Why does my dog sniff everything and eat poop? Are they related?

Eating feces is a very gross habit that is unfortunately common in dogs. Since this is a recent behavior change for Mahtzee, it's possible that it could be related to an underlying medical problem of some kind - some illnesses such as diabetes and Cushing's disease can cause an increased appetite, which can lead to eating all sorts of unappetizing things that he may not have been interested in before. Your vet can do some simple blood tests to check for these problems, so it might be a good idea to have this done if he hasn't had any lab work recently. If everything checks out normal, then it may be that Mahtzee has simply developed a taste for poop - this sometimes happens, sadly! In that case, I would recommend teaching him a "leave it" command to prevent him from eating feces on your walks. To teach this, carry some tasty treats with your in your pocket when you take him for a walk. If he shows interest in something on the ground that you don't want him to pick up, say "leave it!" and show him a treat - give him the treat as soon as he looks up at you. Over time, he will start to turn away from whatever he is sniffing and look expectantly at you as soon as you give the command.

I would make sure Hachi is up to date on his deworming treatments, giving him one if he is not. He could get worms from eating another dog's poop, which is why giving him a deworming treatment is important. Other than that, he should be fine. When you walk him and you see poop on the sidewalk, steer him away from it or distract him by making him do a trick like sit and then rewarding him with a treat. I would also pick up his poop right after he goes to keep him from eating it. Good luck, I hope this helps!

If it is that big of an issue, I would look into teaching Snowball "Leave it". You can find various tutorials on YouTube that will walk you through it. Basically, it teaches Snowball that it isn't OK to just pick things up off the ground and eat them, and that she'll be rewarded for leaving it behind instead. Teaching other things such as drop/trading what's in her mouth for a reward, may also help. You should still be walking her, but you can keep an eye on her during your walks, and if you see her start to eat something, move her to another area, or remove the item from her mouth. If she's very mouthy and likes to carry toys, you can also bring a toy along on your walks for her to keep in her mouth and potentially deter on other things. If she does get into something she shouldn't and is ill, having your local vet's number on hand is always best as even the most vigilant of owners and well-trained of dogs can sometimes get into things they shouldn't.

There are some dogs that love to chew on wood. It isn't ideal, but it can be a very hard habit to break. I recommend providing alternative toys to chew on, but if that doesn't work you might consider collecting branches for them to chew, which is better than furniture. Make sure they are getting plenty of exercise, as bored dogs tend to be destructive. As far as eating their own feces, yes you need to pick it up right away. Here is a great article with more information about this subject. https://www.petcoach.co/article/stool-eating-coprophagy/

Dogs will eat stool out of boredom, curiosity or in an attempt to correct a nutritional deficiency. She may outgrow the behavior eventually. Pick up stool immediately after she goes. Keep her occupied and engaged with toys and tasks to distract her from stool. Review her diet with your veterinarian to identify and correct any potential deficiencies. There are also food additives, such as For-Bid, that may deter her from eating feces.

Gradually desensitizing her to strangers should decrease her reaction. Take her to the park and other public areas for ever increasing periods of time to acclimate her to different people. Correct any negative behavior immediately and praise her when she complies. Be firm and be consistent. Teaching her to stop taking food from people will require basic obedience training. Consider formal training with a certified trainer. Teach the "no bark" and "leave it" commands. Always correct negative behaviors right away and praise good behavior. Automatic litter box cleaners will keep cat poop away from her. Review her diet with your veterinarian to rule out nutritional deficiency. If you can restrict her access to the room while allowing the cat in, that may help also.

Many puppies eat the poop of other animals when they get a chance - it's a gross habit, but very normal for dogs. In most cases, it won't cause any serious problems but you should be cautious if the pigs have been dewormed recently as many livestock dewormers are toxic to dogs and may still be present in the feces. I would recommend teaching your dog a reliable "leave it!" command using rewards (a trainer in your area should be able to help with this), and keeping him on-leash in any areas where pig feces are present in the meantime so that you can prevent him from having access to them.