Why Dogs Eat Poop & How to Stop It

1. Nutrient Deficiencies

Why It Happens: One of the most common reasons for poop-eating is a lack of essential nutrients. Dogs may eat poop to make up for what they lack. This is common if their diet is low quality or missing certain vitamins. Deficiencies in B vitamins, digestive enzymes, or protein can all prompt this behavior.
Interesting Fact: Some experts believe dogs can “sense” undigested nutrients in poop. This may lead them to eat it to absorb those nutrients.
How to Address It: Ensure your dog is on a high-quality, balanced diet. If you suspect a deficiency, talk to your vet. Ask about adding a digestive enzyme or vitamin supplement to improve nutrient absorption.

Pro Tip: Digestive enzyme supplements can help dogs absorb nutrients.

This may reduce their urge to seek other sources of missing vitamins.

Real-Life Example: A Labrador named Max had a persistent habit of eating poop.

His vet recommended a high-quality diet and a digestive enzyme.

After a few weeks, Max’s poop-eating behavior decreased significantly.

Extra Diet Tip: Probiotics and B-complex vitamins can improve digestion.

They may also prevent nutrient deficiencies that cause coprophagia.

You might also like: 13 Worst Dog Treats In 2025 (Avoid #7 At All Times)

2. Imitating Mother Dogs’ Behavior

Why It Happens: Puppies often copy their mother’s behaviors, including poop-eating. Mother dogs instinctively eat their puppies’ waste to keep the nest clean. The puppies may copy this behavior out of instinct or imitation.
Fun Fact: Puppies learn by mimicking others. So, if they see a dog eating poop, they’re likely to try it too.
How to Address It: Supervise your puppy during bathroom breaks and house-training. This will help them focus on other behaviors. As they grow, this habit often fades. But patience and redirection can speed it up.

Training Tip: During bathroom breaks, give your puppy toys and treats.

This keeps them engaged and prevents them from focusing on poop.

Training “Dos and Don’ts”:

Do reward them when they ignore poop;

Don’t punish them, as it could confuse the puppy.

Timeline Tip: Be patient. This behavior usually fades as the puppy matures.

So, stay consistent with praise and training.

3. Seeking Attention

Why It Happens: Dogs are social. Their need for attention can cause bad behavior. If scolding your dog for eating poop gets them attention, they might keep doing it to interact with you, even if it’s negative.
Interesting Fact: For some dogs, scolding is a form of engagement. It can reinforce the behavior.
How to Address It: Try to ignore the behavior when it happens, as difficult as it may be. Reward your dog for ignoring and leaving poop alone.

Pro Tip: Schedule daily play sessions. This gives your dog attention in a healthy, structured way.

It reduces the chances they’ll eat poop.

Example: A dog named Bella would eat poop to get her owner’s attention.

Her owner ignored the bad behavior.

She praised Bella for avoiding it.

This reduced the attention-seeking habit over time.

Today’s Featured Article: 101 Ways To Calm Down An Overly Excited Dog (#77 Works Instantly)

4. Anxiety or Stress

Why It Happens: Stress and anxiety can cause dogs to act oddly. This includes eating poop. Dogs left alone too long, or those with separation anxiety, may eat poop to cope.
Interesting Fact: Studies show that dogs with separation anxiety are more likely to eat poop. A lack of mental stimulation can also cause this.
How to Address It: If your dog has anxiety, create a calming routine. Use puzzle toys. Ensure they don’t feel isolated. For severe anxiety, consulting a vet or behaviorist may help.

Pro Tip: For anxious dogs, calming routines can help.

Gentle brushing and mentally stimulating toys can reduce stress.

They can prevent unwanted behaviors.

Tip: Use puzzle toys and games.

They keep your dog busy and reduce stress.

5. Exploring Their Environment

Why It Happens: Dogs are curious. Their strong sense of smell and taste helps them explore the world. For some dogs, poop might seem like just another interesting “object” to taste and examine.
Fun Fact: Dogs inherit a “scavenger instinct” from their wild ancestors. They eat a variety of things to survive. This can drive them to investigate poop out of pure curiosity.
How to Address It: Use redirection. Encourage them to use toys, chews, or treats instead of poop. Leashing your dog during bathroom breaks can stop them from eating poop out of curiosity.

Training Tip: During walks or bathroom breaks, bring a favorite toy or treat.

This will redirect their interest and reinforce good behavior.

Extra Exercise Tip: Try scent-based games, like hide-and-seek with treats.

They meet curiosity in a fun way.

6. Underlying Health Conditions

Why It Happens: Some health issues can make dogs more interested in eating poop. These include malabsorption disorders, thyroid problems, and parasites. They can increase hunger or change digestion.
Interesting Fact: Dogs with nutrient absorption issues may resort to coprophagia. Their bodies try to “make up” for missing nutrients.
How to Address It: If poop-eating continues despite diet changes, see your vet. There may be health issues causing the behavior.

Pro Tip: Routine vet check-ups can catch health issues early.

They help prevent behaviors, like poop-eating, that may develop from nutrient deficiencies.

Vet Tip: If you suspect a health issue, log your dog’s eating and behavior.

Share it with your vet for a better diagnosis.

