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Wed Nov 03, 2010 11:23 am  |
| SoftSkin wrote: |
This website has the answer for this common problem. I recall that part of the solution was sprinkling the poop with Bitter Yuck or alum to make it taste bad.
Was your dog originally a stray? Stray dogs often eat their poop to hide the evidence from other dogs who might be stronger than they are. It could also be a vitamin deficiency so buy the Hugs & Kisses supplements from that website.
No my dog is not a stray. Has been in a loving home his whole life.
TheresaMary - When I researched online the first thing it said was that my dog may not get enough nutrients. I haven't changed his diet or anything. He eats his regular kibble (organic quality kibble from the pet store) it has fish, chicken, beef and vegetables in it. He also drinks plenty of water and is very healthy. He also eats very small amounts of fruits/vegetables as snacks. He doesn't eat cheap biscuits or beef jerky but rather organic cookies. Hopefully this behaviour will just stop naturally too |
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Wed Nov 03, 2010 3:17 pm |
Lol - mine prefers cat poop - It is a dedicates for her  - I think that she just likes it and that's all |
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Wed Nov 03, 2010 3:22 pm |
My friends 125 lb chocolate brown lab does the cat poop deal, steals it out of the litter box!
I had one rescue dog that did the eating her own.
Thankfully all my other dogs never pulled that one, but I have heard many dogs will eat either, it seems to be fairly normal? LOL |
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Wed Nov 03, 2010 5:06 pm |
| LOL. It is normal. You can try to sprinkle meat tenderizer on the food the eat. Sometimes that will stop it. I have 2 dogs, 1 who loves my other dogs poop, and my other dog will only eat cat poop when he can find it! I honestly don't think it has to do with any deficiency. They like it, and I am sure they like the "food" they taste in it! |
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Wed Nov 03, 2010 5:53 pm |
| rileygirl wrote: |
| LOL. It is normal. You can try to sprinkle meat tenderizer on the food the eat. Sometimes that will stop it. I have 2 dogs, 1 who loves my other dogs poop, and my other dog will only eat cat poop when he can find it! I honestly don't think it has to do with any deficiency. They like it, and I am sure they like the "food" they taste in it! |
LOL. This is both the funniest and grossest thread I can recall to date! |
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I'LL SEE YOU ON THE DARKSIDE OF THE MOON.... |
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Wed Nov 03, 2010 7:08 pm |
Yep I got poop eaters too..correct term is Coprophagia. Two out of my three will do it in a heart beat   When I saw my first dog do it I was mortified and thought I had some freak of nature dog I was even embarrassed to tell my vet. After years of reading lots of information on it I am convinced it is not a nutritional deficient...they just like it Some breeds are more prone this behavior than others. My strategy is to clean it up before they do. The two dogs that have this issue are shih tzus....every breeder I have spoken to claims it is something they see alot with this breed. |
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Wed Nov 03, 2010 7:50 pm |
| Toby wrote: |
| My strategy is to clean it up before they do. |
LOL. I also try to do this. I wander around our 1 acre with a bag and shovel, but I know I miss some!
I agree, DM, this thread is both funny and gross! |
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Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:55 pm |
lol...this thread is kinda funny
I''m glad to hear that some of you out there have poop eating dogs as well (although it's nothing to be happy about, but at least i know that i'm not the only one with a dog with a disgusting appetite)
The weird thing is that my dog has never done this thing before...but lately this type of act is getting to be the norm. Perhaps he just tasted it one day by accident and aquired a taste for it now |
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Late 20's, clarisonic, Vit C serum, hormonal acne, congested pores, combination skin, living in Vancouver Canada |
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Wed Nov 03, 2010 9:04 pm |
| if only i can figure out a way of posting pics of my 4 legged furry friend |
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Late 20's, clarisonic, Vit C serum, hormonal acne, congested pores, combination skin, living in Vancouver Canada |
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Wed Nov 03, 2010 9:06 pm |
| BCgirl wrote: |
lol...this thread is kinda funny
I''m glad to hear that some of you out there have poop eating dogs as well (although it's nothing to be happy about, but at least i know that i'm not the only one with a dog with a disgusting appetite)
The weird thing is that my dog has never done this thing before...but lately this type of act is getting to be the norm. Perhaps he just tasted it one day by accident and aquired a taste for it now |
I think it's hysterical, kudos for posting the thread! This has had me cracking up since I saw your title.
You are in good company as many dogs just eat poop! |
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Thu Nov 04, 2010 3:35 am |
Mine wasn't a stray either, and like yours had a really good diet, but apparently they don't always absorb stuff in their diets, and thats why they eat what comes out but it does stop when their digestive systems kick back in.
| BCgirl wrote: |
No my dog is not a stray. Has been in a loving home his whole life.
TheresaMary - When I researched online the first thing it said was that my dog may not get enough nutrients. I haven't changed his diet or anything. He eats his regular kibble (organic quality kibble from the pet store) it has fish, chicken, beef and vegetables in it. He also drinks plenty of water and is very healthy. He also eats very small amounts of fruits/vegetables as snacks. He doesn't eat cheap biscuits or beef jerky but rather organic cookies. Hopefully this behaviour will just stop naturally too |
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Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:34 am |
There seems to be a number of causes actually.
http://www.dogpoopdiet.com/why-dogs-eat-poop/
5 Reasons Why Dogs Eat Poop
Like humans, dogs each have their own motives for their individual behavior. Dogs eat poop for various reasons, based on their age, their training, their living conditions and their diet. There are basically 5 different classifications, or reasons that your dog may be eating poop.
