Why Do Dogs Eat Poop? Plus, 5 Ways to Stop It! | Pupford
In our private Facebook community, one of our most frequently asked questions is 'why do dogs eat poop?'. Followed very closely by... how do I stop my dog from eating poop?!
“Coprophagia”, the scientific name for your dog’s poop-eating habit, is probably more common than you might think.
According to a study, one in six dogs is classified as serious poop eaters and in their study of over 1,000 dog parents, 24% were observed eating feces at least once.
In this article, we'll dive into why dogs eat poop, whether it's something you should seriously worry about, and of course, some things you can do to help eliminate this behavior!
So, let's get right to it 👇
Related Reading: Are Dogs' Mouths Cleaner Than Humans?
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Why Do Dogs (& Puppies) Eat Poop?
While as humans we are completely repulsed by this choice of feces cuisine, we have to remember that canines have evolved as scavengers and it’s in their nature to eat whatever they find on the ground or in the trash can.
Eating poop is quite normal for dogs, especially puppies. Puppies will also naturally engage in this behavior, eating both their own fecal droppings (known as autocoprophagia) and those of other dogs (allocoprophagia), as well as cats and other animals.
When a dog is just a puppy, their moms will actually train them to lick themselves clean and clean off their bodies of feces.
When they get a little older, puppies become naturally curious about the world and their surroundings, and sometimes eating their poop or anything else that’s on the ground nearby is part of that exploration.
While eating their own poop is harmless, eating other dogs' or other animal feces can be an issue.
Animal feces may contain parasites, toxins, and viruses. Typically the poop-eating behavior of puppies will fade out around 9 months old but as they age and grow, the poop-eating may continue as a process of exploration.
So, as an overview here are some reasons dogs eat poop:
- Dogs explore with their mouths
- Dogs have long been scavengers who had to search for food
- Dogs are taught at a young age to lick to clean themselves
- It can be due to a lack of essential nutrients
- Can be because they are just hungry and that's what is available to them
- Some dogs like the taste
- Intestinal or other health issues
- It can be a compulsive or stress-related behavior
- We just don't completely know why
It's important to remember that your dog eating poop is generally harmless, but let's look at some more info on this feces-consuming behavior.
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Interesting Facts About Dog Poop Eating
During a study of over 1,000 dogs and their parents, they found these fascinating statistics.
- Female dogs are more likely to eat poop than males
- Dogs that live in multi-dog households are more likely to eat their own poop than single dog households
- 92% of the poop eaters preferred fresh, 1-2 day old poop
- 85% of dogs that eat poop, don’t want to eat their own! They like other dogs better.
- Dogs that tend to steal food off tables, tend to eat poop.
Whether these help you stop the behavior or not, they are some interesting stats to know!
Related Reading: Dog Trancing - What Is It & Why Do Dogs Do It?
Is It Bad For My Dog To Eat Poop?
You should definitely try your absolute best to prevent your dog from eating poop, especially other animals and other dog’s poop. If they continue to dine on feces, you may want to consult your vet to rule out certain health problems.
Sometimes when dogs eat poop they may have issues with:
- Parasites
- Lack of nutrients or enzymes in their diet
- Lack of calories in their diet
- Intestinal, brain, or liver issues
- Boredom
- Stress and/or Anxiety
If you are noticing that your dog is eating more poop (or attempting to) than usual or has started recently, keep an eye out for other symptoms such as lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea and behavioral changes.
This could be part of a bigger health issue and you should see a vet immediately!
Related Reading: 7 Dog Poop Meanings + Types of Dog Poop Guide
How To Stop a Dog From Eating Poop
If you're reading this article, you're probably hoping for help to get your dog to stop eating poop.
💩 Don't miss out! Sign up for the 100% free online course, 30 Day Perfect Pup, to overcome challenging behaviors. Sign up here! 🐶
Here are some things that will help to get your dog or puppy to stop eating poop:
- Clean up the poop
- Mental stimulation and exercise
- Supplements
- Control the environment
- Punishment & training
Let's look at each way below. 👇
Related Reading: 11 Ways to Clean Dog Teeth Without Brushing
Clean Up The Poop!
The most simple answer for stopping poop eating is, cleanliness! Clean up after your dog in your yard, around your neighborhood where you are walking them and at parks you often visit.
If the poop isn’t sitting around waiting to be eaten, it won’t be eaten.
If your dog tends to go after other animal's poop (inside or outside the household) make sure to keep litter boxes and cages clean.
