Why is My Dog Eating Poop?

Ewwww! A dog eating poop is just one of those things you know happens, but is gross no matter what! What could be the significance of a dog eating poop?

Coprophagia – maybe you don’t recognize it by name, but you may recognize it by actions. This is another word for the unsightly habit of a dog eating poop. If your dog has this habit, you’ve probably often wondered why they seemed to have picked up this disgusting, unattractive, unhealthy, and unsafe habit. You are not alone with this issue; it is a common behavioral problem in dogs.

Why is Your Dog Eating Poop?

There are a few reasons why your dog may eat poop. It’s possibly something as simple as being hungry or attempting to clean up it’s space. If dogs become hungry or their living space becomes dirty, they will try to resolve these issues by eating their poop.

Your dog’s health could be another reason it resorts to this behavior as it may have issues such as worms or parasites. These may be prohibiting your dog from getting the nutrients it needs from the food. Your dog may not be getting enough nutrients because of these parasites sucking it all out of the daily intake of food.

Some dogs just have an anxious, nervous habit which causes them to eat their poop. They may watch you pick it up and try to do the same, however with dogs, this involves them eating it to get rid of it. They also may have simply seen other dogs doing it and are mimicking their behavior.

Keep in mind that the issue can be resolved easily, no matter what the reasoning is behind your dog eating poop in your household.

How to Adjust the Behavior

First and foremost, you should rule out your dog’s health problem as a reason your dog likes to eat poop. If your dog all of a sudden seemed to acquire this habit and did not have it before, it is especially important that you first check for health problems. See your vet to determine why this is happening so that it can be treated promptly if it is indeed a health issue.

If your vet determines that your dog’s health is not the issue that is causing it to eat poop, you need to address whatever other problems may be causing this unwanted behavior.

Make sure you keep your yard free of poop. Check your yard and all the paths near your home daily and pick up any poop your dog or others may leave. If the problem is not your dog’s health that is causing this behavior, removing the source of the problem is a good place to start in training your dog not to eat their poop.

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Adjusting the Behavior

There are other ways to combat this problem with your dog that you can try. Bitter apple and cayenne pepper taste worse to dogs than their poop, as hard as that may be to believe, this is one thing you can try. Also, try feeding your dog a spoonful of puréed pumpkin which makes their poop not taste as appealing to them. You can also try spraying your dog with a water bottle and saying “no!” firmly whenever you see your dog eating poop.

Removing the source of the problem is the easiest way to solve your dog’s issues with coprophagia. It is important to stop this habit either way, but it is especially important that you stop it if you take your dog to parks or let them off their leash outside, as it may not only be their own poop they are eating and can lead to problems with your dog’s health. Always watch them carefully, be consistent in training your dog and deterring this behavior, and needless to say, but do not let your dog lick your face if it has this habit!