# Poo Muncher



## Yorkie Mom

So we just got a new puppy. She is our third and has been fairly easy to train. She caught on to potty training and manners quickly... But she eats poop. My dogs have never done this before, and I don't know what to do. I know that dogs eat poo for a number of reasons. Poor diet, bad breeder, mother dog did it.. My dogs are fed a high quality food, the vet said there is nothing better that I could feed them, so that's out. The breeder had been doing this for 20 years and I observed all of the pups before making my choice, and have no doubt she is an excellent breeder... So she learned it from her mother... But how do I break this habit? She is about 5 months old now, so I have 5 months of habit to break. I have been watching her closely, and I have been cleaning up relentlessly (we use puppy pads because we both work) nothing I do seems to deter her nasty habit... Any advice? I'm going crazy here!


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## chowder

Do you feed her at exactly the same times each day so that she eliminates at the same time each day? My puppy turns 5 months old this week and he eats at the exact same time in the morning and evening so he stays pretty regular . At 5 months she should be able to hold it during the day and eliminate as soon as you return home from work. Then you can pick it up immediately. Puppy pads unfortunately teach them that it is okay to go indoors and then she see's her piles and goes ahead and eats them. I would start removing the puppy pads and try teaching her that it is not okay to eliminate in the house at all. If she is not in the same room with her droppings, she will not be able to eat them. Even my smallest Lhasa's have been able to hold it all day long while I worked and it would make it a lot easier for you to just pick it up immediately when she goes outside when you get home. That is where making sure she is very regular with the feeding would come in handy. You would know exactly when she should have to go. There are some additives you can buy and put in their food that is suppose to make them not eat their poo anymore but I have not personally tried any of them. They are available at pet stores.


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## RawFedDogs

Yorkie Mom said:


> I know that dogs eat poo for a number of reasons. Poor diet, bad breeder, mother dog did it.


These are all myths. Dogs eat poop because they smell nutrients in it. You MIGHT say poor diet because all kibble contains a lot of plant matter and the stools usually contain that plant matter. When I switched my dogs to a raw diet, they stopped eating their own but will still eat kibble fed dogs poop. They will also eat deer poop, rabbit poop and other unknown kinds found around our property.



> I have been watching her closely, and I have been cleaning up relentlessly (we use puppy pads because we both work) nothing I do seems to deter her nasty habit... Any advice? I'm going crazy here!


Chowder is absolutely correct about the puppy pads. Time to get rid of those.


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## BoxerMommie

All of your possibilities are myths. No she didn't learn it from the mother. My dog did it as well, it simply took watching him everytime he went outside, giving him a no command and leave it and after 4-6 weeks he stopped doing it. Yes that meant I had to watch him every single time he was outside which was a pain in the tush but it eliminated the problem. Persistence on watching and letting them know it isn't okay with you and it should resolve. 

Also I'd ditch the puppy pads, no reason a 5 month old can't hold it while you're at work.


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## Yorkie Mom

The only thing is I have three yorkies, and my husband works 12 to 16 hour days and I work 10 to 12 hour days... plus a commute. I talked to my vet and he said leaving pads out while we were away was a good idea, just to avoid ruining the flooring (we rent because my husband is in the army and we move a lot). He said it wouldn't confuse them if I took them out while I was home. I put them in front of the back door while we are at work, like he told me too, so they would know that outside was the potty place. Anyway, she only eats poo if it was an accident. Never off the pad. Is she trying to hide her accident and will it stop after she learns better control? I think at this point, removing the pads would only exasserbate her problem. Looks like I will be talking to my vet again on the issue. Thanks.


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## BoxerMommie

Have you tried crate training? I would speak with a behaviorist over your vet for something like that to be honest. And yes it could be an issue that she doesn't want to get in trouble. In the wild dogs eat the feces of their young to keep predators away, do you punish when they have accidents? Scream, yell, etc? If so that could be a contributor. Have you thought about a doggie door? One that you wouldn't have to cut through any walls since you rent?

