Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Original poster

Why do dogs eat poo?

34 replies

izzybiz · 19/01/2010 12:27

Title says it all!

My 12 week old Staff will eat her own poo if I don't get to it quick enough, my old dog (Satff cross) used to do it too.

It really is gross! Do all dogs do this?

OP posts:
Bobbiewickham · 19/01/2010 12:28

Because they are disgusting.

Mine eat their own, each other's, the ponies', the alpacas', the chickens' and they raid the cat litter box.

It's boakworthy.

Bella32 · 19/01/2010 12:30

Various reasons - owner not clearing up enough (don't mean you!!!), pancreas problems, over-rich diet (esp if fatty). Rarely due to something lacking in the diet (many diets are too rich nowadays, if anything). Can also be a behavioural issue - copying other dogs or stress linked to being told off for pooing indoors and wanting to 'hide the evidence'.

What do you feed her on?

Bella32 · 19/01/2010 12:32

lol Bobbie - eating other species' poos is relatively normal (dogs evolved as scavengers who would eat the gut contents of dead animals) but eating their own poo is not normal.

Bobbiewickham · 19/01/2010 12:36

I think it's been passed down over the years.

I had a mad KC Cavalier who did it and taught my retriever to do it. She's now dead, and the retriever has taught the labradoodle, who has now taught the maltese/bichon cross.

It's like a tradition.

The cav used to go round in circles when she was pooing, so she could get it while it was hot

Original poster
izzybiz · 19/01/2010 12:49

Well we have had her 2 weeks now, still trying to get the house training thing down!

She is never told off for doing anything indoors as I don't want her to start hiding the evidence!

I am feeding her Wainwrights dry puppy food,
the turkey and rice variety.

Where we got her, the owner had 4 dogs, plus the pups, is it maybe something she has learned from them?

Is there any way to stop her doing it?

OP posts:
MrsL123 · 19/01/2010 13:20

Cat poo is a delicacy in our house Guinea pig poo and rabbit poo are a close second, and it seems horse poo is equally delicious!

They've never eaten their own, although I did have experience of a dog that did a few years ago - as bella says, it was due to the previous owner yelling at her for pooing inside, and the poor mite would do anything to hide the evidence. Of course it wasn't her fault - she was two at the time and her owner had never toilet trained her properly or let her out regularly. It took months for it to stop, but at least yours is still young and it should be easily sorted if that was the problem (as nice as owners may seem, you never know!).

Of course she might just really like her wainwrights

dunbreedin · 19/01/2010 14:43

Oh how funny, I was just coming on to ask this same question! My newly adopted rescue dog is a terrible poo eater and I'm not quite sure what to do about it. As soon as she's done one, she whirls around and nibbles at it like it's a rare delicacy If I'm there when she does it I try and tempt her away with a treat and make a big fuss when she doesn't eat it, but I don't know if that's enough to change the behaviour, or if she just thinks woo-hoo, extra treats, I'll re-enjoy these later on..

If anyone has any solutions I would LOVE to hear them!

loler · 19/01/2010 14:52

My vet suggested a slice of pineapple in each meal - does something to the poo to put them off eatting it. I did it for a couple of weeks. It did work - she no longer eats her own.

I now need to slip pineapple rings into the food for all the local horses, sheep, cows and (her favourite) foxes! Have to say even if I did manage that she's equally happy to wear poo and I'm sure it wouldn't matter if it had a slight pineapple odour!

Blondeshavemorefun · 19/01/2010 14:55

gawd knows

as they are disgusting, works for me

lapping/eating poo, sick and wee seem normal to our dog

Bella32 · 19/01/2010 14:58

Do I really need to recount the anecdote about babies in developing countries being given a puppy at birth?

GrimmaTheNome · 19/01/2010 14:59

My dog used to be a devil for eating sheep poo but he outgrew the habit (more or less). A very dog-savvy friend told us about the pineapple thing (though it wasnt applicable in our dogs case) and also suggested aversion therapy for coprophagia - a dab of mustard after each misdemeanor. We never actually tried this though.

GrimmaTheNome · 19/01/2010 15:00

Bella - makes perfect sense, I suspect its one of the reasons for human-dog co-evolution.

Certainly when DD was potty training and had a small accident the dog would clean it up untraceably before I could get the cloths out!

Bella32 · 19/01/2010 15:01

Dab of mustard where, Grimma?

And how exactly does a dachsie outgrow poo eating? Surely they are at just the right level?

Bella32 · 19/01/2010 15:01

x post - lol

midori1999 · 19/01/2010 15:01

I have found it very common in puppies that have been allowed unlimited access to their Mum. They see her eating their poo (to clean up) and so 'copy' to an extent. Some just grow out of it, some never do. It is disgusting to us, but sadly not to the dog...

Pineapple is supposed to work, but I have never tried it. I always advise puppy owners, if they are particular about stopping it, to take the pup in when it has done apoo and then go back out and immedaitely clean up. If you clean up in front of the pup, they can start to see the poo as valuble and it can encourage them to eat it more. This way they do usually then get out of th ehabit.

They will never stop wanting to eat fox/horse/cow poo though...

fruitshootsandheaves · 19/01/2010 15:05

Think positively, at least he doesn't roll in it.

Bella32 · 19/01/2010 15:08

Fruitshoots - when they roll in sheep poo you can at least wash it off.

There is then no danger of it being vomited over your kitchen floor, iyswim

fruitshootsandheaves · 19/01/2010 15:11

Ah but sheep poo is like lavender when compared to fox poo.

Fox poo needs a month of daily baths and 60 bottles of ketchup.

Bella32 · 19/01/2010 15:13

Yes, fox poo has a somewhat indelible odour.

Come to think of it, I don't believe I've ever known a dog who eats fox poo....

I've never had/nursed/fostered a dog who ate their own poo either....

loler · 19/01/2010 15:18

Mine eats fox poo - when she finds one you can see her trying to decide "eat or wear?". Normally rolls but if she sees me running towards her she'll eat it as fast as she can!

loler · 19/01/2010 15:18

It's sometimes hard to remember why I loke dogs!

tulpe · 19/01/2010 15:20

had forgotten about this particular little foible of our canine friends. When I was student, I shared a house with a woman who had a yorkshire terrier and 4 cats. His favourite snack was cat poo. We would be sat watching eastenders and suddenly this crunching would start from behind the sofa (he would fish it out of the cat lit tray so had something of a crumbed coating

fruitshootsandheaves · 19/01/2010 15:21

mine eats fox poo too. She's quite fussy, it has to be just the right colour and flavour of fox poo.
Like Guilyan fox poo and not Co-op's own!

Bella32 · 19/01/2010 15:21

One of my dogs positively drools when the cat goes in his litter tray

GrimmaTheNome · 19/01/2010 15:30

Dab of mustard where, Grimma?
Orally, I presumed.

And how exactly does a dachsie outgrow poo eating? Surely they are at just the right level?

That aspect did make control harder but fortunately he matured

Now its really only nice ripe roadkill that he goes for.