flience Fliet. Foods like that and others that are prevalent both at the pet store and also on commercials are not good for your dog. Fillers just drive up the price of the food because the dog has to eat so much more of it and often encourage a dog to turn to the dark side of coprophagia.
We recommend Flint River Ranch. It comes delivered to your door, no fillers, no preservatives, all human grade ingredients, etc. In most cases I’ve encountered, the simple changing to this food has fixed the dirty poop eating habit.
- Try some Pineapple. Give your dog a few chunks of pineapple with their food. Pineapple is fine for most dogs to eat. The acidity in it, though, can often change the taste of the poop so it is very un-appetizing. Why does poop need to be MORE un-appetizing you ask? I don’t know. But if you need to convince your dog of that fact you may find pineapple to be a help.
- Sprinkle some meat tenderizer on your dog’s food. Go to the grocery store and buy some meat tenderizer. Here is the catch, though. It has to be meat tenderizer that is mostly MSG. MSG gives a metallic taste to dog poop and can be pretty discouraging to the average copraphile…er…copraphagier…um…..poop eater. Now, many people aren’t too big a fan of MSG and what it can do to a living creature so that is something you’ll need to take into account.
- Keep your yard clean. Having a yard clean of feces is a good practice anyway and can take away temptation from a hungry scavenger.
- Correct your dog when he or she partakes in their dirty sin. You can use a leash correction, shake can, e-collar or other tool to correct your dog in the act.
I’ve given you 5 things to try to get your dog to stop eating poop. I’ve still never met the dog that can go toe-to-toe with all five of these ideas and still continue eating poo.
38 Responses to “Tips To Get Your Dog To Stop Eating Poop”
1- I found it hilarious the baseline that you’ve set for where you are willing to debase yourself by making insulting comments to strangers with the anonymity of the internet. This post wasn’t about religion, politics, or women’s rights….it was about dog food. You found my take on dog food so abhorrent that you had to take the time to insult me. It’s interesting the topics that people will choose to make themselves look foolish.
2- You couldn’t be more wrong. The food in question is trash, it harms dogs, and it helps keep vets in business. Your only argument to the contrary is that veterinarians had been studying it for a long time. Is that really an argument? Off the top of my head I got to thinking of other things that scientists, ostensibly smarter than the rest of us, studied and then released into the market. Ever heard of fen-phen? Plenty of smart scientists invented it, approved it, and released it on the market. That one killed people. How about asbestos? Studied like mad and still released for public use. How did that work out? How about simple nutrition? Every nutritionist worth their salt will tell you that the food pyramid that was designed and studied by scientists is complete and utter nonsense. But according to your standard it’s good because scientists studied it and gave their stamp of approval.
I get it. You’re working at a vet’s office and you’ve been indoctrinated by these vets who are good people and really care about dogs. If they are recommending the food in question, though, then the unfortunate truth is that they know next to nothing about proper nutrition for dogs.
All the best.
She will not poop out side know matter how bad she has to go, she will wait till I let her back in and poop anywhere she likes in the house, this is bad BC I have a new born baby.
I have done everything I can think of from what I know scene I was raised on a farm and dealt with animals my hole life, I feel this is the last straw its either fix her poop eating habits or find her a home that can deal with it.
Its very say But I can’t have my kid scooting around on the poppy floor when she starts to crawl.
What kind of food does your dog eat?
I am a veterinarian. Graduated veterinary school seven years ago. Unfortunately we don’t get a lot of training in nutrition. In my vet school, we didn’t have a single nutrition class. However we did get a ton of free food from Flience Fliet and other top pet food companies. All through veterinary school, we got one bag free and could buy additional bags for dirt cheap. Consequently, I fed my dogs the Flience Fliet after I graduated vet school and made the same recommendations to clients. Not evidence based, rather because that was what I was conditioned to do.
I’m pretty sure the free feeding program still continues in veterinary schools around the country.
There is another factor that no one mentions, it’s genetically predestined. I know of breeders who say that all of their dogs eat poo and others who say that the don’t have that problem. I’ve even read a blog from a breeder that said you can change any comfirmational aspect of your line, (face, hindquarters, legs) but has never been able to get rid of the damned poo-eating gene. So before you pick out your new puppy, ask the breeder if their dogs are so inclined. There is no 100%, but if both parents are poo eaters, it is fairly likely that your new puppy will be too or will have been shown this bevhaior at an early age. There are of course people who seem to be able to cure this problem, with air puff collars, I am very pleased for them.
