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!

[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.

[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!)

[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.

[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.

[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]

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

[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

[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!

[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.

[Icklepup]

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

[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

[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