how can i stop my puppy from eating poop?

2013-04-26T14:39:47Z

Recently, she had done it twice already. Someone said to feed her lemon water and others had said to feed her pineapples.

Are there alternative ways...

I feed her Cesar's, Pedigree, Iams Dog Biscuits. Purina Puppy Chow. I think that's nutritious enough.

Sometimes I would boil whole chicken and mix it with yogurt and yams (sweet potato) boiled to soft touch, and mix it with dog food.

And, when she goes out full, she poops, and after that she sniffs her poop, but doesn't eat her own poop. She eats other peoples' dog poop in the park. She would gulp it before I even move her away with the leash.

PoppyLady272013-04-26T14:26:16Z

Favorite Answer

It's an unknown dog thing! They eat their own poop, throw up, and other nasty things! So just keep him away from the poop!

?2013-04-27T00:32:29Z

Coprophagia is the term used when a dog eats feces. It is a complex issue. First, I'd like to rule out malnutrition and/or malabsorbtion. The pet foods you mentioned are very low quality. Even the Iams and Eukanuba isn't all that great. I recommend that you compare the foods you're feeding to Wellness Brand foods. http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.aspx One theory on coprophagia is the dog is lacking nutrients in their diet. Not that the diet is too rich. Malabsorbtion is the inability to absorb nutrients and can be caused by a couple of different things. Before I say it's behavior based, I'd want a vet check and some blood work done to rule those things out.

Once it's determined that it is a behavioral issue, make sure your dog has a strong "leave it" command. Make sure the yard is picked up. Out of sight out of mind! There are pills you can use, but they're expensive and you can't give 'em to other peoples dogs. Thats where the "leave it" command comes in to play!

You may find this article on Coprophagia interesting. http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/coprophagia

Personally, I've never heard the pineapple trick, but I worked for an old Filipino Veterinarian for a while and he recommended putting Adolf's Meat Tenderizer on the food. Unlike the pineapple, its not supposed to make the poop taste bad, but its supposed to replace the enzymes the dog is craving. I have no scientific proof, so take that for what it's worth!

Good Luck and let us know how things work out!

?2013-04-26T21:49:39Z

My dog used to do the same exact thing. She used to eat other dogs poop and when I would get close to her I would smell her breath and it would smell ABSOLUTELY disgusting. Ughh just to think about it... Anyway she just snapped out of it. But theres this bitter spray that they sell at the pet stores that is meant for your furniture or shoes or anything that you dont want to be chewed, so maybe if you spray some of that stuff on them for a while she will go up to it and even bite it and after a while whenever she sees a poop she will be the one running away from it! LOL. I hope it works! good luck!

Anonymous2013-04-26T22:30:48Z

Dogs are animals. If you don't watch, you can't control. It's like you have to watch them twenty four seven. Why get a pet anyway? Only if you are very passionate about getting a dog then you should get one. "Poop" is something we all do and if our parents let us know that we can't eat our own "poop" then we won't. But, you can't expect the same type of agreement from a puppy. Let's be realistic now, unless the puppy/dog is controlled and trained everyday. Twenty four seven.

Lori Catherine2013-04-26T21:40:48Z

Well good luck with this...hope you have better luck than I have with my 5 year old Airedale/Shepard. She has eaten her own and other dogs poop since she was 9 months or so old when I adopted her. I have had her checked out at the vets, she eats the best food, took vitamins, we tried all the advertised things that say it will stop this bad habit! But to no avail. So we are on poop patrol most of the time, watching and picking up her poop before she can eat it! Its a pain in the butt, lol, but better than letting her eat it and than licking you in the face!!! Best Wishes & Good Luck!

Show more answers (9)