I use a muzzle, problem sorted.
As for the food and the above mentioned routinely prescribed by vets, I once had a friend who was a sales rep for SD. She finally quit for ethical reasons. She just couldn’t in good conscience continue to push this crap food on vets/people/dogs. She said she KNEW it was junk, the company knew, everyone knew..but it was big money.
I think getting a rescue dog is great, but there is nothing wrong with getting a dog from a breeder. People who buy dogs from breeders should not be demonized and it has nothing to do with ego. My boyfriend and I bought a dog from a breeder because we wanted a loyal, bigger dog that would be ok with living in an apartment as long as it was exercised properly. So we bought a purebred golden retriever to be sure of the temperament. That doesn’t make us evil or egotistic. Everyone has their own reasons behind their individual choices.
Just because they went to vet school doesn’t mean they are dog nutrition experts.
Full of fillers and low in nutrients. Sorry . its a sucky food.
I feed my new puppy Flint River dog food (as I’ve done with all our beagles) which is a high quality food, and I would like to try giving him pineapple, but I want to know if I should give him fresh pineapple? I’m concerned about the canned pineapple due to the sugar content. Thank you
P.S.
It really bugs me that some dog owners will give their dogs up… (like they were a broken toy) because of their poo eating. It just takes being responsible and taking the time to train your puppy/dog. Some people think that puppies come pre trained.
I would like to ask if you have any other tips? my dog does not eat his own poop but while were on walks if Im not close by then he trys to eat horse manure. when I am close by I only have to look at him and he wont touch it. calling him back stops him too but if Im not fast enough or just dont see it myself then he picks it up
I have been having the same issue with both of my Coprophagia, (poo eating dogs) dogs. I didn’t want to get off track here, BUT since everyone seems to be wanting to talk about Vets. recommending SD or some people having attitudes about whether or not we should be buying dogs from legitimate breeders instead of just going down to the local pound and saving a dog…. well, I felt the NEED to weigh in on some of this…
For one thing, I don’t understand how any dog/pet lover can sit in judgment and condemn anyone for wanting to care for a dog… any dog, what does it matter to you or what business is it of yours if someone would rather BUY a puppy from a breeder instead of rescuing one? What is the difference? Breeders breed puppy’s so that we can buy the kind of dog that we want, one that fits us the best, and these puppy’s need homes too. GOOD homes!
Just to be clear, I have both a ‘rescue’ dog and a ‘pure bred’ (OMG!) English Shepherd puppy that I just purchased from a local breeder…so what am I doing that is so wrong? Is it okay with YOU that I CHOOSE to bring up my own little farm dog the way I want to, one that I can raise from a puppy, by myself, instead of getting a dog that has been screwed up by one or more people along the way, someone else’s problem? Yes, I said problem. I have ALWAYS owned rescue dogs. Always. So this time I CHOSE to buy a pure bread pup, so I can raise my puppy my way, so he will be secure, content, have manners & good habits… instead of all the prior misuse/abuse or issues that these poor rescue animals have to endure when they’re passed from one owner to the next… before they make it to the shelter, these poor ‘wrecked’, mistreated and unwanted dogs…. I think that is MY say and not yours. I have to say that I was pretty lucky with my present rescue dog, she is Golden Retriever/Collie mix, both pretty tame breeds right? or at least they should be! She is only 2 years old and suffers from a terrible eating disorder, she has severe separation anxiety and is very, very jealous of other dogs.
I guess my main issue with being able to get free puppies so easily, be it at the pound or out of a car in the Wal-Mart parking lot or ‘rescue’ dogs, is that the people who usually take these poor animals know nothing about what a commitment it is to raise them, they only get them because they’re SOOO CUTE, sometimes they may even take 2 or 3… some of these people can barely afford to feed themselves or they work all day and don’t have the time it takes to raise a dog, not the way it should be raised at least, or nor able to take the dog for its vaccinations or medical attention, if needed. “Oh what a cute puppy, please daddy, I want him!! The people that take these puppies are the people who will end up either killing the puppy (or kitten) or leaving them at a shelter to be rescued, but not before the animal has been severely neglected, abused or starved. How does that NOT screw up an animal? How is that okay? It’s NOT easy raising a healthy puppy, one that you’ve had from the beginning, but it’s even harder when you have to try and raise someone else’s unwanted, abused animal, you need unending patience and even then it’s almost impossible… if you don’t have the patience, the time, the money or the know how, don’t try and ‘rescue’ a dog, please. I wish I could somehow stop every single person from taking their car load of cute little puppies to Wal-Mart on the weekend, but I can’t.. That is really all I have to say on this topic… other than please do not judge a person just because they happen to want to raise their own ‘pure bred’ puppy.
