Hi I just got a puppy a few days ago and he is only 5 and half weeks old so very young to have left his mum. Every time he's done a poo since having him he tries to eat and has twice now before I've been able to stop him. I read in previous similar questions about this that puppies do it when they are hungry or haven't had enough nutrition but because he's so younge I got told to just feed him puppy milk until he's 7 weeks and can handle anything else but I've been putting a bit of dry food in with it and letting the milk soften them up, I also feed him every 4 hours like he's mother would but is that not enough or something? I'm not sure why he's doing it or what I should do!

I had my poor old soul (passed away now) at five weeks because she was a rescue, but a large breed. I started her on puppy chow right away and there never was a problem. She just grew to be fine dog, body, mind and spirit. So don't worry about the puppy chow. Pups need a lot of nutritious meals, four times a day is okay. Don't be surprised if she starts sleeping a lot, that's how they grow.

Just keep her away from the poop, she will just forget it soon.

Have her into the vet soon for a check up and get acquainted on what vaccinations she must have, and don't forget to have her spayed at the proper time.

There are products on the market (Deter, Forbid) to help prevent dogs from eating their own feces. It actually can be quite common, regardless of their health, age or circumstances. I have also read that adding a little pineapple juice to their food makes their feces taste bad, therefore making them less likely to eat it! :)

I have 2 dogs and one of them eats its own poop once in awhile. She did it all the time as a pup, and we got some stuff from the vet that we added to her food. The vet told us it makes the poop taste bitter. She usually stops for about a year, then we have to do it again. It was fairly cheap, and you might be able to buy it at a pet supply store.

This puppy is very very young. Why was it taken from its mother so soon?

Eating poop can happen for many reasons. One of them can be lack of nutrition. At 5 1/2 weeks of age introducing solid foods is okay. Make sure it's a high quality puppy food, and make sure it's watered down.

Another reason dogs eat their own poop is instinct. In the wild dogs hunt to stay alive. The smell of feces can warn the prey that a predator is near. Eating the feces is a way to prevent your prey from smelling you.

You'll have to be more vigilant. As the owner of such a young pup you'll need to monitor him very closely. Make sure to clean up any accidents right away.

Where is puppy sleeping right now? What sort of potty training are you doing?