Poo eating. Please help

[Buddytheelf85]

Hi everyone

We have a lovely 4.5 month old Lab puppy. He’s gorgeous and we adore him. But he’s got an absolutely vile habit which is eating poo. He’s done it since we first got him. His own, other dogs’, horse poo, sheep poo. We spend walks wrestling him away from it. It’s getting worse as well. At first when he ate his own poo, it would only ever be solid ones that were a bit old. Tonight we let him out in the garden, took our eyes off him for a few minutes, and he did a sloppy poo (eating poo upsets his tummy) then licked it up.

I’m assuming this isn’t normal behaviour. I think we’re feeding him enough so I don’t think it’s hunger. We feed him a mix of wet and dry food.

Advice would be much appreciated - what might be causing this behaviour and how can we stop it? It really is awful - he just came in and slobbered shit on my hand and on the sofa. I’ve spoken to a few other dog owners about it and they didn’t seem to have this problem!

[babyblackbird]

My lab used to eat his own and other dogs poo. It is actually normal although highly unpleasant ! I changed his food to Millie's Wolfheart and overnight he stopped..........eating his own , but still eats others - unfortunately I have no control over what others feed their dogs ! I know the theory is to have a really solid leave it queue but when he's 20 yards away off lead with his head in a bush he can snaffle it before I realise. I've given up now. Luckily it doesn't upset his stomach and I was finding stopping him was turning into a game which he was finding highly rewarding

[Buddytheelf85]

Haha, thank you for your replies! I’m pleased to hear that it’s normal Lab behaviour and we haven’t somehow created a deviant dog

I’m going to try changing his kibble as one poster suggested to see if that improves things. I’ve also started watching him like a hawk when he’s out in the garden and the second he poos I scoop it straight up. Before I was just letting him out, not watching him and then heading out to clean up a few minutes later.

We’ve also found this weekend when we take him on walks in pooey places that it really helps to give him a toy or stick to carry - it just distracts him a bit. We’ve also done some work on “leave it” which is quite effective provided we say it BEFORE he picks up the poo (which is easier said than done given the speed he snaffles it).

So gross though. It’s a good thing he’s so super cute

[Icklepup]

My dogs eat cat poo but nothing else fortunately. Sometimes dogs stop as they get older.

[pigsDOfly]

My dog used to eat my cats' poo - still makes me feel queasy just typing it - and she has always eaten rabbit poo, which I understand is very common.

The only time I've found that she eats other dogs' poo - never eaten her own - is when her pancreatitis is about to flair up - vet said that it's not unusual with dog in those circumstances, almost as if they're looking for something/anything to help with the symptoms.

[Purplecatshopaholic]

So many dogs do this. When I first got my boy he would stick his head in the cats litter trays - he grew out of that thankfully. He still eats his own poo given half a chance - so basically I pick it up at the speed of light so he doesnt get a chance!

[BiteyShark]

I think the food companies are missing a trick. Any food tasting of cow/fox/horse/cat poo would be a gourmet delight for our dogs

[Booboostwo]

Because they swallow at least ten times after poo eating before they lick us! 🤣

[merryMuppet]

I just had to Google faecal transplants Serin - read this which was grossly fascinating: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43815369

Maybe our pups are more clued up than we are! Bleurgh - feel

[Booboostwo]

Almost all dogs will eat some kind of poo. My dogs’ poo ranking (most desirable to least desirable):

• Fox poo, roll in it first, then eat it for the full experience
  
• cat poo, the compensation to putting up with the cat
  
• cow poo, the wetter, the better
  
• horse poo, plentiful here but still appreciated
  
• bird poo, worth the effort of picking up
  
• dog poo, if they must
  
• own poo, when nothing else will do.
  

Disgusting but perfectly normal.

[AllGoodDogs]

Our lab was a swine for this. Never other dogs poo, but his own, rabbits, cat, horse etc were firm favourites. Absolutely vile. He was 13 when we lost him and never lost the habit.

[Medievalist]

I remember the horror of walking my friends lab for her and it ate another dogs poo as it was coming out of the other dog

OMG - I thought I knew all the vile habits of Labradors. Not come across that one (yet!)

[BathTangle]

Our cocker pup used to do this: very small amount of Cayenne chilli pepper sprinkled on her poo put her off eating dog poo, although she'll still occasionally eat horse poo.

[Serin]

I remember the horror of walking my friends lab for her and it ate another dogs poo as it was coming out of the other dog

If it makes you feel any better some NHS units are now feeding poo to humans!! I recently went to a talk by one of our hospital's consultants about it. They call it faecal transplants There is apparently sound science behind it.

[Cherylshaw]

Some dog foods with high protein don't digest as fast so when it comes out the other end to them still smells of food, put pineapple juice in its food. When that comes back out they cant stand it

[squee123]

It can be a sign if nutritional imbalance or behaviour. Try looking what your feeding up on All About Dog Food and Dog Food Adviser and see if you can make any improvements there. Adding Pro Fibre to meals can help with it, also Copronil is worth a try. Both can be helpful for dogs with coprophagia.

[BiteyShark]

Mine loves cow and horse poo and he regularly dines out on a walk.

The amusing thing is watching him run after a ball whilst trying to take a mouthful as he passes a pile of it without slowing down

[missbattenburg]

Battendog did this also at about the same age.

He grew out of eating dog poo but still makes a bee line for horse poo or rabbit truffles.

He likes to wear the fox poo.

He likes to carry sheep poo then drop it.

He is disgusting.

[Medievalist]

My 3 year old lab grew out of eating her own poo, but my 12 year old lab has only got worse (though curiously I've never seen her eat her own). She spends her time on walks snuffling around for cat and fox poo. 🤢

[Bexmarxthespot]

Definitely a pup thing! We had a serial poo eater but he grew out of it, when they're pups I think they still have some nutrients in their poo so it's not the worst thing, just the worst smelling thing! They're growing fast and hungry... labs especially!

Just a supervised poo trip and reward when you tell him to 'leave it' should do the trick!

[NoYo]

Our Ddog does this but only with his own. His vet said its very common and the best way to deal with it is to supervise poo times and to pick it up promptly so he doesn't have the opportunity.

[Medievalist]

Cat poo is my lab's fave!

[IHeartArya]

I can sympathise. My sweet looking Lhasa thinks it’s a delicious not envy! Her own she bypasses but loves other dogs.

I’m at the start of changing her food to see if it makes a difference.

Otherwise vigilance is key.

[RedHelenB]

My puppy did this but by about a year had stopped of his own accord. I think it is fairly common.

[Bloomburger]

Probably not a great idea but my exFIL used to sprinkle poo dog did in garden with Tabasco sauce. Only tried to eat it a couple of times. 🥵

[TheCrowFromBelow]

Our doesn’t eat dog poo thank god but yes to horse poo and sheep poo.
I keep him on lead in the park now because he also loves cat poo and that reeeks like nothing else.
There is a dog training programme hosted by a man, who managed to train a pug not to do with a talking garden gnome.
Think it was on channel 4 might be worth a look on All4?