Why Dogs Eat Poop And How To Stop It?

What's the grossest thing you've ever seen a dog do? Dog eating his own poop. It turns out that eating "poop" is actually very common among dogs. The reasons for this are not fully understood, but it may be due to an instinctual behavior to eat anything they find while scavenging for food. Nonetheless, this habit can lead to health concerns and should be discouraged by owners at all costs. Read on to why your dog eats his poop and how to stop him from doing this.

Why My Dog Eat His Own Poop?

Some people think that there are a few reasons why your pup might eat their own stools. It's possible they do it out of instinct, illness, hunger, or stress. Here we will discuss them in detail

Food Obsession Or Hunger

A starving dog might be desperate enough to eat anything, including his own poop. Dogs that are well-nourished but still hungry all the time will start eating their waste. Unfortunately, many dogs are utterly obsessed with food, and they will eat anything they come across or taste good.

Instinct

Mother dogs have an instinct to lick their pup clean, and during the process, she often ingests their feces. This behavior is quite normal in mother dogs, but many puppies start eating feces after seeing their mother and continue to eat it until adulthood.

Fear or stress

Dogs sometimes eat their stool when they are feeling scared or stressed. This could be a way for dogs to soothe themselves because it feels better than anything else in the world. Dogs often eat feces due to the fear of punishment.

Illness

If your dog is suffering from a disease named pica, he will start eating anything, including his own feces. If your dog is doing this, it's best to consult the vet.

How To Stop My Dog From Eating Feces?

First of all, you have to find any disease-causing this issue in your dog. Once that disease is ruled out, the next thing is to treat the behavioral problems. Most dogs consider stool eating as self-rewarding behavior, so it will be challenging to treat this issue.

To keep your yard free of animal waste, pick up the dog's stool as soon as they poop. Be on high alert if you know that their favorite pastime is eating their excrement and cleaning the area immediately. If your dog is defecating and his attention goes to the feces, immediately redirect it back onto you. This will prevent any accidents from happening in front of you if they divert their attention toward you and don't eat their feces, then reward them with a treat. It will be easier to stop your dog if he knows the "leave it" command.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a way to stop your dog from eating its own feces, several different ways may work. Some of the most successful methods are described above. These tips should help you get started on finding solutions for this problem! If you still find it challenging to treat this problem,, consult your vet.