My 7-month-old puppy eats poop. I've tried everything, what works?

This is certainly a frustrating behavior and can it hard to control. I have two thoughts for you. 1) Often dogs who eat lots of none food items have mild intestinal upset all the time. I would recommend starting by talking to her vet about this and starting her on probiotics 2) For management, remove all the dog beds from your house and teaching her to wear a basket muzzle while outside and/or only taking her out on leash. Check out this site for more information: https://muzzleupproject.com/muzzle-training/ . I know this sounds extreme, but her current behavior is potentially life threatening. My last idea is to talk to a behaviorist to see if she needs help with anxiety or other behavioral problem. But only after exploring the possibility of intestinal upset with your regular vet. https://avsab.org/resources/behavior-consultant-near-you-2/

For helping to eliminate purely behavioral causes of coprophagy, a three step method can be used: 1. Decreaseattractivequalityoffeces • Change in diet can oftentimes be beneficial, switching to a brand with a lower protein content to lower the amount of protein excreted into the feces (which the dog finds palatable). • Commercially available products added to food can decrease the palatability of the feces. Examples include: For-bid®; Deter®; and meat tenderizers. Consult with your veterinarian as to the proper dose to use. 2. Preventexpressionofbehavior • Being present and scooping up the feces immediately is a good way to prevent this behavior. • Keeping the dog on leash when taking him/her out to eliminate can help the owner physically prevent the dog from engaging in coprophagy. • Controlled feeding time allows the owner to predict time of defecation and be more vigilant when watching the dog. • Preventing access to other pet’s litterboxes or cleaning them frequently. • Spray collars, such as citronella can be used to deter the dog as well. • “Booby-trapping” feces, by adding hot sauce or “bitter apple” flavor INTO the feces, so the dog associates bad tastes with its feces. • Not rewarding the behavior by ignoring the dog when it consumes its feces, despite how difficult it may be for the owner. 3. Rewardpost-eliminationbehavior • Positive reinforcement immediately after good behavior (so owner must be present). Keep the dog on leash, and if the dog does not go for its feces, reward it with food and praise. Also, if the dog does try to reach for its feces, divert its attention to another simple task (such as asking to “sit” or “shake paw”) and reward it for performing the task. Health Concerns: As with all pets, regardless of whether or not the dog is coprophagic, owners should be careful about washing their hands at appropriate times, such as before eating, after handling feces, etc. Cleanliness is the first line of defense against potential disease transmission, which can include intestinal parasites. Coprophagy can be very distasteful to owners and can be a public health concern. If this occurs, consider seeing your local veterinarian to rule out any possible diseases as the cause and to develop a plan to help eliminate the behavior.

There are certainly a large number of reasons that a dog will eat their own stool. I am attaching a handout below that discusses these reasons in detail. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8587687 Since Chev is still a puppy, I would start with having your veterinarian examine a stool sample to make sure there aren't any intestinal parasites that are playing a role. You can then discuss trying the food additive deterrents that can be very helpful in stopping this behavior. And as you mentioned, this behavior could certainly be out of boredom, so I would recommend working on additional training to keep Chev busy and tired. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas to get this taken care of. Thanks for using PetCoach.

You may have have 2 separate problems or they may be related. If Shamu is generally bored and trying to find things to do, that may contribute to his eating his stool and his destructive tendencies. I am attaching a handout about eating stool below that may have some additional suggestions for you. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8587687 I like the food additives to help stop dogs from eating their own stool. As far as the chewing goes, I would consider adding Bitter Apple ( ) short term on areas of the floor that he is chewing, when work on tiring him out on a regular basis. I have a few suggestions for you that have helped me with my puppy. One thing that people think of first is treats that keep them busy for a longer period of time. This does seem to help. You can use long lasting treats like a Kong filled with peanut butter, yogurt, treats, etc and frozen so it takes longer for him to eat. My dog also really like Bully Sticks which I also freeze to make them last a little longer. Keep him mentally and physically busy during meal times. I love using a feeding balls like a Buster Cube or Tricky Treat ball to feed meals in. It keeps him busy for at least 5-10 minutes at each meal and requires him to work. And speaking of working. I have found that my dog is the most tired after we have done a good round of training. Even if you have done a basic obedience class, I would consider trying an advanced class, a nose work class, a tricks class, etc. And if taking a class isn't an option right now, work on training at home. When he goes on walks, make him sit at each corner before he crosses the street. It sounds simple, but additional mental stimulation can go a long way. Playing with other dogs is a great outlet for energy. If you haven't tried it yet, look into your local dog park or doggy daycare center. Sending my youngest dog to daycare once a week has made a huge difference. There are a number of interactive dog games and toys available now. Outward Hound makes a number of toys that your dog has to figure out a puzzle of some type before they get a treats. Here are some ideas for those. https://www.petco.com/category/dog/dog-toys/interactive-dog-toys/dog-puzzle-toys-and-games So, I think the key is to vary his activities daily and include a wide range of physical and mental stimulation. Be sure to be creative to tire him out on a regular basis and help everyone keep their sanity and see if that resolves his stool eating and destructive tendencies. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Daisy. You have a couple of options to try to control this behavior in your puppies. Hopefully they will outgrow it, but not all will. You can try placing Forbid powder on both of their food. Another option is meat tenderizer on their food. Finally, scooping the poop in the yard as frequently as possible to try to limit their access to it. I hope this information helps!

This is a common problem in dogs, and it is gross but not abnormal. There are a few things you can do to stop this behavior, like feeding a supplement that sometimes makes the stool taste bitter (see a link below). The best prevention would be to keep the feces picked up so that Kala doesn't get the opportunity to eat them. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/naturvet-coprophagia-stool-eating-deterrent-dog-chews Here is some more information on coprophagia: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1613

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is really no good medical therapy to prevent this so I am not sure how well those pills would work. This is usually a behavior that dogs tend to improve from relatively quickly. I would just try to avoid him eating his feces and discourage this behavior as much as possible. It is very likely that he will eventually improve on his own. Good luck and have a great day!