Gross!

**Tanya&Fritz** · 01-08-2003, 11:48 AM

This is really gross...

Sparky is eating poop in the backyard

It is the grossest thing I've ever seen. Now don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the help. I've only picked up the poop once this week

Every time he comes in from the backyard he's licking his chops and I say "go give daddy a kiss" lol

Why is he doing this???

**ramanth** · 01-08-2003, 11:52 AM

No clue why... just some dogs do.

Kia helps me clean the litterbox on occasion.

Ew.

**Logan** · 01-08-2003, 01:27 PM

I have a friend who believes in sprinkling powdered alum on it....I certainly wouldn't want to eat anything with powdered alum! YUCK!!!

I've also heard that they sometimes do this when they're missing something in their diet.....but knowing you, Tanya, I wouldn't think that would be the case.

Good luck!!

Logan

**Tina** · 01-09-2003, 08:25 AM

Oscar use to get in the litter box and drag poop out. He didn't eat it. Just got it all the place so I had to move it.

**Swoozie** · 01-09-2003, 08:35 AM

that's called "Coprophagia" latin for dung eater... reason for dogs doing it vary.. some say dogs do it because they're lacking minerals in their diet, or the food they eat has a high fat content, and it tastes good to them... there is stuff you can buy to add to dog food to make the poop taste bad. Who would have ever thought you'd have to add stuff to make it taste bad. Go figure..and to think there's people out there getting paid to try and figure out how to make it taste bad.. wonder if they used taste testers??.hehe. but anyhow, it's more common in puppies and they usually out grow it

**lv4dogs** · 01-09-2003, 09:26 AM

The reasons listed are sometimes the cause of this behavior. But if you feed your dog a low quality food with lots of fillers & addatives then not all of that is properly digested. Therefore some food material is still in the feces making it "tasty" to the dog. It is ussually more common for puppies to do this behavior & most grow out of it. There is products out there that you can either add to their food or sprinkle on the feces. But in order for those products to work you must make sure that you dog at least tries to eat that stool. Also by always going outside w/ him you can train him not to eat it. Keep him on a leash, when he starts to eat the stool tell him NO firmly or teach him a "leave it" command and pull him away from it. As soon as he leaves it alone praise him w/ a tasty treat. When he starts to learn that then he may just sniff the poo as long he does not eat it praise him.