My Dog Eats His Own Poo!!

The subject of dogs that eat their own or other dogs faeces is something that is normally passed over in polite society because we do not like to talk about it. However our sensitivity about the subject is not shared by those dogs that indulge in it. Despite our reticence to talk about it the problem is a common one that may reflect the fact that the dog has evolved from individuals that scavenged around man’s dwellings. Abhorrent to us or not the behaviour is normal and allows food absorption to be maximised which would have a survival value in times of hardship in the wild. We have to bear in mind that for some species, such as rabbits, eating the faeces is the normal and necessary secondary stage of the way food is processed. In dogs and some other mammals the behaviour is also seen as a manifestation of the maternal instinct for nest cleaning and licking immobile puppies to cause defecation and urination, the consequences of which are consumed.

Why particular individuals indulge in the habit of coprophagia despite the fact that their owners provide them with their food has been the subject of several explanations. These include: dietary deficiency; a learnt behaviour developed during a period of boredom e.g. during prolonged kennelling in puppyhood; a significantly high incidence has been found in puppies that have had to fend for themselves, strays for example (Serpell and Jagoe 1995). Sometimes the faeces seem to have food value because of the richness of the depositors diet and/or the fact that not all nutrients have been drawn out during digestion. Perhaps combinations of these are possibilities in different cases.

Various ways of overcoming the problem by altering what a dog eats have been advocated. These include changing the diet to one of the premium dried foods. These are processed more easily by the dog’s body before being passed and the resultant faeces are less appealing. Various additions to the diet are thought to be helpful, such as pineapple chunks, because of the presence of an enzyme that aids digestion. In many cases adding sterilised bonemeal to the diet reduces the attraction of a dog’s faeces because they are drier and less palatable. Adding 10% fibre to the diet has also been advocated as a method of controlling the problem - this can be achieved by using a bulkier dry diet or by adding fibrous material such as bran or boiled green vegetables to the normal diet. If your dog has a coprophagic habit you should discuss dietary aspects of this antisocial behaviour with your veterinary surgeon in more detail. They will also be able to exclude physical causes for the behaviour, an important step if the onset is sudden, and can prescribe some additives for the diet that will make the dog’s own faeces less palatable.

Whatever the cause of the behaviour it is often developed into a worse problem by the owner's response. For example their understandable dislike of their dog’s habit may cause them to rush out into their garden with spade in hand to clear up before their dog can eat what it has passed. From the dog's point of view this may look like competition and some become so determined to beat their owners to it they will eat what they have done as soon as they have done it.

The best way to undo this learning at home is to make the act of toileting a prelude to something more interesting to your dog than eating what it has just done. When you let your dog into your garden or yard stand near a window in position where your dog is unable to see you. When your dog relieves itself open the door that will allow it to re-enter your home and as soon as it arrives give it a titbit reward or some of its daily food allowance, then leave it indoors while you clear the ground outside. After a few repetitions of this your dog should anticipate that as soon as it has relieved itself the door will open and it will receive food thus replacing its interest in what is lying on the ground behind it. Of course, you should not let your dog into your yard or garden if you are unable to supervise unless it is muzzled. If your dog has already developed a tendency to eat the unmentionable as soon as there is any chance that someone may try and clear up you may have to teach it that the sound of the door opening means something pleasant will follow when it enters before you start to teach it this in the context of relieving itself. This method will result in your dog receiving several small meals a day which in itself is a means of addressing the problem because the dog’s interest in faeces as a source food should be reduced.

Stopping the behaviour when it is displayed towards faeces deposited by other dogs away from home may be more difficult to achieve and some owners have to rely on the use of a muzzle as a means of preventing their dog feasting whenever it is let off the lead. The increasing social pressure upon dog owners to scoop their dog’s poop and deposit it in an appropriate location should help to reduce the problem. Whenever possible dogs that are coprophagic should be walked where the faeces of other dogs are unlikely to be found.

In many cases however modifying the behaviour can be achieved by repeatedly approaching faeces with your dog on a lead, extending lead or long line and throwing down training discs, a rattle can (a sealed tin can with some pebbles in) etc., to inhibit your dog's approach behaviour. Eventually it should become suspicions that the training discs or rattle can will arrive as it approaches or shows interest in faeces and will avoid them. It is important that you use these techniques to stop your dog from approaching the items because the effectiveness of the learning will be much reduced if they arrive after it has started to consume them. You can also use the “off" technique and clicker training as a means of developing and reinforcing appropriate behaviour.

A paper presented at the first International Conference on Veterinary Behavioural Medicine discussed the effectiveness of a remote controlled collar that ejects compressed air at the ground as a means of inhibiting dogs from picking up food bits left on the ground. This was found to by highly successful as a means of reducing the dogs interest in the food baits the researchers had left out (Pageat P. and Tessier Y.). Should such a device ever become commercially available it would have an obvious application as a means of inhibiting coprophagia.

Sometimes the use of taste deterrents, such as tobasco sauce or chilli powder is advocated as a means of putting a dog off. The idea is to sprinkle the faeces with these so that the dog finds the sensation in its moth unpleasant when it eats them. This approach tends not to be very successful because dogs have got relatively little sense of taste and their sense of smell allows them to identify which faeces to avoid if they are deterred by the taste.

As, and only as, a final resort in very serious cases dogs can be deterred form eating faeces by giving them an emetic (something to make them sick) the timing of which is such that an association is formed causing the dog to avoid faeces in future. Of course this approach requires veterinary involvement.

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Please note that the Pet Behaviour Centre and David Appleby cannot be held responsible for death or injury to people or animals, or damage to property caused by the correct or incorrect use of the techniques described in this article.