There is stuff you can buy to sprinkle on their food that is supposed to make the feces unappealing taste wise. I've never used it so cannot tell you if it works or not and you would have to give it to all of them.


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## Yorkie Mom

We have tried crate training, and I'm afraid they would hurt themselves if we left them in the crate all day. They go crazy and jump and screech and bark and cry, and I don't think they are that bad out during the day... minus this poo issue. We don't scream and yell at our dogs. We firmly tell them no. Screaming and yelling and swatting them isn't the right way to train a dog. Our back door isn't a sliding glass door, so those doggie doors won't work. We are going to try that spray that goes in the water to make the feces less appealing. Hopefully after awhile she will just stop.


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## BoxerMommie

Just make sure you aren't telling them no after the fact. You can only punish a dog for pottying in the house when you physically catch them in the act otherwise they simply don't understand. 

However I still agree with the others that training them to not potty in the house at all would be the ideal solution. My dog had no problem not going for 10-12 hours at 6 months old, so that may be something you guys can work towards over the next 2-3 months.


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## Yorkie Mom

We are supposed to moving on post, which would put us in a house. We are going to start working on going outside only. We have been meaning to, but with our schedules it was just easier with the pads. I know we really need to get on it. Hopefully by Xmas they will be housebroken! Thanks for the advice.


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## domari

Yorkie Mom said:


> We have tried crate training, and I'm afraid they would hurt themselves if we left them in the crate all day. They go crazy and jump and screech and bark and cry, and I don't think they are that bad out during the day... minus this poo issue. We don't scream and yell at our dogs. We firmly tell them no. Screaming and yelling and swatting them isn't the right way to train a dog. Our back door isn't a sliding glass door, so those doggie doors won't work. We are going to try that spray that goes in the water to make the feces less appealing. Hopefully after awhile she will just stop.


Why don't they like their crates?


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## rannmiller

I know that dogs who arent used to crates often freak out the first few times of being in their because they're so used to having all that room to roam and now they're locked up and it's something new and different, etc. However it is my experience that they all get over it and grow to love their crates within the first week of being there. Especially if when they go in the crate there's a fun toy or bone to keep them occupied. 

My roommate claimed her dog hated his crate and would scream bloody murder if left in it, yet he was eating her room when she locked him up in there, so I took out an old crate of mine and every time I put him in I threw in a bone and said "kennel up" as he went in. He's never screamed or freaked out once, and now happily goes in there whenever I tell him "kennel up" and I toss a bone in after him. 

Moral of the story: there's always an adjustment period. But I completely understand that long hours makes it very difficult to crate train, especially young puppies who need to eliminate more often, so hopefully when you or your husband have less hours/access to a yard for the dogs, you can work on really housebreaking them. 

Also, I agree with BoxerMommie about speaking with a behaviorist as opposed to a vet on this one, they're the ones with the real expertise in this area. It's sort of like talking to your general physician about psychology. Sure they might know some basics, but you'd want to see a psychologist for anything beyond that.


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## Yorkie Mom

I'm really not sure why they didn't like it. But that go crazy in there. I have tried individual crates, and they freak out. I recently spent $180 on a tall cage that was big enough for all three of them, they don't like that either. They flip over the water and food and tear up everything in reach. So I leave them out now. At first, we had trouble with them tearing at the carpet, and the walls. I bought this spray that has a bitter taste and sprayed it on all the spots they liked to chew. Took about a week, but they don't do that anymore! Yay! So with them doing well without being crated/caged I don't see any reason to put them in one. It just stresses them out.


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## Luvmypups

Add pinapple chunks to the kibble it tastes horrable coming out but wonderful going in. Like others have said I would crate train.

Elaine


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## BoxerMommie

Yorkie Mom said:


> I'm really not sure why they didn't like it. But that go crazy in there. I have tried individual crates, and they freak out. I recently spent $180 on a tall cage that was big enough for all three of them, they don't like that either. They flip over the water and food and tear up everything in reach. So I leave them out now. At first, we had trouble with them tearing at the carpet, and the walls. I bought this spray that has a bitter taste and sprayed it on all the spots they liked to chew. Took about a week, but they don't do that anymore! Yay! So with them doing well without being crated/caged I don't see any reason to put them in one. It just stresses them out.


