dogs eating sh*t -- PLEASE HELP ME!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another beagle owner here. Beagles are known for copraphagia. Deal with it.

JRT's too. You just have to be maniacal about never letting them off leash for pooping. You HAVE to crate train. I don't know why people can't just accept this. Pee pads? Really? Just because they sell junk doesn't mean you should buy it.

Hahaha! Great pic!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh my god. I have a dog, and any time she even smells a poo I say "Ew, no!" and give a little tug on the leash, and she trots away, and then I say "Good girl!" I had no idea it wasn't that easy for everyone.

I have no advice, just sympathy to you all. (Note to self: Never get a beagle)

You see, when a beagle sees/smells poo, it thinks GAME ON!!! You can call it every foul name you can think of while pulling with all your might with both your hands in a death grasp on the leash--it just will not stop. Why do you think these dogs were used for hunting? No if only we could train them to sniff out truffles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a ton of reasons why your dog might be eating poop. Know that it can be a completely normal behavior. There is a theory that dogs eat poop instinctive to prevent predators from tracking them. Also, dogs evolved from wolves. Early domestic dogs were scavengers. They survived by eating human garbage and waste, including poop. Crate trained dogs may get in the habit of eating poop to keep their crates clean. And dogs eat cat poop because it is high in fat and tastes delicious to them!

Sometimes eating poop can be a sign of a nutritional problem, but that is rare. Dogs eat poop because they are dogs. It's gross. But these are the same animals that smell each others butts and lick their own (and other dogs) genitals. They don't behave like humans because they aren't people. They are animals. And animals do all kinds of disgusting stuff.

You can teach your dog the "Leave it" command. My dogs are trained to back off when I say "Leave It". But that only works when they are with me. If they are running around loose in the backyard or at the doggy park, they might eat a little poop.

Do you have beagles? If not, get one that eats poop and then we'll talk.

[Anonymous]

Dogs have eaten poop since the beginning of time. Not a civilized or prim & proper thing to do but "dogs will be dogs". Don't worry about it, even when he licks your face a few minutes later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dogs have eaten poop since the beginning of time. Not a civilized or prim & proper thing to do but "dogs will be dogs". Don't worry about it, even when he licks your face a few minutes later.

See, this is what's wrong with you people!!!!

[Anonymous]

We have two dogs. Dog #1 would never, ever stoop to eat poop (she is a princess) but Dog #2 loves Dog #1's poop. Only hers... weird. We think that it is some kind of dominance/submission thing... like she is cleaning up after #1 or something?
Anyway, For-Bid and pineapple did absolutely nothing. I have a theory that when Dog #2 gets extra attention and Dog #1 doesn't pick on her too much, she eats less $hit, but it is kind of hard to track since we're not always 100% aware of the poo eating that occurs.

[Anonymous]

I have a shepherd mix who loves to eat dog poo. She'll eat her own but prefers other dogs'; zero interest in cat or wildlife poo, weirdly. This issue does not seem to be tied to house training, at least for us: she came to us as an adult and was pretty much house-trained already. It also does not appear to be nutritional, as I've tried all manner of high-end foods (grain-free, canned, dehydrated, you name it) without any change.

Anyway, we have had decent success with the "leave it" command and giving a cookie every time she sees a poo but does not eat it. (Downside: on our walks she is basically hunting for poo so she can get cookies.) I also find that she has her worst relapses when she hasn't had a good walk/play recently: when she's tired, she doesn't go after the poo as avidly.

[Anonymous]

Ah yes. We have a poo lover as well. She has only once gotten sick from it when she ate a parasite infected one. It was at a horrible boarding place where I later realized they left the dogs unattended in the communal playroom.

She loves her own as well as our other dog's. And random poo. Whatever poo she can get, really. She is not a Beagle for what it is worth (poor beagles taking all the heat for poo eating!). She is a mastiff.

I am sorry, OP, but there is not much you can do. We now watch her like hawks and never -- but NEVER -- give her the chance. At least she now knows it is wrong so will not do it when one of us is hovering over her, which provides time for cleanup. She will take any chance to sneak one so we do have to be quick. No "wait where did I put the bags again?"

I continue to be amazed at the number of people who let strange dogs lick them in the mouth. This is why I have started to tell people who interact with her about her nasty little habit. She is obviously not ashamed by it, and people definitely appreciate the heads up. They still pet her, but there are no more random make-out sessions.

[Anonymous]

You need to get a handle on the housetraining first.

YES the dog needs to be crated when you are not home ESPECIALLY since it was a Puppy Mill dog. I know this because I have a shelter dog who had the same problem. it took MONTHS to house train her and cost me a fortune in dog walkers since I work. It was a huge disrubtion to my life, taking her out to pee every 20min and rewarding her.

Yes, it is mean to crate a dog when you are working, but meaner to be resentful at your untrained dog. THe trade off is that dog walkers are expensive and you need one if you are a responsible pet owner.

You are taking your dog out 2xs a day? That is absurd!! My dog is finally trained and is a year old. I never leave her more than 5 hours (except at night) wihtout a walk. She still has a accident here and there. Here is what our walking schedule looks like, if your dog is not trained, you really need to have her out every 30min:

5:30AM long walk
7:45AM quick walk
11:30 long walk
4:30 quick walk
8PM Long walk
9:30 quick walk to pee