Reading tip: 17 Worst Dog Food Brands In 2025 (Avoid #3 At All Times)

7. Inadequate Exercise or Mental Stimulation

Why It Happens: Dogs with unspent energy or boredom may resort to eating poop simply for something to do. Both mental and physical exercise reduce unwanted behaviors, especially in high-energy dogs.
Interesting Fact: Studies show that regular exercise reduces dogs’ misbehavior.
How to Address It: Give your dog daily exercise. Walk, play, and use puzzle toys. Regular activity reduces stress and boredom, both of which can drive coprophagia.

Exercise Tip: A daily 30-60 minute workout can help.

It, along with mental challenges, can reduce unwanted behaviors.

Enrichment Idea: Scent games, agility courses, and treat toys keep dogs busy.

They reduce boredom-driven habits.

8. Learned Behavior from Other Dogs

Why It Happens: In homes with many dogs, they sometimes mimic each other. This can include eating poop. If one dog is already prone to coprophagia, others might pick up on it.
Fun Fact: Dogs are observant. They often imitate others, especially if they see a behavior repeated often.
How to Address It: Supervise group potty breaks. Use “leave it” to redirect dogs that show interest in poop.

Training Tip: Train each dog alone to follow commands like “leave it.”

It will help when they are together.

Reward all dogs for positive behavior to reinforce the habit.

Multi-Dog Household Tip: Separate feeding and bathroom times.

This can help prevent copied and reinforced behaviors.

9. Habitual Behavior or Lack of Training

Why It Happens: If a dog hasn’t been consistently trained to avoid poop, they might develop a habit of eating it. Once established, this behavior can be hard to break. It’s especially true if the dog doesn’t know it’s unwanted.
Interesting Fact: Early, consistent training cuts the chances of unwanted behaviors, like poop-eating.
How to Address It: Reinforce commands like “leave it” and “come” to redirect your dog away from poop. Consistency and positive reinforcement help break the habit.

Training Tip: Reward your dog with treats or praise when they leave poop alone.

This reinforces the positive choice and gradually replaces the habit.

Timeline Tip: Breaking a habit takes a few weeks.

So, be patient and reward small wins along the way.

Editors Pick: 7 Scents To Deter Your Dog From Peeing

How to Prevent Poop Eating: Additional Training Tips

Use Commands: Teach your dog commands like “leave it.” Reinforce them during bathroom breaks and walks.
Keep the Yard Clean: Clean up any poop from the yard. This reduces temptation and keeps a safe, clean space for your dog. A tidy yard also helps prevent the spread of parasites and bacteria.
Provide Distractions: Bring toys or treats on walks to keep your dog focused and prevent them from interacting with poop. Consistently offering a preferred alternative helps reinforce positive behavior.
Use Taste Deterrents: Some pet-safe taste deterrents can be added to your dog’s food. They make their stool less appealing and may reduce their desire to eat it. You can also try safe DIY options, like adding a small amount of pineapple or pumpkin to their meals.
Reinforce Positive Behavior: Praise your dog whenever they leave poop alone. Rewarding this behavior helps your dog understand what you want. It also reinforces the habit of ignoring poop.

DIY Taste Deterrent Tip: Pineapple can make stools taste bad to some dogs.

It has enzymes that alter the taste.

Just be sure to introduce it gradually to ensure it agrees with your dog’s digestive system.

Long-Term Health Implications of Poop-Eating

Eating poop isn’t just a behavioral issue—it can also impact your dog’s health.

Coprophagia exposes dogs to harmful bacteria, parasites, and toxins in feces.

This increases their risk of health problems.

Health Risks: Feces can contain harmful bacteria and parasites. They include E. coli, salmonella, hookworms, and roundworms. Eating feces may cause digestive issues or serious infections in your dog.
Why Prevention Matters: Stopping coprophagia is not just about curbing a habit. It’s a way to protect your dog’s health. It can prevent infections from harmful pathogens in the feces.

Health Note: Regular deworming and fecal checks by a vet are essential.

This is especially true for dogs with a history of eating poop.

They must be parasite-free.

Recommended Read: 13 Toxic Foods for Dogs (Avoid #9 Like The Plague!)

When to Seek Professional Help

Sometimes, coprophagia persists despite consistent training, dietary improvements, and increased mental stimulation.

If your dog continues this behavior, it might be time to seek help from a vet or a professional trainer.

Veterinary Consultation: A vet can check your dog for health issues. These may cause behaviors such as digestive disorders, nutrient deficiencies, or metabolic issues.
Behavioral Consultation: For behavioral issues, a pro trainer or animal behaviorist can help. They can provide custom strategies to break the habit. They may suggest specific training or environmental changes for your dog.

Professional Tip: If coprophagia is due to stress or anxiety, a behaviorist can help.

They can create a plan to address the root causes.

Conclusion

Coprophagia, or poop-eating, has many causes.

They include nutrient deficiencies, curiosity, and attention-seeking.

Knowing why your dog might eat poop can help.

You can then use diet, training, exercise, and, if needed, vet support to fix it.

With patience and positive reinforcement, you can help your dog.

It will overcome this habit and live a happier, healthier life.

If the behavior persists, consult a vet or a trainer for help.

They can tailor support to your dog’s needs.

⚠️ Quiz: The #1 Dog Food To AVOID (causes weight gain, saps energy & harms your dog’s gut)

A: Chicken
B: Beef
C: Pork
D: Fish
E: Vegetables

Make your selection above or click here to skip straight to the answer.

==> Click Here To Discover #1 Dog Food To Avoid