I think the OP on the crating is that it stresses them out initially however once they get used to it it actually helps to lower their stress. Also if you have trouble with them tipping over water you can get a rabbit waterer and put that on the outisde of the cage with the metal spicket inside in which case they can't knock it over and I wouldn't leave food in there all day that will only contribute to wanting to defecate whenever they want.


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## BabyHusky

Not too many dogs are happy the minute they get crated. But give them time and they'll learn to love it. My dogs see it as their safe place...whenever they want their own time, they walk into their crate.

BUT...dont get me wrong, the first 2 weeks my sibe pup was howling, banging on the crate, barking, whining and grabbing anything in site and pulling it into the crate. I just had to keep everything away, rabbit water bottle, and apologize to all my neighbors haha. It just takes time...giving them their way is probably not a good idea. But I understand why you would...


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## Yorkie Mom

You all have really good points, but they aren't doing anything wrong when left out of a crate. I find that if we leave out their favorite toys and a bone for each one, they do just fine. 
I have been off from work for the last few days, and have been working with Chloe on the feces eating habit. Since I started this thread, she has not eaten any. I didn't use that stuff you put in their food, I just watched her and told her no when she did try to eat some. We have also been working on going outside. Since I have been home, we haven't had any accidents. But again, I have been here to monitor them. When I go back to work I'm sure there will be a few problems, but each day I wait a little longer before I take them out. So I think the issue is resolved. Again, thanks for all the advice.


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## BoxerMommie

Yorkie Mom said:


> You all have really good points, but they aren't doing anything wrong when left out of a crate. I find that if we leave out their favorite toys and a bone for each one, they do just fine.
> I have been off from work for the last few days, and have been working with Chloe on the feces eating habit. Since I started this thread, she has not eaten any. I didn't use that stuff you put in their food, I just watched her and told her no when she did try to eat some. We have also been working on going outside. Since I have been home, we haven't had any accidents. But again, I have been here to monitor them. When I go back to work I'm sure there will be a few problems, but each day I wait a little longer before I take them out. So I think the issue is resolved. Again, thanks for all the advice.



Just be ready for it to come back again when you go back to work. It typically takes longer than just a few days to stop a habit like that. First they learn just not to do it when you're around, it takes time for them to not do it at all. Like the old saying "when the cat's away the mice will play" typically applies to stuff like that especially. And especially at such a young age.


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## Yorkie Mom

I'm sure we will have some hurdles coming our way when I go back to work. I think I'm doing to look into the pineapple trick. Hopefully that will help deter her for going back to her habit while I am at work.


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## BoxerMommie

Also have you thought about having someone come by once or twice while you guys are gone to let them out to go to the bathroom to help eliminate the pads? I typically only charge between $5 and $10 (depending on how far I have to drive) to spend 5-10 minutes to let someone's pet out while they're at work. Or if you have a teenager or elderly neighbor or stay at home mom on your street they may be willing to do it for free. Just an idea.


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## Yorkie Mom

I hadn't thought about that. I have removed the pads completely already. And we don't really know anyone here besides the people we work with. And being such a big city, I don't feel comfortable giving a stranger a key to our home. Back home, this would have been ideal, and it's a great idea. I just don't want something to happen. I hear stories all the time of people who's pets have been stolen. Especially the little dogs, probably because they are easier to control (physically) than big dogs. But thanks.


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## BoxerMommie

Yorkie Mom said:


> I hadn't thought about that. I have removed the pads completely already. And we don't really know anyone here besides the people we work with. And being such a big city, I don't feel comfortable giving a stranger a key to our home. Back home, this would have been ideal, and it's a great idea. I just don't want something to happen. I hear stories all the time of people who's pets have been stolen. Especially the little dogs, probably because they are easier to control (physically) than big dogs. But thanks.


