Poo eating or ‘Coprophagia’ can develop over a period of time with an older dog or you might have a puppy that has started this behaviour recently. A dog might be behaving like this for many reasons; because it has some nutritional value or it holds some appeal in terms of taste (!), or a dog gains some psychological fulfilment as this is what it has always done since puppyhood, or it could be that a dog is trying to hide the fact that he has soiled a particular area, if he was scolded for soiling previously for example.

Obviously, we must use common sense here, so recognise that your dog might be lacking in nutrients and take a close look at how, what and how much you’re feeding your dog and look at the manufacturer’s feeding guidelines and alter any existing feeding amounts accordingly so you know your pet is getting enough to eat. Also, check your dog is up-to-date with worming doses and ask your Vet for advice if you are unsure or have any concerns about your dog’s well-being. Some puppies and older dogs, even the healthiest and the best fed, will still eat poo on occasion, so once you’ve ruled out any obvious causes for the behaviour and are happy your dog is fit and well, it’s time to think about how to stop your dog from doing it!

One strategy to counter the poo-eating behaviour, particularly if your dog’ s intent on eating his own poo or if there are other dogs living at home, might be to

• Mix some finely diced pineapple (courgettes can work well too) into your dog’s normal food – don’t use canned/tinned pineapple. On digestion, the resultant waste is often much less appealing and many dogs will choose to not eat the ‘new’ waste so the habit can be broken over time.
• Practicing the ‘Leave’ command (which should mean “do not go towards”) is also really important here. Begin by training and motivating your dog to ‘Leave’ a favourite toy or food at home or in a park and, once you’re confident that your dog is responding well to this command, start applying the same ‘Leave’ message to anything else (like poo) that might be lurking on the ground! This, of course, means you will need to supervise your dog as much as possible in the early stages so you are present to offer guidance whenever he’s contemplating eating any poo.
• Setting your dog up can be a training strategy too so, as unpleasant as it may seem, you could place a little poo in the yard or garden at home just before you leave your dog out and ask for a steady ‘Leave’ behaviour. If your dog leaves the poo call him to you for a hearty reward – a game, a treat or toy or something else your dog will really value. You may need to use a long training line here, particularly if your dog is one of those very persistent and fast eaters!, so you can control things a little more and ask for more positive behaviours.
• Being consistent and persistent is key.
• Some dogs eat poo or ‘other things’ only when off in the distance on a walk and can be tucking into something well before owners are even aware. In a case like this it’s wise to think about where you are walking too and, if this behaviour mostly happens when walking on the beach, for example, consider giving the beach a miss for a while and practice good behaviour elsewhere in the shorterm and try to break old habits.
• After a couple of weeks, if you want to go to the place where your dog regularly eats poo then consider using a long trailing line to increase your level of control and really engage with your dog more in these areas – frequently playing games like fetch or find etc., thereby occupying your trainees mind using positive activities. Your goal here is to ‘reprogramme’ your dog’s mind so he now sees this area as a place where you engage with him and have fun, not a place where he does his own thing and goes off to find something to eat!
• Some people have to resort to placing a muzzle on dogs who repeatedly eat things outside as their dogs regularly suffer from upset tummies later in the day etc. Many owners often only ask their dog to wear the muzzle in certain ‘tempting’ areas when on a walk and find this offers a solution for them. Sensible owners, of course, invest some time acclimatising their dog to a comfortably fitting muzzle at home for short periods before using it outdoors on a walk.

As these are general guidelines only, please contact the LoveK9 team if you have particular queries relating to your own situation.