Why do dogs and puppies eat poop?
About four years ago I caught my then 3 month old puppy, Frodo, eating cat poop. He surprised me: how could he find the poop of another animal so appetizing? There are many reasons dogs eat poop, but it may just be a novelty. Puppies, in particular, are naturally curious and not above experimenting with their own diet by eating all sorts of things like dirt, grass, and poop.
Is eating poop harmful to my dog or puppy?
The health risks associated with your dog eating poop are minimal as long as you keep your dog’s vaccination and deworming schedule up to date. This is because the poop of other dogs and animals can contain worms (or their larvae), so regular deworming ensures your dog is protected from infection.
A dog should eat in moderation
If your dog gorges, or overeats, poops or eats, see your vet. As with humans, eating in moderation is healthy; however, a dog that overeats is behaving unhealthily and should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Poop eating, also known as coprophagia, can become a habit unless the dog is consistently discouraged from doing so. There are many dietary and training strategies that can be used to prevent a dog from eating poop; if you approach this behavior from many angles at once, then you can solve this problem forever.
A good start is to clean the yard of poop as often as possible; when you make sure your dog doesn’t look at you, dogs can ‘copy’ their owners and when your dog sees you cleaning up poop, he can do the same, with his mouth!