You get a licensed pet sitter who is bonded and insured who has many references. It isn't just a fly by night thing it's a business. Heck I have a good 10 references, some people want to call them some don't, but it's an option for people. Or a teenager that you could hire to come by after school like you would a babysitter for kids. I live in a big city too, but I also have a cleaning lady that comes in and in over a year she's been great, she's also bonded and insured.


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## Yorkie Mom

Wow, I have never heard of that. I will look into it. I think that would help a lot, at least while we work on training them. Thanks, I didn't realize it was a business! That's amazing.


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## BoxerMommie

Yorkie Mom said:


> Wow, I have never heard of that. I will look into it. I think that would help a lot, at least while we work on training them. Thanks, I didn't realize it was a business! That's amazing.



Yes I do it, I mean it isn't going to pay the bills it's more so extra money because it's hot and cold but yes I own my own business doing it. Personally dogs can stay in my home or I go to other people's home. I typically charge per visit, and I stay 40 minutes and check home security and whatnot in addition to taking care of the animal(s) in the home however if someone just wants me to let fido out while they're at work and not stay the 40 minute visit and what not I typically charge $5-$10 depending on how far it is from me (basically to cover my gas). Many are licensed, bonded, insured, there's a pet sitting database, it's not much different than a kennel business it's just that they go to your home instead. Many will stay overnight or live in your home while you are on vacation, etc. Ask around to people that have pets, sometimes the vet's office will have techs that pet sit as well that may be able to help you out.


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## Yorkie Mom

Fabulous, thank you so much!


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## BoxerMommie

Yorkie Mom said:


> Fabulous, thank you so much!



Yep, good luck!


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## claybuster

Yorkie Mom said:


> My dogs are fed a high quality food, the vet said there is nothing better that I could feed them, so that's out.


From what I understand, Vets receive very little training in nutrition and have very poor knowledge in regards to foods. The trend now is to hire a nutritionist to work with them in the office. The nutritionist aren't much better unfortunately and the products and ingredients promoted often follow the path back to where the grant money comes from. Just look at the foods most vets promote and sell in the office. I wouldn't consider that stuff quality food and wouldn't trust my vets judgment in those regards.

Charlie


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## ChattyCathy

BoxerMommie said:


> Also have you thought about having someone come by once or twice while you guys are gone to let them out to go to the bathroom to help eliminate the pads? I typically only charge between $5 and $10 (depending on how far I have to drive) to spend 5-10 minutes to let someone's pet out while they're at work. Or if you have a teenager or elderly neighbor or stay at home mom on your street they may be willing to do it for free. Just an idea.


I agree!

I had two dogs who were poo munchers. I used over the counter additives w/one- that didn't work well. I tried everything. One of them would poo turn around and grab it and eat it. Now, w/a firm NO! she stops and smells it and walks away but I still have to pick it up immediately. And, w/the huge snowfall I don't often see them all and she finds them frozen and I try to stop her but she thinks it's a game so I let it go. But for the most part this one dog will now leave it alone. And, my dogs eat Innova Evo on a regular schedule. Soooo I wish you luck!!!! :biggrin:


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## ILuvLabs

Hannah was a big poopie eater when I got her (she was left in a backyard & had very little human contact before I got her so I think a lot of it was boredom).

I started adding pineapple to her food & then went outside with her each & every time. If she so much as looked at it, I gave a sharp "no" & then when she walked away "good girl".......then I picked it up. I never let her outside on her own for a long time until I was sure she wasn't going to do any "snacking".

Everyone has an opinion on why dogs do that & how to stop it......I just followed her around & kept reinforcing that it was not acceptable (oh yuk!) & it worked.

I think being consistent is the key......or at least it was with my dog.

Whether or not the pineapple had anything to do with it, I'm really not sure but I tried it anyway.:tongue:


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## rannmiller

My older dog, Kati, has started eating poo in our backyard, but I think it's my roommate's dog's poo (he's on Orijen) since my own pups' poo usually shrivels up after a couple of days and this looks like tough, old, kibble-fed poo. Kati just stops when she finds a pile and starts munching away like it's a tasty meal for her. WHY???!! 

