I have an 8 month old black lab who eats his own poop and I cannot figure out why. Does anyone know why puppies do this? I try to keep him away from it but he is so quick sometimes! Is there something he is lacking in his diet?

Thanks for the help.

Try using a product called Forbid. It's a powder you place on your dog's food which makes his poop undesirable to eat (as if it shouldn't be in the first place!). You can also use meat tenderizer in his food and it should have the same effect.

Hopefully this will make him quit this habit.

Have you tried bringing treats with you on walks so that you distract him from eating his own food? For instance, when he finishes doing his business, call his name to distract him and then give him a treat for listening to you. Or, when he tries to go and eat it, command "no" or "off", and if he listens, give him a treat. Maybe that will help to reinforce him not eating his own poop.

On walks, does he go for other dogs' poop too?

Hope this helps a little,
Joanna

Thanks for your help! I will try your suggestions :)

This is quite common in puppies and called sacrophagia.

Most of the time it is harmless and can be treated like previously suggested.

Occasionally it is a sign of starvation, malabsorption or anemia.

For these reasons I recommend a quick trip to the vet, it won't cost much and you'll be sure he is all right.

Forbid works OK, and there are a number of other remedies you can find at http://www.omahavaccine.com and many other places on the web, in major petstores and vets carry them usually also.

I feed my puppy twice a day, should I be feeding him more? Could that be the reason he is eating his own poop? He was to the vet about 2 months ago and the vet said he was in good health. Thanks for all your help :)

Twice a day is fine for his age.

He is most likel;y well, like I said, it is quite common. Often the pup hasn't absorbed all the nutrients for some reason and eats this in order to recoup the stuff he missed.

You should also train him not to do it. Walk him on a leash after meals and after naps and correct him when he tries to eat it.

Forbid and other remedies help in the training.

All of the other posts on this are correct, so good work to everyone who replied. I've also seenthis problem before. You could also try feeding a higher quality food (i don't know what your feeding so I can't say how good it really is). But by doing that, hopefully more of it will be digested and used instead of being pooped out. That was recommended to me by a "dog expert" and it did work.

My 4 year old daschund does the same thing. He even follows my old dog around and eats the "fresh" ones. My vet says he eats it because he "LIKES" it! I don't know how to break him, sorry. I just don't let my poop eater lick me in the face!

I am fighting the same problem. My older dog spends most of the day in the house, and I go out with the shovel when she does.

You could also try one of the additives in the older dog's food, pineapple juice, canned pumpkin, or one of the commercial ones.

Dear Anyone!
I have x2 miniature smooth haired daschunds, 7 mnths old, and the ("Phoebe") is always eating her own doggy doos. She even eats the dog's too ("Bo").
The thing is, we can't stop it from happening when they are left in the house while my husband and I are at work.
When we see her poo, she immediately turns round to eat it, and we manage to catch her in time, and tell her "NO", to which she instantly responds and runs away from it. We are going to try some pineapple juice in their food tonight, cause I heard that this remedy might work.
I was told by a vet, that she may be doing this because if she was the runt of the litter (which I have a feeling she was because of her size), she may have been the last to get to any food, so resorted to eating her bodily waste... Urggh!!
She even eats her own vomit!!
Anyway, this makes her breath smell, and she might think we give "Bo" more attention than her because of this, as we push her away when she tries to lick our faces.
I just don't want her to feel rejected all the time, if this his how she was in the litter.
Can anyone offer me some more advise please?
Thanks,
Regards, Ann-Marie Bedford

The pineapple juice is a good first try. If it doesn't seem to work, try some of the others. Some dogs do grow out of it.

I am no longer fighting Pepper. We dropped her off at service dog school election day. She never ate her own, and I am not sure how much access to others she will have. Maybe we will be lucky and Sheba won't do it. We pick her up from a dog guide school tomorrow. She is a 7 week old Lab/Golden cross.

Hi There,
Thanks for the advise.
What did you think to the theory of her doing this because she might be the runt of the litter?
Do you think that explanation is a valid one?
It's such a shame.
We had our new kitchen fitted in March this year, and they have both completely wrecked it!
But the house just wouldn't be the same without them!
I have other issues with them, but I will deal with one thing at a time for now.
Bye for now, and have a nice weekend.
Regards, Ann-Marie.

I haven't heard the runt theory before. Of course some runts make up for what they lack in size, with determination. It could be more of a pack order in the litter. The more submissive ones, not necessarily the smallest, may be shorted. The best info I have suggests diet. I often see it start in my Labs about the 4 months when I deliberately switch to the less rich adult food. In the larger dogs, an overly rich diet as a puppy exacerbates genetic joint problems. Better a temporary disgusting habit, than a dog useless for what it was bred for, due to bad hips. I am just trying to remember which of my puppies may have been the runt, and which of them I had problems. The females are worse than the males.

There are methods to help with dogs shredding the house when you aren't there. I don't even leave my 11 year old Lab loose in the house if I am gone.
A mousetrap is very effective in making a dog leave something alone. Most
Dogs will stay away from anywhere they were surprised by a snap. The best
Part is that it is not you that is correcting the dog. It works whether you
Are around or not. The mousetrap is very patient and is always on task as
Long as you reset it.

