Poop eating

[ClaireB]

I need help!  Just got my wonderful little girl, Muffin.  She's the sweetest thing I ever saw but we caught her eating her own poop!  We have been training her to go in a doggie litter box in which we put a wee wee pad and she's been doing just fine, but a couple of times we've taken our eyes off her for a second and she pooped on the rug and took some in her mouth.  How can I stop her from doing this? 

[Ann]

I'm not sure but she might be doing this because she know's she shouldn't have done it on the rug. I think if you just persevere she may stop it or even when she goes to eat it say leave it and if she stop reward her with praise. hope that helps. 

[mmcgui]

Mattie has eaten my cat's poop before and it totally grosses me out.  After she ate a large amount, I yelled at her, put her in her crate, and ran up to my computer and googled "puppy ate poop".  I was worried she would be sick...but every article said the same thing: "dogs eat poop...it's what they do sometimes.  They like the taste...or they are missing a nutrient...or they are bored."  I think if you just reprimand her enough (when it happens), she will learn.  Almost every dog grows out of it. 

[lowrider250]

my Molly's favourite treat is kitty poop... and i can never catch her in time before shes got it in her mouth...
She did this a lot when she was just a baby,  but hasnt at all in recent months... shes almost a year old so thankfully that stage didn't last long. 
 Hopefully your puppy will grow out of it too, like mine did.

[Ann]

We have Possums over here in Australia and they climb onto our roofs and also wonder around the garden at night. When we get up in the morning there is Possum Poo everywhere. When Toby was a puppy he used to go around and eat it. I used to panic because Possums eat mainly fruit and vegetation. When Toby ate it, it was like him eating a laxative. I used to catch him eating it and tell him to leave it with a firm voice. Then I would offer him something else to take his mind off it.

Oh and by the way he has grown out of it too.

[ClaireB]

Thanks everyone for your replies!  I do hope she'll grow out of it.  In the meantime I just have to be more watchful when I know she's about to do her thing!  This is my first time as a dog mommy, so it's all new to me. 

Please, would you share some of your insights as to what to expect this first year?  Are all Shorkie puppies hyper?  Muffin runs around the apartment like a race horse!  Then she tires herself out and goes in her crate for a nap.  I'm not sure how to post a picture of her but once I figure it out I'll show you what a cutie she is!  Again, thank you all for your replies.

[Ann]

Toby still has burst of energy every now and then. He just starts to run and then he finally wears himself out. I think it is there way of exercising and burning up there excess energy.

As far as putting a picture up. When you go into the post area you select the additional options. This will bring up an attach option that has a browse button. If you press the browse button it will allow you to choose a picture from your computer. The picture size must be no more than 128 kb.
I hope that helps. Look forward to seeing your pic's

 

[Shelly]

My thinking is they do this to keep their area clean. A few weeks ago we had a serious thunder storm. Our yard was flooded. I took her out to do her business and she just stood there in water up to her belly looking at me with a puzzled look. She would not go and there was lightning all around us so we went back inside. Well, she couldn't hold it so she went and before we knew it, she ate it. I'm still cringing just thinking about it.

[Lulu Mae]

Apparently its very common for puppies to eat poop.  Lulu has been doing it too.  I recently got her FORBID from our vet.  We sprinkle it over her food twice a day and they said she should stop in about a week or so.  It makes the poop taste bad  Ha Ha....I will keep you posted.

[Ann]

That is very interesting, I will keep checking to see how you go. Good luck!!

[cherokeeangel]

I use Nasty Habit from Petsmart it helps make their poop taste bad. It is like forbid from the vet. I also give my dogs vitamins which makes sure they get their nutrients. There are usually several reasons, breeders(bad ones) sure that is not why our kids do it, learned from their mothers to suppliment nutrients while lactating, they themselves need nutrients while growing, poor diet if on cheaper food of course they need to be on a diet designed for their size and with low corn (not in the top five ingredients), and they are getting their exercise, all help stop this nasty little habit. Sprinkling meat tenderizer is even more helpful then the pills and other forms that I have listed above, which I do as a primary measure and I use the Nasty Habit as my secondary measure for Cherokee. My vet told me about that.

[eepuni]

it could be that your puppy learned to eat poop from his mom because she is ate the poop to clean to home/crate/etc.  Also, if your puppy is getting a lot of protein in her diet, her poop will smell a lot like meat (what does in, comes out).  Try adding more fiber to her diet, this will make her poop smell bad.  Furthermore you could give her a few pieces pineapple, this is a cheap, easy way of making her poop undesirable and have a very unpleasant smell.

[Ladywrite]

My Christie use to eat her poop also until I started sprinkling a few drops of pineapple juice on her food.  That stopped her from eating her poop.  I had a Lab that would eat goose droppings all the time.  Never did figure out how to stop that problem.  My husband finally figured out a way to keep the geese out of our yard.  We live on the water and they were a constant problem.  Now we have to stay with Christie whenever she goes outside because the eagles have spotted her!  It's always something.

[ClaireB]

Pineapple!  What a great idea!  Will let you know how this works out!  Thanks guys!

[Mai Tai]

I saw that tip about pineaple on Its Me or The Dog with Victoria. She said that it makes the poo taste bad.  Also, she said that if the poo smells just like the dog food because it is high in protein, the dog may eat it.  Makes me think about the next time my pup goes to lick me.