Help!!!!! Labrador puppy that eats poo

[SallyBear]

He's 7months old and eats poo! His own or a passing cats. It's disgusting and is the one thing he does that revolts me, as of course he's then sick in the house a few hours later. He's very obedient but just can't seem to help himself. It happens after he's eaten in the morning. He's fed twice a day on a diet of fresh meat, biscuits and vegetables.

Any training tips to get him out of this habit? Please!!!!

Mine did that but I've just realised he's stopped so it must have stopped when he was about four and a half months. Feeding raw (no biscuits) is supposed to lessen the urge. I've been told they do it as pups because it's what their Mum did to keep the den clean.
Mine was never sick as a result of it though but then he's only been sick twice in his life so not a sicky dog.

I wonder if I upped the amount of meat, knocked the biscuits on the head that it may sort it out? I think it's the cat poo that makes him sick though. Yuck yuck yuck!

It might be worth a try although doesn't solve the cat poo problem though. Mine still eats horse poo when out but I can cope with that.
Perhaps its a Lab thing, they are well known for being dustbins. Having grown up with them, nothing is safe from them.

Most dogs tend to eat poo. In order of preference:

• fox poo is the greatest delicacy and must also be smeared all over
• cat poo is lovely and plentiful
• horse poo can really make a dog's day
• cow poo see above
• own poo when there are no other options.

:)))

Try teaching a 'leave it' command. It will come in useful for other things, but it has to be strongly ingrained to resist the poo appeal.

Disgusting but normal. His own, pick it up as soon as he does it. Cat poo...full of yummy protein, deny access to it, work on a solid leave cue.

Yes the leave it cue generally involves me out in the garden wearing my pjs and slippers first thing, and being a fishwife!! Hmm will have a rethink

Bloody cats discovered our garden after my old dog died so they've been using it as their toilet and he's scared of them! sigh.

Thanks all.

Try putting pineapple chunks in his food - apparently it makes the poo taste bad Of course this wont help with the cat shit - for that i suggest a super soaker trained on the garden!

We finally have dogs that don't eat each others' poo, after over 20 years of various dogs passing the habit down to each other. (Including one that used to particularly enjoy a hot meal - as it was being dispensed. )

We tried everything, from pineapple in the food (no effect whatsoever) to reinforcing a strong leave-it, but as you say, that only works if you are in the garden with them every single time and keep them very close by on walks.

Cat poo is the absolute worst. The smell is like nothing on earth.

Moose - The cat poo lurks in the chipped bark in the kids play area (bastard things!), so it's not easy to spot. DH has decided to get rid of chipped bark and put down rubber play sheets, the only other thing to do is to put gravel in the flower beds. But yes, it's going to take some work to get him to stop.

LEM - the super soaker did make me laugh (apologies to any cat lovers out there!).

Our dog doesn't eat his own poo, and I did teach a very strong 'leave it' for further poo eating instances, but then we got dpony, and it's impossible to watch him constantly when mucking out at the farm. He is often found in with the pigs, eating, well... I dread to think to be honest.

Today though, I was walking with friends and holding the puppy, dog came out of a bush, FULLY covered, FULLY and TOTALLY covered in fox poo. I have scrubbed him, bathed him, sprayed him with the dog perfume that he hates, and he still stinks.

He also has stolen all the puppies new toys, and hidden them in a muddy 'den' in the garden.

He is currently looking shifty, all curled up in the puppies small bed.

Bloody dogs

Everything Booboostoo says in totally spot on

Our 12 week old puppies are doing this on and off,the first turd of the day is seemingly irresistible !But I am very keen to curb the habit whilst their boundaries are still small.I have worked with dogs for years and whilst I know many dogs do it I'm as determined as I can be to minimise or stop the habit.I did try a bit of pineapple but tbh with them being so young didn't want to overdo it and give them the runs.they adored it though.
Probably not much help with an older dog of lead but the last few days have seen a great improvement after the first movement by a stern ' leave it' if they turn round and then a wildly excited ' what's this!' To distract them and then a very high value treat.Freeze dried liver is going down a storm.Just tiny bits ,and then prompt clearing up poo without them watching on.

Meant off lead obviously.And Labradors which we have had in the past seem to eat the most revolting things in our experience.Ours are springer spaniels so fat chance of keeping an eye on them once they hit the woods and undergrowth!

Needa. Tomato Ketchup works on the smell of fox poo on his fur.

My Labrador likes the odd rabbit poo but she doesn't eat her own poo. Never has done.

Still chuckling over Booboostoo's post. Made my day.

This thread has given me a good giggle, too. Baby poo is apparently on the list of attractive things as well, to the point labradors have been known to steal dirty nappies....

Our breeder told us that when our dog starts eating shit (hate adults using the word poo), to buy some powdered vitamin D from holland and barret. sprinkling that on her food, stopped it almost immediately and she then grew out of it. now happily sniffs but leaves animal mess she encounters.

Hmm careful with the vitamin D- being a fat soluble vitamin there is such as thing as too much and it can screw up their calcium metabolism (excess water soluble vitamins, OTOH, just get harmlessly pee-d out).

My dog eats other dogs poo. Sadly where we walk there's a lot of it at the side of the path. He's off lead and I often catch him wolfing a big log of poo down.

He doesn't seem that interested in his own.

He's over a year old and shows no sign of giving up on poo eating even though I frequently scream nooooooooooo at him.