Better than mousetraps when you aren't around is the crate. Other dogs may
Not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog
Will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be
Happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
Den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
Its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
Will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
Ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for
Dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with
Something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select
A crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
Anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
Bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

Accidents and damaged possessions are the fault of whoever was watching the puppy. When you are watching it, immediately correct it as soon as it goes for anything except its own toys. In a quiet, but firm voice ''Bad dog, its name drop!''. Gently remove what ever and replace it with one of her toys. Later hold eye contact until the puppy drops it.


A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work.
Start just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate.
Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding
Time for more than one dog.

I never thought about it before, but it is possible the Kong with the peanut butter might be more attractive than the bowel movements. You might even try it even if you don't try the crate. The crate is really better if somebody can give the dog a mid day break.

My 9 week old puppie eats his own poop also. But only when he has an accident inside the house. When he does his business outside he is very careful not to step on it and when he smells it... it looks like he's disgusted.

When he would have an accident in the house I used to get really mad and put his nose next to it and tell him NO. I haven't actually caught him eating it but I'll see the poop and go to get things to clean it... by the time I get back the poop is gone :eek: !

Do you think that he's eating it so he doesn't get into trouble. OR... do you think that he thinks... when I put his nose next to the poop, I'm trying to tell him to eat it? :confused:

Do you think there is a better way to get him to stop pooping in the house without giving him a mixed message?

Unless you are very alert and keep a close eye on the puppy, it will have accidents in the house. It is more your fault than its. When you catch it in the act, you do need to give it a stern ''Bad dog!'', and put it out. Punishing the puppy afterwards only leaves it confused. And in some cases that may lead to hiding the evidence. So how do you teach it to go outside?

Much of housebreaking is not training the puppy, but making it easier for your
puppy, you, and your carpet while its body to catches up to its instincts. At
around 8 weeks when the puppy goes to its new home, the time from when it
realizes it has to go, and when it can't wait any longer is a matter of
seconds. Only time will fix that. You can hardly be expected to be attentive
enough to avoid all accidents There is no sense punishing the puppy for your
inattention. It is not fair to punish you either, but you still have to clean
it up if you didn't have the puppy outside in time.

Housebreaking starts before you get home with the new puppy. If you don't have
a crate, buy one. I prefer the more enclosed, den like plastic ones. Skip the
bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking
hazards. A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of
accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely
spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. If you
already have a metal crate, covering it may help. Just make sure you use
something the puppy can't pull in and chew. Dogs that start in crates as
little puppies, accept them very well. Never leave an unattended puppy loose
in the house. If nobody can watch it, put it in the crate. I suggest letting
the dog have its crate all its life.

Choose a command and spot you want it to use. The less accessible to strays,
the less chance of serious disease. If it is a female, choosing a
non grassy spot will avoid brown spots later. When you bring it home, take it
to the spot and give it the command in a firm, but friendly voice. Keep
repeating the command and let the puppy sniff around. If it does anything,
praise it. Really let it know what a good dog it is and how much you love it,
and maybe a treat. Note, being out there not only means you can praise it,
but it also keeps it from being snatched by a hawk. If it doesn't go, take it
inside and give it a drink and any meals scheduled. A young puppy will need to
go out immediately afterward. Go to the spot and follow the above routine.
Praising it if it goes is extremely important. If it doesn't go, take it back
inside and put it in its crate and try again soon. Do not let it loose in the
house until it does go.

At first it is your responsibility to know and take the puppy out when it
needs to go. It needs to go out the first thing in the morning, after eating,
drinking, and sleeping. If it quits playing, and starts running around
sniffing, it is looking for a place to go. Take it out quickly. You will just
have to be what I call puppy broke until it is a little older.

By the time most dogs are about 3 months old, they have figured out that if
they go to the door and stand, you will let them out. The praise slowly shifts
to going to the door. Some people hang a bell there for the dog to paw. If
your dog doesn't figure this out, try praising it and putting it out if it
even gets near the door. A stern "Bad dog!" is all the punishment that is
effective, and only when you catch it in the act and are sure you didn't miss
it going to the door. Clean up accidents promptly. I mostly keep the little
puppies out of the carpeted rooms. Still I need the can of carpet foam
sometimes. First blot up all the urine you can with a dry towel. Keep moving
it and stepping on it until a fresh area stays dry. A couple big putty knives
work well on bowel movements. Just slide one under it while holding it with
the other. This gets it up with a minimum of pushing it down into the carpet.
This works with even relatively soft ones, vomit, dirt from over turned house
plants, or anything else from solids to thick liquids. Finish up with a good
shot of carpet foam. Note, do not let the puppy lick up the carpet foam.
Once the dog is reliably housebroken, your carpet may need a good steam cleaning.

Many people strongly strongly push cleaning up all evidence of past accidents. I am slower to suggest that. Dogs will return to the same spot if they can find it. When you see one sniffing the spot, that is your clue to run it out.