To go directly to “How To Stop Poop Eating” click here ->
Your Dog Was Born to Eat Poop!
Before dogs were domesticated they were scavengers, living off of whatever they could find. Dogs commonly fed on the waste of other animals (and other dogs) thousands of years ago. Poop eating may just be a remnant of dog history.
In certain situations, as with a newborn litter of puppies, eating poop is instinctual and completely normal. A mother with pups is wired to keep her den clean so as not to attract predators with scent cues. Thus, she quite often will clean up after her young by consuming their poop.
For households with multiple dogs there is often a pecking order of dominant and submissive roles. Submissive dogs will sometimes eat the stool of their dominant counterparts.
Dogs Are “A” Students
Dogs pick up things quickly and will often learn things that you don’t want them to. For instance, consider a dog that is punished for a housebreaking accident. If he is punished by having his nose rubbed in poop (which is absolutely not a good way to deal with the problem) he may try to “dispose of the evidence” the next time around.
If you clean up after your dog while he looks on, he may misunderstand your intent and try to copy your actions in some fashion by “picking up after himself”. Your dog might also see other dogs eating poop and learn the behavior from them.
For puppies, eating feces may simply be a learning experience. Puppies learn things by putting nearly everything that comes in front of them in their mouth. Most puppies will develop a distaste for poop in fairly short order. So, if your dog is a puppy, you can relax… chances are that they will change their behavior in due time. Just make sure you keep an eye on things and try to remove waste whenever possible so that your dog doesn’t develop bad habits.
Why You Should Take Your Poop Eating Dog to the Vet
If your dog eats poop, you should make sure it’s not because of a health issue. Some dogs will start eating poop when they aren’t absorbing enough nutrients, they have parasites, or they have issues with their pancreas. All coprophagic dogs should be examined by a veterinarian. Please read my other post on coprophagia and dog health.
Another, rather interesting phenomenon is when multiple dogs are in the same household and one gets sick, the healthy dog will sometimes eat the feces of the unhealthy dog. This may be an instinctual reaction to hide the weaker dog from “predators” much as a mother does with pups (see the section on instinct below).
Why Your Dog Sometimes Prefers Poop to Dog Food
A dog’s digestive system is dependent on a specific mix of enzymes to break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats. There is some evidence that suggests that dog digestive systems haven’t quite caught up to modern diets that include less animal protein and far more carbohydrates and plant proteins. Some veterinary nutritionists have suggested that dogs eat stool to replenish enzymes so that they are better prepared to digest their food.
There is also evidence that dogs that aren’t getting enough of certain nutrients will resort to eating poop. A lack of vitamin B is often said to be a cause of coprophagia.
Another common theory is that overfeeding a dog can lead to coprophagia. A dog that is overfed can’t absorb all of the nutrients in his food, and thus may try to “recycle” his nutrient rich waste.
Neglectful Parents
In many cases, a dog’s behavior can be linked directly to the owner’s behavior. Many dogs will eat stool simply for the attention that they get from their owner. Negative attention is still attention, and owners who scold their dogs for the behavior will quite often only reinforce it.
Dogs that are bored and lonely may play with and eat stool as a pastime. And, some dogs may resort to eating stool because they are not getting enough real food. If a dog’s living area is not kept clean, some dogs will resort to their own “housekeeping” efforts by eating stool. |
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Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:07 am |
Maybe we should start "Poop-Eaters Anonymous"! I've got one to join as well.
My dog prefers horse poop. Usually we only encounter this when we are walking on the trail and she is leashed. So I've been able to train her on the "leave it" command (accompanied by a jerk on the leash). She's mostly conditioned now after several years. Might be harder to teach this if the dog goes after their own poop in the yard.
Such a lively, funny topic! I cracked up when I saw the subject.  Thanks for the laugh!
DM - that was a helpful post. I never realized some of the reasons. |
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Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:14 am |
ShastaGirl,
This is certainly a humorous thread to say the least.
If you go to the site linked to there are also recommendations as to how to stop the poop eaters from engaging in the habit. |
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Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:49 am |
| I have 2 dogs and both like to eat their own vomit. |
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Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:41 am |
| circus wrote: |
| I have 2 dogs and both like to eat their own vomit. |
Yep they do that also!
http://www.sarahsdogs.com/qa/why_do_dogs_eat_vomit.html
Why do dogs eat vomit? There is actually no definitive answer. Although it was considered that this obnoxious behavior stemmed from the practice of regurgitating food. Dogs in the wild live in packs. They hunt together and assist in feeding and caring for the young. Dogs in the wild would feed on the prey after the kill. When the dogs return to the den they would regurgitate the partially digested food to feed the young. Additionally, eating vomit and feces has something to do with hiding the traces of a dog's presence from predators. After thousands of years of domestication, these habits still kick in. Domesticated dogs still regurgitate food to feed the puppies. Dogs are less discriminating with what they put in their mouth. No matter how well fed the dog is it would still forage food from the trash can every chance it could get. It is said that humans and canines are about 90% similar in genetics. The 10% would probably account for the difference in our choices of food. The insects, the dead animals, the feces and the vomit that are relished by the dogs are repulsive to humans. |
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Fri Nov 05, 2010 7:31 pm |
I think it is really common. I was told at one point that any female who has had puppies will get a taste for it when they clean their pups and keep their beds clean.
I have two dogs. One would never eat poop, the other starts licking her lips as soon as her 'sister' starts to squat. The poop eater has never had puppies, so the Mom theory doesn't hold.
I have to race her for the poop. She'll eat it if she beat me to it. Disgusting little beast that she is - she actually grabbed the other dog's poop while I was picking up the one she just did.  |
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