Poop Eating

Coprophragia or coprophilia is the technical term for a normal but disgusting dog habit. It is probably much more common that most people are willing to admit! Most farm dogs eat cow or horse manure and almost every dog finds cat feces a delicacy. Much to their owner's horror, a surprising number of dogs eat their own poop.

 

Pica is a similar fixation with eating other indigestible, non-food items. Some dogs eat rocks, dry wall, etc.

What to do?
Both of these problems can be caused by an imbalanced diet. But more often, it is caused by boredom or is a learned behavior. Puppy mill puppies are notorious for eating their own and other dog's feces: poor diet, not enough food to go around and nothing else to do. Competition for the only "novel" item in their environment might be the reason.

So then, why does your well-cared for dog who gets the BEST quality food
insist on snacking in the backyard, and more importantly, how can you curb this habit?

Why do dogs really eat poop? Because it's there.

Keep your yard scooped and provide other more interesting activities to occupy your dog: Kongs / Buster cubes!

Don't rush to scoop - competition for the desired item may INCREASE the dog's desire to have it, especially in competitive dogs. In some cases, it is actually "taught" by the owner who hovers to pounce on it first.

Don't let your dog see you scoop. Dogs are naturally interested in what you pay attention to.

Take the dog out on leash if necessary, tell the dog "leave it" and reward the dog for coming away from the poop, take the dog inside before scooping. Reward the dog for coming straight back inside. Create the habit - "do your business- then run to the house for a treat"!

It does little good to apply bad tasting stuff to the poop that is in the yard. If you have time to sprinkle stuff on it, you might as well just scoop it. 		 


There are products on the market which can be added to the dog's food to make the resulting poop less palatable. "Deter" and "Forbid" are two such products. There are also other somewhat less expensive additives that may also work:


Adolf's meat tenderizer (which is actually papaya extract plus preservatives)
Papaya extract (from your health food store)
Crushed pineapple
Powdered ginger
Tomatoes

 

What about cat poop?
Seriously, if dog treat companies had real doggy advisors, there would be a whole line of "Kitty Roca" snacks on the shelves. Dogs prefer cat poop to just about anything else on the planet.

You can treat the cat food so the resulting cat poop is less palatable ... if you can get the cat to eat the doctored food ... BUT, ultimately, the best solution is to locate the cat box somewhere the dog can't go. A closet or cupboard with a cat door work well.
 

At our house the cat litter box is located in the bathroom for easy scooping. When we are home we supervise well and "leave it" works.

When we are gone, we have a security chain installed on the bathroom door so the cat can get in and out of the bathroom, but the dogs can't. So the pups are still kissable when we return!

Another option is one of those electric eye, self scooping litter boxes.

ROCK EATING

I hear of a fair number of members of certain specific breeds more than others who are rock eaters, so I suspect there is a hereditary component. Most of them grow out of it - a few don't. Some studies suggest that there may be an obessive compulsive component, most attribute it to stress or boredom.

Since you can't eliminate rocks from the environment, prevention (muzzling), supervision, distracting your dog with appropriate chew items is key. It has been my experience that it is better to redirect them away to something "better" (call-away/reward) than to try to get to the rock before he does - as competing for the prize inevitably increases its value and makes the problem worse. "Leave-it" and "come" are the two commands that can make the difference between picking up a rock or not. Once he has the rock, I'd trade for a treat and teach him "bring it here" and create a strong need to show you the rock and deliver it so he doesn't chew or swallow it. This can be a double edged sword, as once he finds that you will "pay him" for rocks, he'll look for more to bring you ... so focus on paying him for lots of other items so they become the better choice in the environment. Sooner or later you'll be paying the vet to extract one and he'll wear his teeth down to nubbins if he doesn't grow passed this stage first!

Nylabone makes a very hard bone called a "gallileo bone" that can be a satisfying and safe outlet for dogs who like the hardness and feel of a rock. Dogs who are compelled to "search and find" do well with games of "hide the biscuit" around the house or stuffed Kong easter egg hunts around the house and yard - the goal is to get him hooked on searching for something OTHER than rocks. Get him obsessed about a legal game as an outlet for his excess energies and over active brain!

Here is an article about rock eating.


This handout may be reprinted in its entirety for distribution free of charge and with full credit given:
© CAROL A. BYRNES "DIAMONDS IN THE RUFF" Training for Dogs & Their People -
ditr_training @ hotmail.com - http://www.diamondsintheruff.com

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