# Puppy eats poop when we're not looking



## MarcusDolby (Feb 3, 2010)

About one month ago, our 7 month old Shih-Tzu / Poodle mix began to experience the wonderful pleasures of eating her own poop. /sarcasm off

She only does it when we are not watching, that is, on her puppy pads inside the house. We originally taught her pads because of her small size and it was December at the time in Denver, CO.

Given that we are not there to correct her, I don't know what to do to stop her. I watch her closely, but all it takes is 20 seconds for it all to go down. I know she eats it because of a stain left on the pad and the smell in the air and yet there is no poop. You should have seen me the first time this happened, it was hilarious (for others)! I thought the poop got up and left on its own or that she hid it from us somewhere in the house!!!

Normally, I take her for walks and she'll eliminate outside and it's not an issue at all (the lawn is much more interesting than her poop). And I'm there to bag it and dispose of it.

I know she'll grow out of it, but even adding pumpkin to her diet doesn't work. If I cover the poop with tabasco sauce, she just ignores it; I don't think that is a good learning technique. She is still trained on pads at this point and not yet fully converted to outside. Also, I believe she does it to clean house, not because she's hungry or stressed (we are converting very slowly from Avoderm to Taste of the Wild). Or perhaps she just likes it or is curious...

Maybe I just need to take her outside more often. She goes out three times a day for walks. Now that I write this, clearly more potty breaks outside are necessary to better facilitate the conversion outside. Other suggestions? Thanks!!!


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## elah42 (Feb 12, 2010)

My dog Colleen has always liked other dogs' poop.

Today, for the first time, I saw her reach her tongue out and try her own. It was like she was saying, "It's a long shot, but I'll give it a go!" 

I know they have stuff you can buy to put in their food that's supposed to make poo taste bad. I've also heard there are some fruit that make poo taste bad - I want to say pineapple, but I'd need to double check to be sure.


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## MarcusDolby (Feb 3, 2010)

Yes, I've heard that pumpkin and pineapple work. So far, pumpkin has been ineffective. Pineapple next. I assume, elah, that your Colleen is a puppy too and not an adult dog.


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## hankandkooper (May 24, 2010)

Just a thought - Eating of feces (especially other dogs') can also be a sign of nutrient deficiency. Maybe upgrade to a higher quality dog food and/or give your pup a daily multivitamin.

A friend of mine had this same problem. She found some spray to make the pile of feces taste bad and that didn't work. She took her dog to the vet and started giving him an extra vitamin everyday and it solved the problem.


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## elah42 (Feb 12, 2010)

She's 11 months old and has been eating poo all along. Luckily I live in an apartment complex where most people clean up after themselves, but she still manages to grab a few mouthfuls each week.


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

Shih Tzu are known to be poo eaters. There's even an article on the Shih Tzu Club of America's website. I haven't found anything that works other than supervising as closely as possible when they use the bathroom. I say "EH EH" when they go to eat the poo and call them over to give them a treat.


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## bklantz (Feb 14, 2010)

I also have a poop eating pup, she is 9 months now and has been doing it since I got her at 3 months. I tried pumpkin, bitter spray, and actual pills that are suppose to make the poop taste bad but nothing has worked....I think it depends on the dog.

I am out with her every time she has to potty so she knows now that she isn't suppose to eat her poop but every now and again she sneakily looks over at the poop and then at me to see if i'm paying attention or not  

If you can get your pup to go outside it will be much easier for you to get her to not eat it since you could always be there to pick it up right away. 

Although if your pup eats other dog's poop that's a different story....unfortunately mine LOVES other dog's poop and will run towards any dog at the dog park that squats to see if it's pooping. I haven't figured out a way to stop that one yet 

Good luck and I hope your dog does grow out of it (mine too i hope) although some never do...


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## crittermom (Jan 14, 2010)

Just something that happened with my puppy... Around 5 months or so she all of the sudden started to eat her own poop. We realized that it was only a day after we bought the cheapo Pupperoni treats and have given her a few with training. We tried stuff called "Stop Eating Poop" and with it on her food she would no longer eat her food (took almost 2 weeks to really get her eating again). We stopped giving her the pupperoni treats and the behavior stopped. Don't know for certain that it was the treats (could have been the S.E.P., if she actually ate any of it), but definately not worth trying them again. She now gets only natural balance rolls, milkbones, and dried liver/beef/fish/meat treats. No problems since. Hope that helps.


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## DogPaw (Jan 11, 2009)

I would get rid of the puppy pads and start taking her outside on a leash so you can have more control and discourage her from eating it. Pick it up each time she goes. The longer she uses those pads, the longer it is going to take to teach her to want to go outside. 

I don't understand you putting hot sauce on her poop. If you have time to put hot sauce on it then you have time to pick it up.


