How can I get my dog to stop eating poop?

Original article by S. Veigel  02/18/2016

To understand why dogs eat poop I highly recommend that you first read “Why dogs eat poop grass dirt and lick your face”. In this article I’m going to give you a magic word to get your dog to stop eating poop. But if you don’t understand what’s behind it or this subject in general you will scoff, be disappointed or simply fail. And you might revert to something that’s not really best for your dog.

As I look around the internet I am reminded that we live in a society that desires instant gratification. We want our food micro waved faster and we want a pill or a remote control to solve and service everything. And high on the list is the question, “How do I get my dog to stop eating poop?” So there is a pill or a food additive to make your dogs’ poop taste bad right next to the food additive to change the chemistry of their urine so it won’t hurt your grass.

I may catch some flak for this and I know the claim is that it’s safe but are you sure you want to be feeding your dog stuff to change their poop and urine chemistry? Some of the ingredients I’ve read to make poop taste bad includes Cayenne Pepper. In animals Cayenne Pepper burns the stomach and can cause the mouth and throat to swell. Also, dogs can experience acid reflux and since they can’t talk to you a clinical test showing no “ill effects” in pill form probably doesn’t include “feeling bad”.

The fact is any dog will eat poop. Some dogs will not like the poop with an additive and others are more intent. But then, some people will say, “my dog never eats poop”. Are you sure? For one thing, if you have just one dog that doesn’t qualify you as an observer. For another thing, just because it hasn’t doesn’t mean it won’t. And if you’ve never had to deal with it, maybe it’s not a bad idea to understand it anyway.

Casey, our eldest Beagle mix had to be taught to leave cat poop alone. Cat poop tends to have a special appeal to dogs. When we got the ex-show Beagle named August at a fairly young age and Millie the Bassett Hound as a pup they would line up behind Casey when she was doing her business like kids at an ice cream truck. But Charlie was never observed showing any interest at all. Four years after Charlie joined us the dogs woke me up early one morning. It was raining so when the dogs went out they didn’t stay long. Then I went back to bed for about an hour. When I came back down I saw that one of the dogs had left a poop on the carpet. And there was Charlie making a snack out of it.

You can train your dog to not eat a steak you left on the counter just like you can teach your dog to not eat poop. But the dog will never understand why you don’t want them to eat poop. Whether it’s the steak or the poop all they see is that the alpha (meaning you) is protecting a morsel of food. They can learn it doesn’t belong to them and that you’ll disagree with their desire to have it, but in many cases if you go to the store and leave them home that steak on the counter is fair game and you can’t blame them for that.

And that brings me back to Millie, the Bassett Hound. Of all the dogs we taught not to eat poop she is the one that is just an incorrigible child. Like I wrote in another article she is a couch potato who knows commands but first has to think about whether she wants to do it. She knows she’s not suppose to eat poop but if I’m standing there she will look at me with her head low over a pile, wait and then playfully snatch a piece and run under a bush.

Bottom line is, if you need to do this, you are trying to keep your dog from something it finds enjoyable without the ability to explain to the dog why it’s a good idea not to eat it. The average dog is just going to try and do it behind your back and the more severe obsessive dog, the one that tries to turn around and eat its own poop needs more help than just this particular issue. Either way you’ve got to be willing to take the time. Shall we begin?

What NOT to do:

It’s not just urine that dogs use to leave a scent or mark territory. Dogs have a scent gland in their rear that fills with fluid. Dog groomers will “express” this gland when they bath your dog to keep it from getting too full and causing problems. So if you have more than one dog it is not unusual for them to sniff poop and then pee beside it. And that is NOT the time to run up and chase them away. If you keep doing that you’ll make them conflicted about doing their business.

What to do (the average dog):

1]: Be observant so you don’t make the dog feel conflicted about doing its business. If the dog goes to sniff don’t assume anything until it starts to take a bite. If it does purposely and briskly (don’t run and holler) step toward the dog, eye contact, wave your hand out, pointing away from the poop and say “Leave it!”. Then make sure the dog backs away. If it doesn’t step toward the dog, even nudge it, to make sure it does back away. Then stand by the poop as if to say it belongs to you. Don’t you back away until the dog does and don’t let the dog circle around and come back to it as you’re walking away. Make sure it got your message.

2]: Clean the poop up. It’s good for the dog to see you take it away and if you keep it cleaned up you’re more likely to traipse confidently through the yard.

3]: Remember you’re trying to teach a “child” not to do something it really does want to do. If you’re not out there it’s liable to do it behind your back and learn nothing. And since you cannot actually explain to a dog why it shouldn’t eat poop, it’s going to take time. You may also have to continue to give them reminders when you once again find them doing it (like Millie).

About keeping the poop cleaned up:

I have four dogs doing their business 2 to 4 times a day rain or shine and like you life has a way of requiring my attention elsewhere. So I’m not going to berate you if your yard isn’t 100% poop free. But I am going to encourage you to try to keep it to a minimum so you can navigate the yard and achieve success. Because you’re not only trying to teach your dog to “leave it” you’re also trying to take possession of the poop as an authority icon and remove temptation while your dog is learning to forget about the poop.

Using a treat as an alternative:

Using food to train a dog is not the best approach. It tends to create a situation where the dog expects a treat for doing anything. A dog also probably knows you’ve got the treat in your pocket and may be more interested in having the treat than doing its business. Lavishing praise and giving a dog a good brisk rub after it does what you want is far more effective overall. The praise (after the dog responds) can also help the dog break its concentration on the object you want it to ignore.

What to do (the obsessive dog):

Fortunately I never had to deal with a dog who was so obsessed that it would turn around to eat his own poop, but the basic premise is the same. You’re basically dealing with an addictive behavior born out of a natural instinct and you need to stay on that dog for a long time. You also have to consider that there may be more going on than just a taste for poop. And that’s something I can’t know writing an article. That’s something you do or will understand better as you’re working with the dog.

Again, cover your bases, eliminate other possibilities so you can focus on the issue. Make sure the dog is in good health now. Make sure you’re providing excellent nutrition. Was the dog abused or is it anxious? Put the dog in Thunder Shirt to help it feel a little more secure. Above all, don’t be angry, feel inept or apply your strategy with pity for the dog’s previous situation (if applicable). If you’re going to actually help the dog you need (it needs you) to just work the problem.

Apply what I told you for the “average dog” as a base point. If the dog will do its business in the yard while on a leash (Charlie would not) add that for reinforcement. Do not jerk the leash or yell just deliberately and firmly prevent the dog from turning around and then separate the dog away from the situation when it’s finished. After the dog is not in a position to fight you over the poop, clean it up. And then, you could break the rule and give it a treat. The idea here (in the more extreme case) would be to give the dog an alternate sense of satisfaction to replace that felt by eating poop.

Last of all remember that like children every dog has its own personality and issues. Don’t be afraid to take these basics and improvise.