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| You kiss your mama with that? |
My sweet girl Molly came running gleefully in from the
backyard one day with a shiny wet turd gripped between her teeth. I like to think she mistook the thing for a
Tootsie Roll, but sadly it was just my first exposure to my beloved dog’s new
favorite snack food, any and all poop.
Needless to say her toothbrush has been moved to its own container in
the medicine cabinet.
Why?!
Fifi is just naturally gross.
The mother dog is hardwired to keep the den clean,
historically speaking, so this behavior may be a remnant of those old habits
that improved the odds of survival. A
clean den meant predators didn't have a strong scent to follow. She may wear a pink sweater and tiny little
booties in winter, but she’s still a descendant of the gray wolf.
“I learned it from watching you!” Unlike human children,
your dog sees you cleaning up and wants to pitch in. He may not have thumbs, but his piehole will
do just fine to help out around the house.
Your dog may have seen another dog eating poo and thought,
yeah, that looks cool.
Puppies try to jam everything in their mouths. If your puppy is doing it, she will likely
find it not-so-yummy and kick the habit.
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| How's my breath?? |
Could be an homage to dominance. If you have more than one dog, the submissive
one may eat the dominant dog’s feces.
This is the canine version of corporate brown-nosing, which is just as
gross but does not cause bad breath.
Sick dogs’ poo is an evolutionary red flag and must be
eaten. This reaches back to the days
when predators picked off the weaker members of the pack and is a protective
measure. Yet another example of dogs
being INCREDIBLY selfless. You rarely
see people do this.
And finally, sadly, a neglected dog may do this simply for
the attention. My own dog is not
neglected but I could see by the glint in her eye and the boundless joy in her
movements (so to speak) that she truly relished being chased maniacally around
the house with a single poo log dangling from her mouth. Imagine the attention a bored or lonely pup
could get from flaunting his enjoyment of this reviled, recycled delicacy.
Head to the vet.
Just to rule out health problems, if your pup is dining on
poo, take him to the vet to make sure he is not lacking nutrients in his
diet. A vitamin B deficiency can cause
feces consumption.
Dogs who are overfed may not be absorbing nutrients from
their food and go back for “seconds” in this manner.
Modern canine diets heavy on plant and carbohydrate proteins
may be tougher for the dog to digest.
Poo may hold the enzymes needed to help digest this stuff.
Poo eating can also be an indicator that the dog has
parasites or even pancreatic problems.
Some Solutions You Can Try
A high protein kibble (well balanced diet).
Succinct discouraging commands if he is caught in the act
(the reason he has that poo-eating grin).
Fixed feeding schedule and leash walking to control outcomes
(and prevent incomes).
Keep your dog entertained with exercise and play. Boredom breeds naughty behavior.
Keep your yard scooped of any potential snacks (by that I
mean doodie).
Train your dog with the Leave It command.
Consult with your vet about remedies you can purchase to add
to food or even spray on dog feces to make it taste bad...something to put on poo so it tastes bad. Are you guys reading this? This blog is gross.
Shiba Shake – Dog Tips, Care & Training http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-stop-dog-eating-poop
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