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## Wild Will (Jun 4, 2010)

One of our havanese puppies also eats his and our other dog's poop. We have tried Forbid etc but found that he is slowly growing out of the habit so fingers crossed.


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## dieterherzog (Sep 28, 2009)

Second/third the nutrient deficiency suggestion. Get her bloodwork and worm medication!


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## Robrowe (Jan 25, 2010)

Why Dogs Eat Poop: 20 Reasons

1. Your dog might be hungry. If your dog doesn't have access to food, he might eat poop.

2. Some dogs will eat poop to clean up an area like a housekeeper. This is most likely if your dog is confined to a crate or kennel, or when he's chained up or otherwise restricted. He's taking care of his space. 

3. If your dog likes to carry poop, and then eat it, it could be genetics. Some dogs have instincts to carry stuff in their mouths.

4. Your dog might be eating poop because of parasites or worms. They can suck nutrients out of your dog, driving him to eat poop. It might also leave him extra hungry because of the lack of proper fuel.

5. Your dog might be eating cat poop or other animal poop to get key nutrients and minerals not available in his own food.

6. Some dogs will simply eat poop to pass the time. Dogs will eat poop because they are bored or lonely. It can be a sign of neglect.

7. Your dog might eat poop because he's anxious, nervous or otherwise upset. Stress will drive animals to do odd things.

8. Some dogs will eat poop to hide the evidence. If you punish your dog for pooping, he might eat it to stop you from getting angry. 

9. If your dog has puppies, she might eat puppy poop. This is an instinct to hide the poop from predators. Poop is evidence. Getting ride of it keeps her puppies safe.

10. Some young dogs and puppies will eat poop as a novelty. That is, they'll eat poop as an experiment. They don't know better.

11. If your dog watches you pick up poop, he might learn to do the same. This is called allelomimetic behavior. Your dog observes you and learns from you, by putting the poop in his mouth you put poop in a bag. 

12. Your dog might see others dogs eating poop. From this, they learn to eat poop too.

13. Many dogs simply like the taste of poop. This obviously doesn't make sense to dog owners but that's irrelevant. Some dog like to eat it and that's that. It's warm, moist, and very much like what your dog was given as a very young puppy.



14. If your dog food lacks key nutrients, he might eat poop. Your dog is trying to get "food" with nutrients any way possible, even from his own poop. 

15. Sometimes dog poop seems like dog food. This can happen when dog food is low quality and includes materials that are easily passed and not absorbed by your dog. When the dog poops, it seems to be very much like the food he just consumed!

16. In some cases, dogs will eat poop if they are given too much food. This is especially true if your dog's diet is high in fat.

17. Some dogs will eat poop to gain attention. Many dog owners get very upset when their dog eats poop, which means the dog gets attention. This is a wonderful opportunity for your dog to interact with you, although it is because of negative attention.

18. It is possible that some dogs will eat the poop of other, more dominant dogs. Your dog might be more submissive than other dogs, resulting in strange poop eating behavior. This seems to occur more in households with multiple dogs where dominance and submission is a factor. Obviously this doesn't explain much about dogs eating cat poop or other animal poop.

19. It is possible that your dog wants to eat more than one time per day. If you only feed your dog once per day, and your dog eats poop, it could be an indication they want to eat more frequently. 

20. In some cases, your dog will eat poop by accident. Dogs are curious and will try to eat almost anything, including poop. Dogs explore the world through taste and smell, much more than humans.

Im thankful I dont have this problem. Murphy is not a poop eater. He will smell his own then wander away from it quickly with an upturned nose. Some breeds are more prone to this than others. I have seen in the past dogs that just lived for the moment to get into poop regardless of its origin. I remember a camping trip where the owner disappeared in the sand dunes with his pooch Rambo following. He came back with Rambo following a few minutes behind. I didnt have to ask where he went because his dog came back wearing it. What he didnt eat he rolled in.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

It's important to understand as well, that it is natural for the mother dog to stimulate their puppies to void and then clean them up afterwards, so it is not a wholly unnatural behaviour. 

Pumpkin adds fibre but does not have the enzymes to alter the taste. Pineapple or papaya enzymes sometimes help. Adding MSG to the dog's food also creates a bitter taste to the feces (this is basically what Forbid is). This of course will only help if the pup is eating THEIR OWN feces.

Cracker was an obsessive poo eater from the beginning. We figured part of it was habit and food deprivation as a pup. She and her littermate were from a police raid of a crackhouse and were extremely underweight when seized, they most likely ate each other's feces to satisfy hunger. Unfortunately, that stress of starvation created and obsession. She would search the park and on some days (PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG'S PEOPLE!!) she would come home and vomit it all back up. Ten years at a vet and I've never dealt with anything quite so odiferous.