And of course she's old and has "selective" hearing so I'll be standing on the patio in nothing but a bathrobe while barefoot in the cold yelling at her to stop and she just ignores me and continues chowing down. 

Obviously I'll just have to go outside more prepared from now on, but still, it's annoying.


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## BoxerMommie

rannmiller said:


> My older dog, Kati, has started eating poo in our backyard, but I think it's my roommate's dog's poo (he's on Orijen) since my own pups' poo usually shrivels up after a couple of days and this looks like tough, old, kibble-fed poo. Kati just stops when she finds a pile and starts munching away like it's a tasty meal for her. WHY???!!
> 
> And of course she's old and has "selective" hearing so I'll be standing on the patio in nothing but a bathrobe while barefoot in the cold yelling at her to stop and she just ignores me and continues chowing down.
> 
> Obviously I'll just have to go outside more prepared from now on, but still, it's annoying.


Can't tell you why, maybe it tastes good? 

You can get a LONG lead and tie it to her and tell her to stop or come here and then pull her in. I did this for awhile (although I did it for "come here") and it worked very well. I got the line at Wal-Mart, just a rope and I bought the rope, the clip to clip to the collar myself and tied them together and threw part of the line outside with him and left part in the house with me and that way he didn't get a choice but to listen and come back in.

The other option would be to pick up your roomie's dog's feces immediately after he/she goes so your dog doesn't get the opportunity to get to it.

Good luck!


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## ChattyCathy

Can't tell you why the dog eats poo except as a puppy maybe they are just being curious. Anyways, here's something I found on the internet... and still no clear answers as to WHY??? (Sorry it's kinda long.)

Why Dogs Eat Poop: 20 Reasons

1. Your dog might be hungry. If your dog doesn't have access to food, he might eat poop.

2. Some dogs will eat poop to clean up an area like a housekeeper. This is most likely if your dog is confined to a crate or kennel, or when he's chained up or otherwise restricted. He's taking care of his space. 

3. If your dog likes to carry poop, and then eat it, it could be genetics. Some dogs have instincts to carry stuff in their mouths.

4. Your dog might be eating poop because of parasites or worms. They can suck nutrients out of your dog, driving him to eat poop. It might also leave him extra hungry because of the lack of proper fuel.

5. Your dog might be eating cat poop or other animal poop to get key nutrients and minerals not available in his own food.

6. Some dogs will simply eat poop to pass the time. Dogs will eat poop because they are bored or lonely. It can be a sign of neglect.

7. Your dog might eat poop because he's anxious, nervous or otherwise upset. Stress will drive animals to do odd things.

8. Some dogs will eat poop to hide the evidence. If you punish your dog for pooping, he might eat it to stop you from getting angry. 

9. If your dog has puppies, she might eat puppy poop. This is an instinct to hide the poop from predators. Poop is evidence. Getting ride of it keeps her puppies safe.

10. Some young dogs and puppies will eat poop as a novelty. That is, they'll eat poop as an experiment. They don't know better.

11. If your dog watches you pick up poop, he might learn to do the same. This is called allelomimetic behavior. Your dog observes you and learns from you, by putting the poop in his mouth you put poop in a bag. 

12. Your dog might see others dogs eating poop. From this, they learn to eat poop too.

13. Many dogs simply like the taste of poop. This obviously doesn't make sense to dog owners but that's irrelevant. Some dog like to eat it and that's that. It's warm, moist, and very much like what your dog was given as a very young puppy.



14. If your dog food lacks key nutrients, he might eat poop. Your dog is trying to get "food" with nutrients any way possible, even from his own poop. 

15. Sometimes dog poop seems like dog food. This can happen when dog food is low quality and includes materials that are easily passed and not absorbed by your dog. When the dog poops, it seems to be very much like the food he just consumed!

