I have a 6 month old chocolate labrador who keeps eating other dog's poo. It's awful. I pull him away and tell him 'NO'. The worst was the other day when he was off the lead and went into a bush - I called him and he wouldn't come out of the bush - his head bent down eating 'something'. I went back to him to pull him out by his collar and his face was covered in dog's mess - runny and horrible. I couldn't go near him to put his lead on but we walked back to the house and he was licking his lips with joy. Yuk. Help, any advice. Is there something wrong with him?
transient_dreamer812008-07-02T07:27:39Z
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I recommend keeping him on a tight leash and whenever he goes near poo or looks like he may put it in his mouth, give the leash a sharp tug and say NO with authority (a choke chain is typically recommended for leashed obedience training). When your dog leaves it alone reward him with a small treat and praise him with a cheerful voice, and over time, he will hopefully realize it is not acceptable behavior and stop.
It is gross but it's common. Your dog could be hungry - but that is not always the case. Cheap dog food apparently smells the same going in and out so when your dog finds some dogs' poo, that dog probably ate cheap dog food (dog food with corn as a main ingredient). After all, think of humans - when we eat corn it comes out looking the same! Dog food is no different.
Keep your dog on a tight leash, don't let him wonder. Click and treat when he leaves poo alone. Always carry treats with you.
If all else fails, know that puppies usually outgrow this gross habit when the reach adulthood.
One thin may be that your dog is not getting enough nutritional value from the food your giving him so he's getting it where he can. Other dogs poo and his own will contain some undigested food in it and he wants it. Number one fix his diet, number two don't take him out in public places without being on a leash and three get him trained better so he will always stop what he's doing and return to you when you call.
My mother always knew this and trained me to wash my hands. I did not notice this terrible thing with my pets so much as I see it with my grand children's dogs.
Their dogs go into the pasture and roll in horse and cow manure. They eat frogs, dead stinky things and any kind of poo. Dogs are only tamed wild animals. Keep your dog bathed, do something for his breath, keep him in the house and always on that lead. Keep him well nourished.
I always wash my hands after handling pets, and most times change my clothes if I held one in my arms. Absolutely they do not kiss me nor lick me anywhere. Eeeee. What others do with their pets is their business.
"Walker" eats poo also. In order of preference he likes --
- horse - cow - rabbit - deer
He will sniff dog poop but won't try to eat it. After eating his fill of the others he revells in a good roll in it. On those rare occasions he does not get invited into the house.