Supervise your dog during your walks and work on impulse control training to keep them away from eating poop and any other trash or food on the ground.
You can also focus your training efforts on behaviors such as “leave it” or “come”.
Mental Stimulation & Exercise
Is your dog bored? Boredom can be a huge reason why your dog or puppy eats poop!
Dog parents should make a constant effort to spend enough time engaging their fur babies with activities and exercise.
Mental stimulation is a great way to prevent your dog from bad habits and poor behavior, including poop eating! Besides taking your dog outside for bathroom breaks, engage them in play as much as possible.
A quick 5 minute game of fetch, a jog around the block, 20 minutes at the park or some tug of war inside on a rainy day can help stimulate your dog’s brain and tire them out!
For more indoor exercise ideas, check out this article.
Plus, here at Pupford, we offer a few mental exercise tools to help eliminate problem behaviors, like eating poop ⏬
✅ Lick Mats – A lick mat is a toy with deep grooves you can spread things like peanut butter into. Then, you freeze it and give it to your pup. Great for keeping your dog busy! Get yours here.
✅ Snuffle Mats –A snuffle mat is a toy with lots of fabric that you can 'hide' treats in, then release your dog to sniff them out. It is GREAT nose work! Get yours here.
✅ Flirt Poles – A flirt pole for dogs is a fun toy that incorporates both physical and mental exercise, even indoors. Get yours here.
Supplements Can Help Dogs Stop Eating Poop
One of the reasons your dog could be eating poop is a lack of vitamins and nutrients in their diet. Some scientific research has shown that dogs who tend to eat feces are lacking Vitamin B.
Our dog’s diet often consists of mostly carbohydrates and can lack the enzymes needed.
Keep in mind, many of the "stop poop eating" supplements on the market have mixed reviews. It's better to find a supplement formulated to improve overall gut health! (Psst, check out Super Pup here!)
With anything health-related, be sure to consult your vet.
Related Reading: Improving Dog's Gut Health & Digestion
Control Their Environment
It’s best if you are leaving a dog unsupervised to gate off areas of the home or the yard where they are likely to get into trouble. Giving a puppy too much freedom is a recipe for creating bad habits, like poop eating!
Like any other hazard you want your dog to keep away from, putting up boundaries and training them to keep away from litter boxes and cages is a good idea.
Especially in the puppy stage, so much of the responsibility for stopping "bad behaviors" is to not give our dog the opportunity to do them. Be vigilant!
Related Reading: Environmental Management for Dogs and Puppies
Punishment & Training
Believe it or not, sometimes dogs will eat their own feces to avoid punishment. If you punish and yell at your dog for accidents in the house and have not trained them properly, they could be eating their own poop because they are nervous to get into trouble.
Related Reading: Puppy Potty Training Schedule
To prevent this, make sure you are properly training your dog to let you know when they have to go to the bathroom and to only go to the bathroom in the designated area you’ve taught them.
This type of training should start when they are young or when they first enter your home. [Check out our free course 30 Day Perfect Pup for potty training tips!]
Additionally, it's important to remember that you should never punish your dog for eating poop.
Punishing your dog for poop eating will likely lead to more problems like submissive urination, increased anxiety, and other issues.
💩 Don't miss out! Sign up for the 100% free online course, 30 Day Perfect Pup, to overcome challenging behaviors. Sign up here! 🐶
Recap of Why Dogs Eat Poop & How to Stop It
The moral of the story is - don’t be grossed out by your furry best friend because he considers feces a main course.
Since dogs are animals, they definitely have habits that we as humans don’t understand and we don’t always know how to prevent. But, as a recap here are some ideas as to why your dog eats poop:
- Dogs explore with their mouths
- Dogs have long been scavengers who had to search for food
- Dogs are taught at a young age to lick to clean themselves
- It can be due to a lack of nutrients
- Can be because they are just hungry and that's what is available to them
- Some dogs like the taste
- Intestinal or other health issues
- It can be a compulsive or stress-related behavior
- We just don't completely know why
With some training and by taking action to be cleaner and keep your dog healthy, you can prevent them from eating poop!
Speaking of training, you should check out our 100% free online course, 30 Day Perfect Pup! You'll learn, from Zak George, all about potty training, general impulse control, leash walking, and even puppy biting. Sign up for free here!
How have you stopped your dog from eating poop? Tell us in the comments.
💩 Don't miss out! Sign up for the 100% free online course, 30 Day Perfect Pup, to overcome challenging behaviors. Sign up here! 🐶
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