Why does my dog eat poop?

In 2018 a team at UC Davis led by veterinary behaviorist Benjamin Hart surveyed more than 1,500 dog owners. Sixteen percent of dogs were frequent stool eaters, defined as seen doing it at least six times, and the behavior was overwhelmingly aimed at fresh stools no more than two days old. Stool eaters were more often described as greedy eaters, more likely to live with other dogs, and just as easy to house train as dogs that never touched the stuff.

What the study did not find is just as useful. There was no evidence linking the habit to diet or to the dog's age. Commercial deterrent products, as owners reported using them, had a success rate close to zero, and so did behavior modification as owners had tried it. The authors suggest the taste for fresh stools may be inherited from wild ancestors, which could clear droppings from the den before any parasite eggs in them became infective. That remains a hypothesis.

VCA's article by veterinary behaviorists Debra Horwitz and Gary Landsberg says most cases appear purely behavioral, but that a range of medical problems can cause or contribute to the habit. They point to anything that reduces the absorption of nutrients, and to conditions that increase appetite, including diabetes, Cushing's disease and thyroid disease, as well as some medicines. Poorly balanced diets and severe calorie restriction can also play a part, so mention any recent change in food.

The minimum workup, VCA says, is a stool test for parasites, with further tests if the stool is very soft or poorly digested. The AKC sets out the same order: if an adult dog starts eating poop, see a vet to rule out medical causes, and ask for a referral to a behavior professional if it continues. Bring a note of when it started, how often it happens, whose stools your dog eats and any change in appetite, weight or stool.

A dog that has practiced poop eating for years needs more than a leave it taught in the kitchen. Gabriella Pope, who leads Dogtown's training as Director of Training and Canine Behaviorist, works force-free and starts from why your dog does what it does; private training starts from $94 per session. The aim is a dog that turns away from a pile and back toward you, on the Gloucester trails and in your own yard, because coming back pays better than the pile.

Some households lean on Dogtown during the week as well. Daycare dogs play in matched groups of 7 to 10, and you can mention at the free weekday evaluation, held between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, that your dog eats stool so the team knows. Our walkers take dogs out one at a time, which suits a dog that needs the leash and a close eye on the path; ask us whether we cover your address.