[perseuslove]

Have you had a problem with your dog eating poop? My 5 month old GSD has started eating poop and I wonder why. I know that it is usually because of something they are missing in there diet..........I just need some advice on solving this problem.

 

[AgileGSD]

It's a fairly normal, though gross dog behavior. Some puppies just go through a phase of it, then stop. There are products on the market that are suppose to help to stop it but there seems to be limited success with them. Your best bet is to keep the yard cleaned up.

 

[we4elves]

There are several posts on here about this problem...but I have heard that adding pineapply or banana to their food can help

 

[counter]

None of the store products worked for us. We basically only let Nara out when we could walk out with her. Sometimes we even had to keep her on a leash while we walked with her in our own fenced-in backyard. The ONLY way to ensure that they don't eat it until they outgrow this nasty habit is to pick it up within seconds of them going. Switching to a raw diet also helped, as there's something about raw diet poo that made her have zero desire to eat it. Good luck! I know that, other than overcoming fleas, overcoming poo eating is the most difficult thing we've gone through with Nara to date.

 

[mssandslinger]

yeah zero does this... its gross hes only 6 months so im hoping he stops

 

[perseuslove]

Thank you again for the encouragement, we will just continue to keep a close eye on bathroom behavior!!!! (The gross part is...he was pooping and then turning directly around to eat it the two times I have seen him do this!) I really do hope he grows out of it sooner rather than later!

 

[vat]

My breeder says canned french cut green beans. Give them about 1/4 -1/2 can each meal. A girl I work with did it because both her dogs ate poo and it worked. It can take a few weeks to work.

 

[SARAHSMITH]

My puppy is doing the same thing. I'm trying powder you sprinkle on his food with plant enzymes and probiotics. I've read when the food isn't all the way digested it's more appetizing and this powder is supposed him digest his food better.

I'm also using a powder called solid god S.E.P which is supposed to make his poo taste bad. It seemed the best rated out of all of the products like this. Just started these so I'll let you know if it works.

 

[Zoeys mom]

I would rule out EPI since dogs with the disease will sometimes eat their own poop to regain nutrients

 

[counter]

Thank you again for the encouragement, we will just continue to keep a close eye on bathroom behavior!!!! (The gross part is...he was pooping and then turning directly around to eat it the two times I have seen him do this!) I really do hope he grows out of it sooner rather than later!

Again, the only way to be absolutely poo-eating-free is to pick it up as soon as they do it. If they poo and then instantly turn around to eat it, that's when you implement the on-leash system, so you can better control them and pull them away in time. It took Nara nearly 2 years to overcome this. It isn't like a week or a month and they're over it. So the only way to set yourself up for success is to go outside with them every time. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[vicky2200]

YES! my Alaskan husky has been doing that since she was about 5-6 months old. She is currently 1.4yrs old and it has decreased alot. The oddest part is that she only eats the one dogs poop, the dog who is on the yucky low fat food... and she really likes his food. Ive heard its due to lacking something in their diet, but that doesnt make sense to me because she is on expensive high quality high energy dog food, so what would be in the low fat food that she is missing..? anyway... Pretty much anytime I see her doing it I yell. Also keep the yard pretty clean, it helps... Its disgusting.

 

[jan & jim]

Nothing like a big ol' kiss from an 8 mo. old GSD after he's nibbled on some passed through the gut kibble! Jethro just started this within the last 3 weeks, and it seems like he is more interested in our older GSD's feces than his own. We feed Jethro Blue Buffalo large breed puppy & our 8 year old GSD Eukanuba senior. I've read that some of this behavior may be due to the flavorings put in some of the dog foods.
Jim

 

[Denali Girl]

Ughhhhhh my female pup is doing the same thing, I guess the only thing to do is clean it up but my crazy dog will NOT go to the bathroom on the grass, she has to go in the woods on leaves? I thought this was awesome cause I will never have to clean up the yard but it is sooo hard trying to find poop in the leaves lol. She appears to devoloped this problem after she had worms, she had worms and started eating poop and now she is clear of worms but still eating it? So frustrating, I have trained so many dogs in obedience and this little problem is kicking my butt lol. I read that it could be cheap food but she is on Orijen so I doubt that is it, Ughhhhhhhh I guess I'll just keep the rubber boots handy.

 

[jmoney]

There are a couple of products like forbid or deter I think that will help stop this from happening, I have never used them, but have heard good things from others

 

[elly1210]

Again, the only way to be absolutely poo-eating-free is to pick it up as soon as they do it. If they poo and then instantly turn around to eat it, that's when you implement the on-leash system, so you can better control them and pull them away in time. It took Nara nearly 2 years to overcome this. It isn't like a week or a month and they're over it. So the only way to set yourself up for success is to go outside with them every time. It's the only way to be sure.

I agree you have to be out there with them and teach them the leave it command. If you do clicker training or mark the good behavior with a good...so you take the dog outside you can teach them the poop command just like the pee and then once he goes if he looks at it you say leave it and do an excited come to you and click and treat or mark with a good boy and treat and then just take him away with the treating into the house. Then leave him in there and go clean it up.

We have had our GSD for almost 3 years, it took a couple years for him not want to do it but if given the chance he will if we don't pick it up. Sometimes you can break them of it sometimes you can't and you have to do maintance work with it.

It is a pain, I hope yours grows out of it.

 

[Navah]

My puppy ate poop for 4 months (since we got her). It was nasty and it made her sick more often then not. About two months ago we switched her food to adult kibble. She has not eaten her poop since. I know there are many reasons why a dog eats poop. I had a dog that ate poop no matter what food we fed him, i guess he just liked the taste. I think it depends on the dog.

 

[df1960]

Hawkeye did this when we first got him and I read somewhere to add fresh parsley to the food, not sure if that's what stopped him but he did stop eating feces after I added the parsley, but I noticed this weekend he's doing it again, I'll be getting some more parsley this week and trying it again.....

 

[DolphinGirl]

I have had this problem on and off with Aspen. I started to add puree pumpkin to his meal and he stopped. He loves the pumpkin on the front end, but not on the back. It is also great for regulating soft or hard stools.

 

[Rafi's Dad]

Eating Poop

I feed Naturable Balance Salmon and Sweet Potato. These are some possible causes for my dog:

1. (1)This food has no fillers and consequently takes little to fill up my large GSD. If he poops out semi or undigested food then to hi, it's fresh and he'll eat it again.
2. If he easts too little he'll need nutrients and seek out poop
3. gsd could have seen either his mother cleaning his living area or his handler doing same and attempted to help by eating poop like mama did
4. all dogs are different​

 

[Seda]

My 11 mo old male does this too. It's really disgusting. I don't know what to do.when he finishes and turns back to eat it. When I see, try to yell but he comes to me and I can't punish him. I'm so worry about when it will stop this.