Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?

There are thought to be a few different reasons why dogs develop the habit of eating poo. It might be horrible for us to consider, but a dog’s palette is very different to our own. As far as they’re concerned it’s not entirely unpleasant and sometimes it’s even natural. From birth, mothers have to stimulate their puppies to go to the toilet and to keep the area clean, so she also eats it. It’s perfectly natural but as this is one of their first experiences, there’s a chance that some puppies learn from this and copy that behaviour from a young age.

Another very common reason for a dog to eat poo, especially if it starts during their adolescents, is that our four-legged friends are very good at quickly learning what gets out attention. They explore the world with their nose and their mouth, so it’s natural for a young dog to have a little taste of some poo they come across or even some of their own. If you make a big fuss of it, they can quickly learn that it’s a great way to get your attention and play a good game of chase with you after. The next time they’re bored they’re much more likely to try eating some poo to get a reaction out of you.

You might think that poo being a waste product means it has no nutritional value, but there are usually some undigested nutrients and fibre content, so it can be tempting to them.

Cat poo can be a delicacy for our pooches and it’s all because of the quantity of protein in cat food. Cats require more protein in their diet compared to dogs, which is why their poo will often smell a lot better than your pup’s. You may find your pooch might not touch any other poo, including their own, but instead are drawn to cat’s faeces.

Cat poo can be hard to avoid considering the number of households that have moggies that roam the neighbourhood. They tend to bury their poo in shallow holes and cover it over, turning the whole thing into a delicious game for your pup.

It’s even harder to avoid if you have a multi-pet household, as the litter tray can often be a fun place for your canine companions to poke their noses in and see if their cat friend has left them any treats. Since eating cat poo tends to be because it tastes good, distract them away from it on walks with dog treats and have their litter tray in an area of the home where your pup isn’t able to roam around.

Cat poo comes with some risks which can leave your pup with an upset stomach after eating it. Dogs can contract salmonella from cat poo, especially if the cat in question is a skilled hunter. It can also contain parasites that easily spread between cats and dogs like roundworms or tapeworms. If your pup has a taste for cat poo, it’s important to keep up with their regular parasite treatments.

Horse poo is generally quite a safe substance. It’s one of the reasons why horse riders don’t have to pick up after their horses in the same way dog owners need to. Since horses don’t eat meat there’s a lower risk of catching something from it, especially for humans.

When it comes to dogs it’s a different story. The poo itself is harmless as long as your pup is wormed regularly. The undigested food in their poo and fibre content can make it look and smell good as a treat for your pup. The highest risk to your four-legged friend when it comes to horse manure, is the chance of them getting ivermectin toxicity. Ivermectin is found in many horse wormers and if your dog ingests enough of it, it can be fatal so it’s best to give any manure a wide birth when walking your pooch. If there is a chance your pooch may have digested it, seek veterinary advice immediately.

Each species’ poo will have different risks for your pup, some more serious than others. Apart from being an unpleasant snack, they can become sick after digesting it.

If an animal eats meat, there’s always a risk of contracting salmonella, similarly to cats’ waste or getting sick from any bacteria that grows on the undigested protein in the poo.

Dogs are less likely to get sick from herbivore poo and are often more inclined to take a taste because it will smell more like undigested food like corn and be quite pleasant. If you have rabbits, you might find that your pup loves to go visit their hutch and try to steal a few nuggets of their waste. When it comes to herbivores, their waste is generally safer, but some of the chemicals we use to treat parasites might not be safe for our pups to ingest and can make them quite ill.

Parasites are a big risk with any poo, especially when they’re zoonotic parasites that can go between species like many types of worms. Not only is your pup at risk from this but whatever they eat poses a risk to owners. Even if you don’t let your pooch kiss your face, they can lick their hand and spread bacteria and parasites in their saliva which we can ingest from there.

Stopping this behaviour mostly comes down to two tactics which includes managing your four-legged friend’s access to poo and distracting them away from it. Eating poo is often a learned behaviour, therefore, to stopping it requires redirection.

If a pup is a poo eater out of boredom, then having lots of enrichment and toys will keep them busy and break the cycle. If they do it when they’re bored, then making their days a little more exciting can curb the behaviour.

If your companion is likely to pick up poo on walks, then training a recall is vital to preventing this. You can keep them on lead initially to break the habit, but a good recall in calling them away, will be your saving grace. Training a recall requires their favourite treats as reward, and natural treats are a great option – the smells can help entice them away and nibble on something much healthier.

While it may seem like an unsightly habit to us, poo eating can be fun and tasty for them. Having lots of distractions and good, positive-based training is key to curbing the behaviour!

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