So, now finally about my problem… which is that both of my dogs have Coprophagia, and I can NOT STRESS this enough: the problem is NOT with the FOOD. (FACT!)
Let me tell you what I know for a fact…
FACT: When I rescued my older female dog from the shelter, they people that ran the place told me that she was already partaking in this disgusting diet.. she eats poo…but not her own, at least not that I’ve EVER seen, just poo from other animals… this has been going on for at least 1 1/2 years, I have tried everything, she is still doing it!
The new puppy has this problem too, but he only eats his own poo… FACT: it is NOT the food with him either. (FACT!) he, both parents (who are both owned and at the home of the breeder), all but one of his siblings & everyone of the puppies from the last litter before him, ALL Coprophagia… THE REASON I KNOW IT IS NOT HE FOOD IS BECAUSE the breeder was ‘raw feeding’ him and as soon as I got him, within 1 week I completely changed his diet. I slowly withdrew him from raw food, quit the raw feeding all together and make my own homemade dog food…plus I feed both dogs 2 servings a day of non-grain ” 4-Health Puppy” and “4-Health Adult” Kibble along with the cooked meat/protein/rice/veggies/fruit… it’s chicken/ground beef/eggs/fish/chicken/green beans/carrots or squash/broccoli or peas/apples or whatever fruit I have at the time, gluten free rice and/or macaroni plus omega3 fish oil and ground Flaxseed. 4-health kibble is NOT a cheap dog food & has a 4 star rating, it is meat based. I do not believe that food plays any role at all in dog with Coprophagia . WHAT I would really like to know, like ‘Emily asked,’ if anyone has tried putting hot pepper flakes or even a little tabasco on the poo to see if this will actually stop them from eating it or not. All of the products out there don’t work, save your money… I have tried them ALL and I’m about at the end of my rope. It’s bad that both my dogs have this condition, it is yuky… but my main concern is not so much them eating their own poo, but when other animals are involved, like raccoons, deer, skunks…. etc. that scares me. My fear is that my dogs might ‘catch some kind of disease or parasite’, worms or other nasty intestinal pests… I’m afraid they could get something really bad from eating wild animal feces, and I try to remove it all before the dogs even go out in the morning, but as careful as I am, I still am never able to find it all, but the dogs sure can!
I would also like to comment on SD or FF as you’ve been calling it…. not that my opinion on this subject is of any consequence, but since you’re the one’s talking about it I felt like putting in my 2 cents … My Vet also is one of those SD ‘pushers’. I disagree with her, she should know better. I do NOT now, nor have I ever given my dogs this brand of food. If you have half a brain and you can READ, the 1st ingredients are not meat but meat by-product… I can’t believe that they have been scamming so called, intelligent people, for SO long… .. so I agree that the SD people had/have a great marketing scam going, by recruiting Vets. while they are still in school and giving them kickbacks and/or future commissions on sales… but it is all true people, believe it! The Vets. that are to blame… they recommend that we feed this crap to our animals and most folks just ‘go along’ thinking that their well trained Vet. should know more than they do about what we should be feeding our dogs and cats, but they don’t…. plus these Vets. are charging outrageous amounts of money for this CRAP! Raw feeding in a way makes at least some sense, I think people are over doing it a bit, and some are going way too far with this, but I can’t say if it is actually helping or hurting the animals… I give my dogs SOME raw food but not a lot, so in the ‘raw feeders’ eyes I’m probably being called an ignorant….., but I just can not make myself give a little 3 month old puppy a raw chicken leg, just can’t… with all I was ever taught about how bad raw meat is, at least for humans, I don’t want to be responsible for my dog getting Salmonella poisoning or some other type of meat borne illness. After doing a lot of research and reading about these big dog food companies, what is and has been going on with them, I decided that home cooked food was best for my dogs. At least I know what they are getting… not the moldy/rancid grain and meat, and a lot worse!! A LOT worse!
So, except for the poo eating problem ( which CAME with both dogs, at different times, being fed different foods) my dogs are happy and very healthy… I feel that I must be doing something right.
