# Eating poop.



## Purley (May 21, 2010)

Lucy is eating poop. Tyson has always done that. Sam never did until Tyson started and now Sam will do it sometimes.

I tried some powder from the vet's years ago, but they got diarrhea.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to anything I can try that will work?

I generally go out and follow Sam and Tyson around. Tyson will stop if I yell at him in a "mad" voice, but Lucy just ignores me. She obviously doesn't know yet what my "mad" voice is.


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

I would keep her on leash, and train a "leave it". That will be the best long term solution. This can become an ingrained behavior that is very hard to get rid of.


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## Skye (Feb 19, 2010)

Way back when I heard that putting meat tenderizer on their food makes it less appealing when it comes out?! Also, there is a product, I think it is called Forbid. Don't know if these will help or not. I always had to watch my Shepherd or she would do it. So gross!


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## vtomblin (Jul 18, 2010)

I have seen the meat tenderizer work in a friend's dog. Guess it just made it unappealing. The thing is in Canada they don't sell just meat tenderizer. It's always in with seasoning salt etc. Don't want to give them salt. She had to get it from the states. There was an article in Dogs in Canada last month or the month before on eating poop. may be on their website.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would try offering something better - I am wary of using the "angry" voice since I used it on Sophy when she was a tiny pup and I caught her peeing on my curtains. It was at least a week before she would pee if she thought I was watching her .... *sigh*, another lesson learned by owner. "Leave" in a happy, upbeat tone, and a scrap of something delicious, should do the trick.


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## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

I had a dog that did this years ago. I suggest, as much as possible, keep your eye on the dog so you can correct them from eating the poo with the "leave it" command. And pick it up right after Lucy finishes. I have read this is common in small breeders - true or not IDK but mine was a small breed.

Adolphs meat tenderizer works, sprinkle a dusting of this on the food every time they eat. Buying pills failed for me, money wasted. 

Also watch her eating habits. I also was told that some dogs eat poop because something is lacking in their diets.


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## Mumzilla (Aug 4, 2010)

My Zero did this when we first brought her home - drove me crazy. I was able to break her of eating her own poo with leash walks only and the 'leave it' command in a firm voice. But the kitty 'poopsicles' were just too tempting all winter. Little stinker would drop it and pick it up again or bite it in half and spit out half! She is a little better now- but we'll see how it goes when the snow flies! She is SO much better at 'leave it' and even 'drop it' - like the giant field mouse she tried to bring in the house this morning!!


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## Lilah+Jasper (May 13, 2010)

Feeding fresh pineapple sometimes works too. It makes the poo taste awful to the dog. I had success with this coupled with behavior modification and no luck at all with Forbid and other commercial treatments.


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## Purley (May 21, 2010)

Yes. Thanks. I wasn't surprised that none of the commercial things worked. I guess I will have to try the leash thing. I did try trailing the leash on her in the house and she started chewing the leash. So I had to stop that. I guess I will have to try carrying treats and teaching "leave it" at least in the house.

The thing is, that if I see Tyson eyeing poop, all I have to do is say "Tyson!!!!" and he runs away. With Lucy, if say "Lucy!!!!!" she just ignores me. Sometimes if I approach her when she is pooping, she will stop. However, today I walked towards her and she finished pooping and ran away and so I picked it up. 

That seems the most foolproof method to me - picking it up. But, as someone did mention, here in the winter we get lots of snow and sometimes don't feel like going out there when its 30 below. However, I have some pieces of lattice fencing that I put across the deck steps in winter so the dogs have to "go" on the deck and that is a lot more convenient than having to follow down the yard. 

But while the weather is nice, I like them to have the lawn to race around in. I guess there are pluses and minuses to everything. I will have to work on "leave it".


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## taxtell (Sep 17, 2009)

Switching to a raw diet stopped this behavior completely in my cavalier king charles spaniel.


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## Purley (May 21, 2010)

Here are a couple of articles from the Dogs in Canada site:

Dogs in Canada coprophagia


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## FozziesMom (Jun 23, 2010)

I F_____________ hate this habit. hate it. Fozzie eats other dogs' poo. I can't get him to stop. he won't exchange it for anything. 

I HATE THIS habit! it's so gross and disgusting and it makes me furious. I am forced to follow him around to jerk his leash if he even comes close. the worst part is that he doesn't do it all the time. just once in awhile, and mostly at night. 

Ideas are welcome.


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## Hektor (Apr 16, 2011)

My first dog didn't have this habbit until Naomi came!

First my spoo puppy liked to eat cat's, dog's an human's poo!! You will wonder where we find human's poo...but this is another subject! 

Now, at 5 months old she likes only human poo, so if the "leave it" comand doesn't work (I dont want to imagine what the human had eaten!!!), then comes the "come" command and running to another direction, like I want her to chace me. That works! 

Also I have allways with me a small ball that makes noice, to get her attention when other dogs passes by, to train heel, to play.. etc. Once she hears it, she comes like crazy to play!


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Yick. My whippet did this when he was a puppy and I was able to train him away from it with the leave it command. My spoo puppy doesn't do it, thank goodness, but will grab a cat poop out of the cat box if given a chance. I bought a covered cat box and faced the hole towards the wall with room only for the cat to get in and that stopped that, too. 

Good luck. A trip to a dog park will give you ample opportunity for corrections.


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