Why do dogs eat their feces-?

Answer 1

• When dogs eat their own feces it is a condition known as coprophagia. It actually is quite common with younger dogs. When a dog does this, it is usually due to a mineral deficiency. As gross as it sounds, it doesn't know any better. When your dog becomes socialized, it will learn that it is "improper." Also, it is important that while training a dog -- and throughout its life -- that you as the owner pick up his poop BEFORE he gets a chance to "eat" it. It is my experience that your pooch will grow out of this with good nutrition and also removing any feces from his path. Sometimes a dog will eat their own feces if in housebreaking your dog you rub their nose in the feces, which never should be done. the dog thinks that this is what is expected of them. dogs usually try to please their master.

• Because they are not getting enough nutrients in their food.

• The jury is still out on this one. The most popular belief is the one the other poster gave, but it's a limp answer to the reality of the question. At the beginning dogs were wild (until tamed by man) and they did all sorts of things to survive. I've heard that dogs often ate feces to cover up where that particular pack of dogs had been. There is no proven theory that either of these answers are correct.

• My dog used to do this and I just think that he is bored and maybe a bit hungry but he has grown out of it just a few months ago.

• Because they aren't getting good quality food with all the nutrients. After your dog eats his/her dinner give it a piece of pineapple which will make the poo taste really bad.

• When young dogs eat their own feces its probably because there are still some nutrients in the feces( I personally thinks its fine for them to recycle their own feces ). But if it's a full-grown dog eating its own feces might be a problem; they might either felt being ignore/boring or stressed. My dog used to play and drink water from toilet and eat its own feces when we left her alone in the house.
• It's unknown why dogs eat their own poop / feces - some people say boredom, others anxiety, and others poor nutrition. None of these can be proven - the best thing is to prevent this habit by cleaning up after then and not allowing them the opportunity to eat their poop. You can also attempt to train them by saying NO! or showing them it is not OK to do this when you catch them in the act. This usually works as well as teaching them not to counter surf.

  Some dogs eat other dogs' feces (an even worse idea) but in some instances is it normal. For example mothers of a litter eat their puppies feces to keep the den clean and to prevent parasites and bacteria from building up. This will stop once the puppies are old enough.

• Is the dog in question also eating his food REALLY fast? If so, that's your problem. He's eating his food so fast that he's "passing" it too fast for his body to get the nutrients out of it. So he eats his feces in an attempt to get that nutrition the "second time around." To stop this behavior (and you REALLY, REALLY want to -- think about it: he eats his poo and then probably licks your face, right? Gross!!) put a tennis ball (or two) in his food bowl. That will give him a harder time wolfing it down. Also, give him a bit of pineapple (it won't hurt him, I promise!) ... that will make his poo stink so much (to him -- you won't notice a thing) to him that he won't even consider eating it!! If he's NOT eating it too fast, then it's malnutrition or just plain anxiety or boredom. But it will still be a behavioral issue that needs to be dealt with. The best person to ask would be your family vet!

• I don't think that they will stop eating their own feces how much it stinks: the more it stinks more taste its poo will be. However, when young dogs eat their own feces its probably because there are still some nutrients in the feces( I personally thinks its fine for them to recycle their own feces ). But if it's a full-grown dog eating its own feces might be a problem; they might either felt being ignore/boring or stressed. My dog used to play and drink water from toilet and eat its own feces when we left her alone in the house.

• If your dog eats fast it goes through the digestive system faster which means more flavor so it tastes like food.

• It's not because of bad nutrition and it's caused because they are bored and are curious of what it tastes like.
• It could be a neurotic behaviour like if their bored, or there could be some vitamins or minerals that they are lacking in their diet. A normal dog should not be eating its feces, as it is not healthy for any animal (except for rabbits and some other rodents) to eat their feces.

Answer 2

Dogs simply have a strange habit of consuming their own feces. It is not done for hunger reasons but rather out of instinct and habit.

And also out of boredom. Pick up your dog's feces/poop twice a day. There are also food additives that you can put directly into the food that is suppose to make their feces distasteful to them. Check out the larger Pet Supply stores.

Answer 3

Coprophagia, also known as eating poop, is very common in dogs and the practice goes back thousands of years. Evolving dogs helped keep camp clean by eating all types of early man’s waste, including feces. This practice benefited both man and dog. It helped for more sanitary living conditions and provided extra calories and nutrition for the dog. Canines in the wild will both urinate and defecate to mark their territory. Animals competing for the same territory will often eat the existing poop and also mark in an attempt to claim as their own; this instinct is still strong in some domestic dogs today. It is normal for mother dogs to eat the poop of their litter to keep the nesting area clean and to mask their presence from predators. Puppies also eat poop as they discover the world around them. Most dogs out grow this but some do acquire a taste for it that lasts throughout adulthood. Dogs that do not have enough food are known to eat feces to combat starvation. Dogs will also eat dirt, rocks, trash, and anything else to ward off the hunger. Even after food is readily available, dogs that had to once scavenge can still be prone to old eating habits. For some rescue dogs, there is a strong connection with survival and eating poop, which can make it a challenging behavior to stop. It has been suggested that some dogs will eat their own poop to hide the evidence if they have broken the rules and defecated in the house. Because of this, it is strongly recommended to use only positive reinforcements while house training to prevent anxieties associated with pooping. Sudden coprophagia can indicate a health problem such as parasites, thyroid problems, or malabsorption conditions. Overall, most dogs that are poop eaters are healthy and do it simply because they like it.