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How To Stop Puppy from Eating Poop – Home Remedies

Golden retriever puppy sitting in grass outdoors

There are many reasons why you see your dog eating dog poop; it may not be for the reason he likes it. There are many legitimate reasons why your dog will eat dog poop. This is not a good habit for your pet to get into.

If you see your dog eating his own or another dog’s poop, he or she may be sending you a message. Once you understand the message, you can take the right steps to cure them of this habit.

One method is to spray the dog poop with vinegar. That odor should discourage your dog from eating the poop.

How to Stop Your Puppy from Digging? Click here to find out.

Why Dogs Eat Dog Poop

There are many good reasons why your dog develops this habit. Here is a list of them to help you find the proper remedy to keep your dog away from such a foul-smelling desert.

They Have Separation Anxiety

This is a real problem with many individual dogs. They hate being away from their family, so they develop this habit to get you to stay closer to them.

Boredom Or No Exercise

To alleviate their boredom dogs will find other things to do. One of those things is to eat poop.

He Or She Wants Attention

When your dog sees your reaction, it will continue to eat poop because it liked the attention it got when it did it the first time.

A Lack of Food or Nutrients

Dogs will eat poop when they get hungry, or they are not getting enough nutrients in their diet.

They Like It or They Are Going Through a Phase

You may have a weird dog that likes to eat poop. If this is the case, you will have a hard time breaking them of this habit. If it is just a phase, they will stop soon enough on their own.

Parasites Or Diseases

There are medical reasons why your dog may eat poop. Sometimes it is a worm inside and other times they are very sick and not getting enough nutrients.

How to Stop a Puppy from Chewing on Everything? Click here to learn more.

Home Remedies to Help Your Dog Stop Eating Poop

Jack Russell Terrier puppy running in grass

There are not as many preventive steps as there are reasons for eating poop. But here are some of the best ones to use:

Food Supplements

This should be done under a vet’s instructions. The ones with papain are the best as that nutrient helps their digestion. Check with your vet before you administer any supplement.

Change The Taste of Their Poop

You do this by feeding your dog taste aversion products. It is similar to human options and should change how their poop tastes. The foul taste should turn your dog off from eating its poop.

Add Fiber to Their Diet

Dogs seem to like solid poop to eat. Adding a little fiber may be the cure as the poop that comes out is not so solid or attractive. It is worth the shot at breaking your dog of this habit.

Change Their Dietary Menu

In other words, find a more nutritious food that their stomachs can digest easily. The more nutrients your dog gets the less likely it will eat poop.

Spray The Dog Poop with Vinegar

This product does not smell that good to dogs and can act as a great poop-eating repellent. To do this though, you need to walk around with a spray bottle filled with vinegar and spray all the poop in the area where your dog walks including its own.

How to Induce Vomiting in a Puppy? Click here to find out.

Does Poop-Eating Make My Dog Sick?

Yellow Lab puppy chewing a stick laying in grass

That may be one of the first questions that come across people’s minds when they see and hear about this behavior. The good news is that their poop-eating habit does not make them sick or harm them in any way.

However, your dog may vomit the poop back up in your home which is not a great site to see. What you have to watch out for is when your dog eats another dog’s poop.

The second dog may have worms and once your pet eats their poop, they will get worms as well. It is best to make sure your dog does not eat any poop.

Some Final Words

Black and white collie sitting outdoors

Dogs eating their own and other dog’s poop is normal. It may be gross to see and think about, but it is, in most cases, very normal. Your dog is sending you a message about its life and how they are treated.

Make sure to add some pineapple to their food or sprinkle chili powder on their poop to help break them of this habit.

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