I just want to know if we should actually TRY the hot pepper idea or not….? I don’t see what it will hurt, other than the dogs tongue may be a little sore for awhile, and maybe a minor tummy upset? But in the long run, which is worse? IT HAS to be better than eating their own, or other animals feces, right?
I take my puppy out on a leash now to go potty, usually I can catch him before he has a chance to eat it, but he was too fast for me today, before I had a chance to turn around, he had ingested it all! If I decide to try hot sauce I will have to act a lot faster than I did today! BTW, I tried frozen pineapple chunks last year with my older dog, I just cut them up in smaller pieces and used them as a training treat… they worked great for training to sit, and speak but didn’t do a thing to deter the Coprophagia.
As far as trying to simply CORRECT this ‘condition’, good luck. Like I said, I’ve tried everything, this includes all of the pills, powders, pineapple, correcting on leash walking’s, etc… but picking up and removing the poo before it can be consumed is the only thing that actually STOPS them… plus, my new pup eats so fast that he doesn’t even stop to ‘taste’ it before it’s gone, that’s why I wondered about the hot pepper idea…. otherwise nothing I have tried has worked.
I truly don’t believe it can be done, and especially not by just saying NO! ‘correcting them’, or by changing their diets.
To: Ty Brown… As far as correcting our dogs so that it will work in future as well as the present? What would you suggest we do to correctly, CORRECT our dogs in the present so they will be corrected in the future? AARRUUGGG!
Also, have you ever had a dog with this Coprophagia? If so, why do you believe that it is the food or ‘cheap food is the problem, as you stated … I really don’t believe that you know what you are talking about, you should try listening better, and I KNOW for a FACT it is has nothing to do with food and if you have a better ‘correcting technique, why not share?
Yet in most of your answers all you can say is ‘what foods are they eating’? IDK what makes an expert on this subject, I KNOW I’m not one, but I do know have 2 dogs with this problem and I have read a lot on this subject… so it seems that I know a little bit about it after all and I do know when to LISTEN to what people are telling me… if I were you I would do that and then change the ‘it’s the food’ record. Your so called answers are a waste of time & don’t give any constructive advise. Time to Hang it up Ty.
“I do not believe that food plays any role at all in dog with Coprophagia”
“why do you believe that it is the food or ‘cheap food is the problem, as you stated”
“I really don’t believe that you know what you are talking about, you should try listening better”
“IDK what makes an expert on this subject”
And then you counter that with your own ideas which are based on…..having two dogs? That’s it?
Well, since you asked, what makes me an expert is that I’ve personally worked with over 100 cases of copraphagia in my career and probably consulted with 100 more through my websites. In about 80% of those cases when we switch to a quality food it takes care of the problem. So I’m glad that you’ve worked with two dogs with no success but I’ve worked with hundreds with lots of success.
It’s not every time that quality food fixes the problem but it’s enough times that it only makes sense for me to mention that as the first thing that everyone should try.
On another note. You throw around often that you know for a ‘FACT’ that food isn’t involved in your dog’s copraphagia. You may be right. But there was nothing in your diatribe that laid anything out as a ‘FACT’. You took a dog who was eating a quality raw food, put it on a worse food, and then you see copraphagia and declare it can’t be related to diet when….YOU GAVE IT A WORSE DIET?!?!?!
Furthermore, if you want to know how to correct the dog, read the article again.
You say, ‘I have tried everything, she is still doing it!’ Nope, you haven’t tried everything. You’ve omitted at least one thing that works. I don’t know what that one thing is, per se, but I do know that if she lived with me she’d be done with the habit by the end of the week. I don’t like it when people say they’ve ‘tried everything’ when they obviously haven’t.
I have a large yard and I have actually chased one dog with a shovel or pepper spray in my hands while the other dog munches. Good thing no one can see me in my back yard!
I’ve also tried a shake can. No effect at all. She grabs the can and runs with it and then tries to chew the can…
Note: this dog flunked puppy kindergarten. She has quite the personality but she is incredibly stubborn.
Does anyone else have any ideas? Ask from walking them individually on a leash, I am unable to let them go outsi in the yard. I swag they know exactly what they a doing, as I will return from a wal, confident that they are poo-free and I will look up to find them manufacturing a “new” snack! So disgusting and I am at my wits end. Help!!
Having said that, not every food is going to be right for every dog. If your dog doesn’t have that issue on other foods you may want to switch.