How do I stop my puppy from eating its own and other dogs' poop?

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.