If you’re wondering how to keep dogs from eating poop, then there are several steps involved in the process. In this article, we will look at them all, and suggest real solutions that you might try. Let’s start with the why.
Why Is My Dog Eating Poop?
When you first notice your dog eating his own poop, or that of another pet, your first thought is probably not how to keep dogs from eating poop, but why they do it! There are many reasons that your dog may be exhibiting this behaviour. In some dogs, it’s attention seeking behaviour. Sometimes it’s a reaction to a past punishment, and an attempt to ‘clean up,’ and in other cases, it may be a part of the scavenger nature of dogs.
In some cases, this behaviour can even be a sign of malnutrition, with your dog trying to self medicate for the lack of a particular nutrient.
While it helps to understand WHY your dog is doing this, it doesn’t answer the question of how to keep dogs from eating poop, so let’s get on to a few possible solutions.
How to Keep Dogs from Eating Poop Poop Donations
The first step in figuring out how to keep dogs from eating poop is to rule out any underlying medical causes. Take your dog to the vet, and have him or her checked out for any of the diseases and deficiencies that are known to be linked to coprophagia. If there’s nothing wrong with your dog, it’s time to move on to other remedies.
One of the easiest ways to keep dogs from eating poop is to add something to their food, that makes their feces taste bad (no, it doesn’t taste bad enough already!)
Some experts recommend adding pineapple to dog food, or find one of the commercial additives that are on the market that are designed to make poop even more unpalatable!
Another idea would be to put something that is unpleasant to dogs – like chili sauce, onto poop in the garden. Next time your dog has a ‘snack’ the taste will be a deterrent, and after a few times, your dog should be conditioned to understand that eating poop has fiery results!
Making sure that you pick up poop in the garden regularly is another good idea, all round, and if there’s nothing for your dog to eat, then there’s no problem, is there?