I kept her leashed. I used a remote citronella collar. I punished her (before I knew better). I tried tabasco. I tried working on her leave it. etc etc. Nothing worked beyond a slight improvement.

Cracker has generalized anxiety and separation anxiety. When I finally had to put her on anti anxiety meds...the behaviour lessened to almost nothing. It's very rare now that she had a snack and I can call her off feces 90 percent of the time. Her poo eating was anxiety based. Huh. I felt badly then for all the punishment I had used and all the anger I had about it went away. Sh** happens. 

OP,
I would immediately lose the peepads and start full on housebreaking so that it's not laying around for the habit to become ingrained. Try the enzymes as well and get to work on a good "leave it" , rewarding HEAVILY for leaving anything you ask her to. 

Good luck.


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## DarkDazeys (Jun 7, 2010)

You can try one of two things 1. picking up her poop as soon as she goes or 2. you can spray the poo with jalapeño juice. 

To make jalapeño juice, all you need is some water, a jalapeño or two, and a spray bottle. Cut up the jalapeño, and put the pieces in a spray bottle with water. Let it sit for a couple of days so that the water gets the flavor of the jalapeño. So, now, whenever you see a little poop, spray the juice on it. Then, when she tries to eat it.. she'll get a horrible surprise! She'll quickly learn that poop= burning tongue. It doesn't hurt the dog, but it will teach her a lesson


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## MarcusDolby (Feb 3, 2010)

Thanks for all of the advice! Unfortunately, she continues to eat her poop. Today was the worst. I got her up as usual, 6am, but she refused to go pee or poop. That's not normal in the least! Usually, she pees immediately after getting out of the crate. 

30 min. later, she vomited all over me (goodbye, pjs!). She must have eaten her poop before 6am because later this morning, I found a little bit of poop in her crate under a blanket. Explains why she didn't poop and why she hardly touched her food this morning.

Typically, I immediately dispose of the poop once she goes. And normally, it's outside. We keep the pads for now because she's used to them and when she couldn't get to them the other day, she peed on the carpet (my sister in law accidentally closed the bathroom door). I'd like to transition her to go outside. I'll work on that more aggressively.

It can't be nutrient deficiency, we feed her Taste of the Wild and she usually leaves some leftover at the end of her second and final meal, around 3pm (two meals per day, about 1 cup, she's 7.5 pounds). We also follow all vet's advice and give appropriate meds and deworming pills. 

I think it's because she's cleaning house and/or because she likes it. Gross.


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## dieterherzog (Sep 28, 2009)

Another possibility is that she is learning from you. She sees you picking up the poop to clean the area and she tries to do that as well, and as she does not have hands, she uses her mouth and as she has no access to the garbage can, she eats it. 

You may want to try getting rid of the pee pads altogether. I know it's tough especially in training mode. It's really weird though that she would poop in her crate and eat it (like this morning). 

If you must use pee pads then I would second the "leave it" command. Wait for a while before picking up the poop. As soon as she goes for it, loudly clap your hands and say, "Leave it!". If she looks up and doesn't touch it, treat heavily. Of course, this involves A LOT of attention and lightning speed reflexes on your behalf!


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## MarcusDolby (Feb 3, 2010)

dieterherzog said:


> Another possibility is that she is learning from you. She sees you picking up the poop to clean the area and she tries to do that as well, and as she does not have hands, she uses her mouth and as she has no access to the garbage can, she eats it.
> 
> You may want to try getting rid of the pee pads altogether. I know it's tough especially in training mode. It's really weird though that she would poop in her crate and eat it (like this morning).
> 
> If you must use pee pads then I would second the "leave it" command. Wait for a while before picking up the poop. As soon as she goes for it, loudly clap your hands and say, "Leave it!". If she looks up and doesn't touch it, treat heavily. Of course, this involves A LOT of attention and lightning speed reflexes on your behalf!


I agree with you entirely. I think she sees me do it and is copying me in her own special (gross) way. This is the first crate accident in two months - and that was a special occasion as she had just been spayed. 

Pee pads will eventually disappear with time. The leave it command will be used too. And I'll pick it up without her seeing me; I'll distract her with a toy and then do it all sneaky like. Thanks!!!


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## MarcusDolby (Feb 3, 2010)

Just a quick update. The vet gave us some meds to calm down her stomach. She is acting completely normal which is good given her vomiting yesterday morning. She threw up again this morning, but I think it was because of bile as the vet suggested she not eat much yesterday. She had diarrhea yesterday evening. Thank God for puppy pads because there was no way she could have waited to go outside (she ignored my pleas to hold it as I was putting on my shoes).

She ate this morning and pooped. We were there to quickly take it up. Ah, the joys of puppyhood.


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## Wild Will (Jun 4, 2010)

Well, very pleased to say that our Havanese seems to have grown out of it at 10 months of age, so let's hope that is the case.


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