While it may seem like the ultimate taboo to us, a dog that eats poop is quite common in the canine world. Your dog’s coprophagia, while unpleasant to witness, can be curbed. Here’s a few tips to help your poop eating pup break the habit.

Consult Your Vet

The first thing to do if you notice your dog eating poop is consult your vet. There are a few reasons why your dog might be exhibiting the behavior, and some are more serious than others. For instance, if your dog is compensating for a dietary deficiency or an underlying medical condition is a contributing factor, it’s important to treat those with your vet’s help. Once you’ve ruled out anything serious, the following tips can help get your dog’s appetite back on track.

Teach Them the Drop It Command

Teaching your dog the drop it command is an excellent way to keep all sorts of icky and unsettling things out of their mouth. Check out our Chewtorial on Teaching Your Dog to Drop It for more.

Practice Clean Habits

In multiple pet households, a dog eating cat poop is common. Cats tend to have a high protein diet and your pup’s elevated olfactory sense may be picking up on that protein source. Keeping your pup’s feedings to a consistent schedule can help emphasize the boundaries that separate their food from other aspects of daily life. If they can learn that their bowl is the only appropriate place for food, their bed for sleep, etc. that can help them differentiate what is and isn’t acceptable to eat.

Make Poop Inaccessible

As mentioned in the previous step, the protein content may be the culprit behind why dogs eat cat poop but denying your dog access to the area where the litter box is with a gate can be a reliable way to restrict their access. You can also look into specialty products that make your cat’s poop unappealing to dogs.

Try to clean up any potty accidents that happen inside to remove the potential for revisiting the scene of the crime to turn into a second offense.

Provide Positive Attention & Mental Enrichment

The big reaction that you respond to seeing your dog eating poop might be one of the reasons they’re tempted to do it. One way to discourage this is by letting them know they don’t need to be shocking to get your attention. Try paying them attention throughout the day and be generous with praise or treats.

Incorporating interactive playtime of an hour per day helps your dog feel loved and works wonders for their overall health. It’s also a good idea to incorporate mentally stimulating toys into their regular play to help keep them focused and prevent them from getting bored.

Be Consistent with Potty Breaks

Keeping their potty breaks regimented by providing opportunities at the same time every day will help reduce the frequency of indoor accidents. Dogs that know that going potty inside is frowned upon might be trying to hide the evidence of an accident so as not to upset you. Letting them out frequently provides ample opportunities for your pup to relieve themselves and helps them to understand there’s no need to hold it in.