We visited the dog guide school school recently. Thought I would share some of what I learned. One of their veterinarians gave a talk on current hazards. Xylitol, a newer artificial sweetener finding wide use in sugar free gums, is very bad for dogs, see http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=75125. The word on grapes and raisins being toxic to dogs has been around for a while, but new findings show some dogs are very sensitive to them, only taking a few to kill them. Her last point was bottle caps. Their sharp edges can cut dogs internally is swallowed. And like many other things, they can block the digestive tract. She had some nice X-rays of dogs that had swallowed all sorts of things. They fish the bottle caps out with a magnet. Other stuff, they have to operate.

This reply is for Kristina Ashley

Hi Kristina

Thank you for your concerns with your puppy pooing inside the house.
It's been a while since I E-Mailed any of my concerns, and the reason is because my two puppies are no longer puppies now (they're just over a year old)
I still have a few problems with them, but I too was pulling my hair out with the fact that they were pooing in the house.
My husband and I literally put ours outside every hour, on the dot until they got the message.
It might have taken them a month or so, but they eventually got the message.
Set your alarm to go off every hour, but it will mean you will have to miss 5 minutes or so, of a good film that you're just getting into!!
It doesn't matter if they don't do anything every hour, just so long as they don't do anything in the house.
It's so rewarding when they are finally telling you that they want to go out for a wee or a poo.

We now allow ours to rome the entire house because they were chewing our kitchen to bits when locked in there.
They've been really good for the last month or so, until recently, where they have chewed and ripped our bed and bedding to bits.
Does anyone have any idea why this might be happening?
My husband and I have been told by the neighbours that our house alarm has been souding off 4 days last week, while we were at work.
Do you think this could be the cause.
If you agree, how can we convert them into being well behaved around the house while we're at work?

You didn't give details on the alarm. If it is making a loud noise, the dogs would have to respond somehow. You really need to find out what is causing the alarm to sound and fix it. Or is it likely doing its job scaring people off who are trying to break in? After repeated false alarms, most people ignore them. Who pays any attention to all the frantic horn blowing with all the false alarms from cars.

Dogs personalities are not completely formed until they are about 3 years old. As they mature, they take more and more responsibility for protecting the pack. Is it possible they are setting off the alarm? Solving the alarm problem might or might not fix the shredding problem.

I have already posted material on crating dogs when you aren't around. It is the only sure solution to preventing damage. Dogs can also choke or have intestinal blockages from stuff they chew up.

The alarm sounding has been resolved, as it was due to furniture being moved around in another room, exposing the sensor to the sun which triggered the alarm off.
There is no way that the dogs have triggered it.
I appreciate the crate advise, but it is taking a while to convince my husband that this is a good idea. He is soft, and can't understand the sense behind this.
I will have to keep trying.In the meantime, we will have to make more regular visits home.
Thank you again.

:rolleyes: I have really never heard of the term "sacrophagia." Stool-eating is a very common specific form of pica and called coprophagy [officially, "the feeding or eating of dung or excrement"] This is normal behavior among many rabbits, insects, birds, and other animals."

For everything you ever wanted to know about animal poop (or really didn't want to know) see "The Straight Poop" http://www.heptune.com/poop.html

As stated in other postings, it can be a sign of a nutritional problem or not properly digesting. Here are some examples.

1. A dog with tape worms, for example, might not be getting the proper nutrition because the tape worms are sharing the diet.
2. Low quality dog foods are not as digestible.
3. The dog is wheat sensitive and this causes digesting problems. A high quality lamb and chicken diet or homemade dog food without wheat can solve this problem.

Now it can also be boredom or a left over habit acquired as a puppy while bored.

A quick exam by the vet to make sure health is OK and no parasites are present is the first step. The way we help our dogs with good nutrition is to give them a quality diet with the addition of marrow bones. They have to get the marrow out of the bone and some dogs will occupy themselves for quite a long time working at this while others finish in record time (inhale?). The marrow is good for them and the bone good for the teeth. Our supply is a local butcher shop and we keep them in the freezer. Give straight out of the freezer and do not cook the bone.

Ok, so we humans think eating poop is YUK! Remember the dog sees no wrong. Perhaps a doggie Listerine before licking... :eek: The behavior is more bothersome to people than it is to dogs, as people think it is absolutely disgusting.

Dog training is one of the best ways to condition your dog to good behaviors. A good program goes a long way from just the basic sit, stay moves and can be problem specific. Research training methods or call in an expert (or better yet, do both). A few sessions will have you on the way to a better dog and a better owner. :D

For a really good Web site on dog behaviors and solutions see:

The Professor
http://thepetprofessor.com/secArticles/dog/links.asp

''quality diet with the addition of marrow bones. They have to get the marrow out of the bone and some dogs will occupy themselves for quite a long time working at this while others finish in record time (inhale?). The marrow is good for them and the bone good for the teeth.''

Not! There is no reason to risk giving your dog real bones. They are too hard on the teeth. If you feed a good dog food, you don't to give the dog anything else. These dangerous myths out live many dogs.