Sometimes, dogs carry out behaviors that humans do not understand or find unpleasant. But, as a general rule, all of them have an explanation. If your dog eats his feces or those of other animals, either cohabiting or because it is found in nature, you must carefully analyze the possible causes in order to remedy it. This problem is known as coprophagia and it is more common than you think.
In addition to being unhygienic behavior, it can hide an underlying illness or give you one by picking up an internal parasite from another animal's infected feces. So, let's look at some of the most common reasons why a dog ingests poop and some tips to break this bad habit.
To begin with, you need to pay attention to the age of the dog. It is common for puppies to eat feces, as they are investigating the world and everything around them. If this is the case with your pet, you should teach him that he should not eat the poop with a firm 'no' and reward him whenever he obeys you. In this sense, it is also important that you pick them up or clean them as soon as possible, so as not to give them room to snack on their own waste.
In the case of adult dogs, there are many possible reasons why they ingest feces. One of them especially frequent is that the animal suffers from an incorrect absorption of nutrients due to a digestive disease, or that it is receiving poor quality food and cannot digest it correctly. The dog ingests the poop trying to obtain enzymes from it to improve the synthesis of nutrients. Go to the vet with your dog so that they can check his health and the quality of his diet, as it may be necessary to offer him a specific diet, or give him a supplement such as a probiotic.
On the other hand, it may be a behavioral problem that has nothing to do with his physiological health. And behind these behavior problems there is also a reason that we must clarify. For example, if when your dog relieves himself where he shouldn't, you scold him, next time he will eat the poop so you don't scold him. Instead, just tell him no when he does it in the wrong place and reward him whenever he does it in the wrong place.
It can also happen that the animal eats its feces in response to boredom, loneliness, stress or lack of stimulation. Make sure that you stimulate your dog both physically and cognitively with walks, games, cuddle times and that he doesn't spend too much time alone.
Or perhaps you are experiencing stress from a change in your life, such as a move or the arrival of a new member of the family. For this circumstance, it can be of great help to have the services of an ethologist or canine educator who will teach you how to redirect the situation and ensure the maximum well-being of the dog.
