Need help with my dog

[hoyt77]

I was wondering if anyone else had the problem of their dog eating its own poop. I have tried for-bid and that only work for a short period of time. Do any of you have any other suggestions for me? I have a dog and a 6 month son that love each other but always have to be concern if the dog has been eating poop before she goes around him because she has a uncontrollable tongue and loves to lick him.   

[rasbo]

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.




Summarization: Why Dogs Eat Poop

So, now you have seen 20 reasons

[hoyt77]

That is a lot of reasons why. Now to figure out why mine is doing it. Thanks for that info rasbo

[rasbo]

That is a lot of reasons why. Now to figure out why mine is doing it. Thanks for that info rasbo

male female age breed what do you have,try putting a piece of pineapple in the food

[Aneoakleaf]

Hoyt77...don't let the dog lick the baby,,,,,that's not safe........ to many germs!

[jackelope]

what does he eat for food? thats probly your problem.

[huntingfool7]

Pineapple makes the crap taste bad. 

[hoyt77]

Brittany female 1 1/2yrs old. We try are to make sure that the dog doesn't lick the baby.

I have tried pumpkin (some one told me that works) but the dog wouldn't eat it. We do have some can pineapple chunks I'll try that this weekend. How much pineapple should I put in with her food each time?

We use the costco brand dog food. I feed her once in the morning and once at night (1 cup each time). Could really be the dog food??

[rasbo]

could be stress over the baby,has she done this forever

[hoyt77]

Done it since she was a pup. I try and make sure the back yard is clean as often as I can.

[jackelope]

go through the list that Rasbo posted. does any of that fit her?
it could definitely be the food. try a different food. look at the nutritional info on the bag and compare it to other foods. get something different. it could also definitely be a lot of other things too. have you taken your dog to the vet?

[hoyt77]

I have taken her to the vet and said about the same thing it could be a whole of different things causing her to eat her own poop. Only hers never have another dogs.

As for nutritional info on dog food is there something that I should look for that is better for them then other things?

[jackelope]

it's a brittany so i'm assuming she's got a lot of energy.
Natural Choice makes a dog food for high energy dogs that is high in protein and high in fat for high energy dogs. here's the breakdown:

Crude Protein (minimum)  30.00%  
Crude Fat (minimum)  20.00%  
Crude Fiber (maximum)  4.00%  
Moisture (maximum)  10.00%
Linoleic Acid (minimum)  4.00%
Magnesium (minimum)  0.10%
Zinc (minimum)  200 mg/kg
Vitamin E (minimum)  200 IU/kg
Ascorbic Acid (minimum)**  60 mg/kg
Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA (minimum)** 0.20%
Glucosamine (minimum)** 200 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate (minimum)** 175 mg/kg  

The following guidelines are for adult dogs and should be adjusted as needed to maintain optimum weight and condition. Feed your dog according to the level of activity. When feeding NATURAL CHOICE® Dog Food for the first time, we suggest you blend increasing amounts of NATURAL CHOICE® High Energy Dog Food with your old food for 6 days.
 
Suggested Amounts to Feed Per Day† 
Weight of Dog    Moderate Activity       High Activity 
5 - 15 lbs.       1/2 – 1-1/4 cups 2/3 –    1-1/2 cups
15 - 25 lbs.      1-1/4 – 1-2/3 cups      1-1/2 – 2-1/4 cups
25 - 35 lbs.     1-2/3 – 2-1/4 cups     2-1/4 – 2-3/4 cups
35 - 55 lbs.     2-1/4 – 3 cups            2-3/4 – 4 cups
55 - 75 lbs.+    3 – 4 cups+             4 – 5 cups+
 


you might consider comparing that to what you are feeding now and see if it is at least close. you might need to try a change of foods to see if she gets the nutrition she needs from a different food... the info should be on the bag somewhere just like human food. if she gets a lot of exercise you may not be feeding her nearly enough. if she doesn't get any excersize then that may be the problem. she might be going stir crazy from being cooped up all day. you've got to try some stuff...trial and error.

check out this link from natural choice's site to see what they recommend feeding.
http://www.nutroproducts.com/ncdry-he.shtml

[hoyt77]

Thanks jackelope i'll check that out right now