Being a dog owner, you are familiar with pets having several unacceptable behaviors. Likewise, eating poop is one of them that disgusts us. However, their motive isn’t to gross us out but unfortunately, it does. This habit has its own scientific name “coprophagia”.

If you are here, your dog has adapted the same habit but remember you are not alone. To be precise, around 16 percent of dogs are serious poop eaters and for instance, were seen consuming five times a day. On the other hand, 24 percent were seen eating only one a day. No matter how many times, in the end, this habit is not good for their health.

Reason Your Dog Is Eating Poop

The poop eating habit is very common among canines so don’t worry yours is not the only one. Likewise, another animal like a rabbit gets key nutrients from it. However, dogs must not receive it this way. Here are some reasons why your dog has begun this habit.

Adaptation From Mother:

There are numerous reasons if a dog starts eating poop, among them the mother’s influence is one of them. As a puppy, they smell feces scent in the mother’s mouth as she cleans her baby. This results in confusion of scent that develops bad eating having of poop.

Human Attention:

Some dogs want the attention of their owner which outcome is they dine in poop. In addition, they want a human reaction and in the end, they get one. Hence, if you see them eating it don’t overreact, stay calm because unfortunately, they did it for you.

Anxiety:

Anxiety and poop eating relate to each other mostly during house training. The harsh words and punishment result in dog-eating poop. When dogs poop, they get rid of the evidence by simply consuming it. As the constant reminder of punishment on simple matters scares them. At last, they punished more for eating it and the cycle repeats every single day. Therefore, remember in this case it’s not their fault, in fact, the problem is how you treat during training.

Indirect Relation With Real Food:

Dogs have a small distance between eating and toiletries location hence confusion on the odor of food occurs. Because of this, they have problems distinguishing their food and poop, and subsequently, they start eating feces.

Under Isolation:

According to a study, dogs who are kept alone in closed areas like crates, basements, and kennels are more likely to develop this habit. However, dogs that spend more time with their loved ones are unlikely to do it.

Medical Reason:

Apart from all the other reasons, the medical reason is more serious as you must consult a vet at first. In some cases, they start eating when face diets deficiency, parasites, Malabsorption syndromes, thyroid disease, diabetes, and so on. The increase in dogs’ appetite also leads to eating feces so maintain a balanced diet as well as provide supplements if needed.

Do Dog Like Eating Poop?

As mentioned above there are several reasons when a dog starts to eat poop. In other words, they simply enjoy it not because they want to eat. Dogs’ sense of taste and smell differ from ours hence, they don’t understand what’s right and wrong until told. The mixing of scents makes poop delicious for them as they think it of as food. Gross alert! some dogs like the appearance of the stool, fresh feces, like favoring especially when it’s not over 1 day.

Dog licking mouth after eating feces.
Image Source: Genetic Literacy Project

Unlike humans, dogs experience things with their mouths to know the object and understand the world. If you think about it, dogs use their mouth and teeth to express themselves by licking you, playing with toys, carrying things, and so on. Likewise, seeing something strange they check it with their mouth in other words, it’s their way to examine.

How To Stop Dogs From Eating Poop?

The dog owner can use the following techniques and strategies to eliminate poop eating habits of dog:

Clean Living Area:

The places they usually visit need to be cleaned every day so they don’t get a chance to pick poop. Similarly, if you are also a cat owner, clean their litter box or put it out of reach from the dog. The cleanliness also prevents the mixing of the scent and creates good hygiene for your dog. In addition, avoid providing food and treats in the yard as they might lick it with grass and dirt.

Create Repellent Taste:

If your dog already has confusion in scent and starts to eat poop try to create a repellent taste. For instance, even dogs hate some smells and tastes, and using a poop-eating detergent makes the produced feces less appealing to dogs. Always look at the ingredient if it contains allergic items to your dog or not. Moreover, discuss with your vet before feeding your dog.

Proper Diet:

There is a theory about dogs eating feces as something is missing in their diet. The deficiency of vitamin B is known to be the main reason as some studies have supported the theory in 1981. Hence, provide them with the required multivitamin and supplements and ensure to keep a healthy diet. Also, provide enzyme supplements that help indigestion.

Maintain Supervision:

As your puppy starts to grow, set their daily routine or timetable for toiletry. This way you can supervise them and eliminate the bad habit if they have one. If not, still follow the old proverb “prevention is better than cure” as they might inherit this habit quickly. Overall, you got the idea so, watch them during the walk and pick up the poop immediately. Similarly, don’t let them dine on another feces so be extra careful during this time.

Proper Training Session:

Early training and socialization are like key ingredients forever dog behavior. Well, it doesn’t always solve all the problems however has a strong impact on creating the base for your dog. During the training sessions, after mastering basic commands teach difficult ones like “leave it”, “come”, “no”, “wait”, etc. After that, train them to come towards you for treats after dumping. This encourages them to eat their favorite snacks instead of eating the feces.

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