Ah, poop. We humans think it’s disgusting… but many of our dogs seem to love the stuff. If you’re wondering why your canine companion tries to eat feces (either their own or that of other animals) you’re not alone!
The technical terms for eating poop are “coprophagia” or “coprophagy.” It’s not always a cause for concern. Some level of this behavior is natural in our pets—canines are scavengers, after all—and is easily managed. But a poop obsession can also signal a larger underlying problem.
Here’s everything you need to know about coprophagia. How can you tell if your dog’s interest in feces is normal? Most importantly, how can you stop your poop eater from eating feces? Do you need to enlist a professional dog trainer? If so, what training methods are best?
Let’s dive in!
Mother dogs groom and clean their newborn puppies, including actually consuming their offsprings’ waste in their first few weeks of life. We know it sounds gross, but this is an important task! Eating their pups' feces helps keep the nest sanitary. It also encourages the puppies to grow up with healthy hygiene habits of their own. (Dogs who are raised in unclean dens sometimes struggle with potty training in adolescence because they’ve never developed an aversion to using the bathroom where they eat or sleep. This is often referred to as “dirty dog syndrome”.)
In the above context, coprophagy is functional. It has other natural roots, too. Some researchers suggest the biological drive to eat poop is implanted as a survival instinct even in dogs who don't have puppies.
Mild coprophagia also fits with what we know about how canines interact with each other in groups. Dogs are often able to sense infections in fellow animals—we commonly see canines sniffing or even licking any unusual discharges. This is presumably to gather more information about what’s going on with their kin. Detecting weaknesses can reflect on the overall safety of their pack (by which we just mean "social group" or "family").
Coprophagia is a common problem in puppies. Good news, though—they usually grow out of it so long as they have a healthy environment and proper nutrition!
What does that means for you as a dog parent? If you recently brought your young dog home and they’re trying to eat feces, you don’t need to be too concerned.
Puppies are likely attracted to poop because of a few factors.
They’re incredibly playful—play is a key way juvenile animals learn important life skills! This means if they’re left unattended near their own poop (or that of another dog in the house) that hasn’t been cleaned up by their carer, there’s a good chance that what looks like gross waste to us will actually be an interesting toy to them.
What’s more? Puppies go through an oral stage where they primarily interact with the environment by licking, mouthing, and grabbing objects. These items can include, of course, poop.
Some puppies raised in the dirty environments mentioned in the previous section might be even more comfortable playing around with their feces. This can also happen with pups who are trained on puppy pee pads (what used to be called "paper training" years ago).
Dogs are also natural scavengers. Most puppies grow into adults who only scavenge for things that are actually food (think about the dog at the local park who eagerly tries to pick up a discarded bone or piece of bread but only casually sniffs at a pile of poop left behind). When they’re young, though, dogs might naturally investigate dried or fresh stools.
Playing with or consuming poop can also draw a lot of attention from owners. To many puppies, any sort of interaction is reinforcing. That means that we might inadvertently teach our dogs that grabbing poop starts a fun game. Oops. (This is one reason it’s very important to be clear about the messages we send—you can read more about basic dog training in our guide here!)
There might be a product of observational learning here. Puppies might mimic the behavior of their mother or other playmates who perform coprophagy behavior.
Dogs are scavengers! It’s common for our canine companions to steal food, tear through garbage cans, and chew on plenty of things that we owners find disgusting ourselves. With proper training and other mental exercise outlets, this behavior can be reduced or eliminated entirely—but it’s important to remember that scavenging is a deeply rooted instinct in our dogs. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the tendency. It’s not a disorder in itself. We just have to manage it properly as pet parents.
Some animal feces has particularly “appetizing” attributes (taste, texture, and odor) that can override our dogs’ understanding that it’s waste and probably shouldn’t be consumed. Cat feces is a common culprit. So is that of deer, rabbits, or other small herbivores.
Most dogs who eat feces do it because of learned behavior. It’s simply something they’ve learned to enjoy and doesn’t have an underlying medical cause.
Coprophagy can be caused by the instincts we talked about in the above section, especially if they’re coupled with an understimulating environment (a bored dog will find entertainment of their own) or a constant opportunity to eat poop (repeated ingestion can lead to a long-term habit). Dogs who grow up in unclean environments like puppy mills are especially prone to have issues developing potty training skills.
Some coprophagy is a symptom of underlying medical problems. Any disorder or condition that decreases your dogs’ absorption of nutrients or causes gastrointestinal upset has the potential to lead your pet to consume feces.
If your dog is on a calorie restriction diet in order to lose weight, this can also increase their odds of developing a coprophagia habit. It’s important to always work with your veterinarian before making drastic changes to your pet’s food and treat intake!
If your dog takes a sudden interest in another dog’s stool—say your Labrador starts eating your Poodle’s poop every chance they get—that other dog's fecal matter should be screened for a range of digestive conditions or disorders, too. This is because poor digestion of their own food might lead more nutrients to remain in their waste, thus increasing its appeal to other dogs.
Dogs who enjoy eating poop might also be more willing to soil their bed, meal, and play environments. They struggle to learn potty training skills! Pet parents often call this dirty dog syndrome.
Dirty dog syndrome is not an official medical diagnosis. Rather, the term loosely refers to a dog developing a habit of using the bathroom in the same spot they sleep, eat, or play.
The most common form of dirty dog training is a puppy who pees or poops in their crate. Usually, dogs don't want to go to the bathroom in their beds—which makes many pups perfect candidates for crate training. Our canine companions largely have a natural instinct to keep their den areas clean.
You can see how this is all related to coprophagia. Pets who are comfortable spending time around poop have a greater likelihood of trying to consume it, too. It can turn into an unproductive cycle.
Puppies kept in unsanitary conditions—and not exposed to clean, appropriate areas for elimination—might never learn to differentiate between where it’s acceptable and unacceptable to relieve themselves.
Any dog left without fresh water, healthy food, or adequate space to move around for an extended period of time is bound to develop problems. This risk is higher in pups during their critical socialization window.
Puppy mill dogs aren't the only ones who can struggle with dirty dog syndrome, though. Every dog is an individual. Sometimes behavior problems have a clear cause—and other times they don't!
Some things that might contribute to dirty dog syndrome besides being raised by an unethical breeder include:
If your dog is struggling with their bathroom habits, don't fret. You're in good company. We've been there ourselves! And we've got you covered.
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Occasional interest in poop—especially that of another animal, like a stray cat or deer who wanders through your backyard—is usually not a big deal. It should be fairly simple to manage with a well-timed leave it cue and some basic impulse control training.
If your dog’s poop eating becomes a habit, though? You’ll want to address it more specifically. This is especially true if coprophagy starts affecting what you feel like you can do with your dog. Consuming feces can become a quality of life concern if you’re afraid to walk your dog in public areas or feel you always have to be on the lookout.
Most puppies learn that food tastes better than poop pretty quickly. If your dog is more than a year old and still trying to regularly eat their own (or their housemate’s) poop, that’s no longer normal.
If you think your dog is eating poop because of an underlying medical condition (or if you just aren’t sure) it’s a good idea to take them in for a full physical examination. Your veterinary team will be able to help you determine any problems from medical history and current environment and treat them accordingly.
The first step is to identify the problem. Is it intestinal parasites? A nutritional deficiency? A problem with digestive enzymes? Then you can move into a treatment plan.
A few common options include treating any parasites present, changing your dog’s diet to one that’s more nutritious with different protein sources, avoiding byproducts in their food and treats, or adding extra fiber. Some dogs see improved digestion and nutrient absorption with certain enzyme supplements. Your vet will work with you and your individual dog!
Most of the time, you can treat coprophagy by yourself at home—even if you don't have much training experience yet. As long as you stay consistent and patient, your dog will grow out of their gross habit and develop healthier responses through training in no time!
On occasion, though, some dogs require more help even if they’ve been given a clean bill of health by their veterinarian. In these cases, it’s a good idea to reach out to a professional force free trainer. They’ll be able to use their education and years of experience to develop a plan uniquely tailored to you, your dog, and your shared lifestyle. A combination of training tactics, medical assessments, and environmental management can go a long way.
There is so much misinformation out there, and we want to make sure we only provide the highest quality information to our community. We have all of our articles reviewed by qualified trainers with years of training experience.
This is the trainer that reviewed this article:
Penny Locke
Proudly offering Positive Reinforcement & Force-free Dog Training
www.allabout-canines.com
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