16. In some cases, dogs will eat poop if they are given too much food. This is especially true if your dog's diet is high in fat.

17. Some dogs will eat poop to gain attention. Many dog owners get very upset when their dog eats poop, which means the dog gets attention. This is a wonderful opportunity for your dog to interact with you, although it is because of negative attention.

18. It is possible that some dogs will eat the poop of other, more dominant dogs. Your dog might be more submissive than other dogs, resulting in strange poop eating behavior. This seems to occur more in households with multiple dogs where dominance and submission is a factor. Obviously this doesn't explain much about dogs eating cat poop or other animal poop.

19. It is possible that your dog wants to eat more than one time per day. If you only feed your dog once per day, and your dog eats poop, it could be an indication they want to eat more frequently. 

20. In some cases, your dog will eat poop by accident. Dogs are curious and will try to eat almost anything, including poop. Dogs explore the world through taste and smell, much more than humans.


Summarization: Why Dogs Eat Poop

So, now you have seen 20 reasons why dogs eat poop. It could be a signal for higher quality food, more food, less food, or more frequent meals. It could be related to your dog’s desire for more attention and interaction. Your dog might be eating poop out of instinct whereas in other cases it might a learned behavior from you or by watching other dogs.


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## Guest

Don't dogs get sick after eating poop? The one time I caught my Lab eating poop while we were out on the trails, he got really sick, he had diarrahea and he vomited twice. That was the only time I knew he ate poop and I didn't realize it would make him so sick.


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## BoxerMommie

It shouldn't. In the wild mommie dogs eat the baby's feces to keep the den clean.

I should add, this comment is only true if it's their own or another animal in your household you know is not ill. Obviously if your dog ate feces from an unknown animal with unknown medical problems it could cause issues.


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## ILuvLabs

If your dog ate poopies from a wild animal, never know what he may have ingested. I just remember my vet saying she'd rather see her eating her own than that of a wild animal when you don't have a clue what that animal might be infected with or what might be in the feces.

There are a lot of coyotes around here so when we're out & about, especially around their habitat, I keep an extra close watch on her. 

I posted before about the pineapple & watching her closely so it's actually been maybe about a year since I've seen her even attempt to "snack"......hoping that phase of her life is over!


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## Guest

Since we were out hiking on the trails in the woods, it could have been the feces of a wild animal that my Lab ingested. He must have thought it smelled really tasty because he never eats poop except for that one time --- and I was amazed at how sick he became. He quickly got over it, though.


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## 00BabyBunny00

My pom puppy is also eating his poop?! But he doesn't go for it straight away, but he'll leave it till it gets cold then he'll eat it!! He starting really going to it since about 4 days ago.

Maybe it's coz I stopped giving him yogurt? I used to give him a tea spoon of yogurt everyday but I stopped about a week ago because he's stomach seems ok now (I gave him yogurt because he doesn't eat much before). Since I stopped giving him yogurt, he started eating his poop?! He's also on Orijen (coincidence?) so there shouldn't be that much plant matter in it?

I've also tried giving him pinapple juice. It didn't work but makes him really hyper instead(probably coz of the sugar).

Any other suggestions?


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## jeffitup

Ours are real smart-asses about eating poop-really pisses us off. We have 4 dogs (right now), sometimes we let them outside to run/potty all together, sometimes one at a time, we always watch them carefully & pick up the poop right then. One of them will sort of watch us & when we have our back turned or aren't watching-she'll poop & then turn right around & quickly eat it-YUCK! They're generally pretty good though-we tell them to "leave it" or "no" right after they poop & we pick it right up. I think the bitch got used to eating it or might even like it because that's what she did when she'd clean up after giving birth to the new pups-she ate their poop when the little ones pooped-it was normal. We always pick it right up & try not to leave it in the yard. One time we were at a dog show & were talking about this with some of our other (dog) friends & one of the guys said something like "they like it because it's nice & warm & fresh, yum yum", grossed us out.
With the crates-we've trained them as new puppies to be comfortable in a crate. We're able to leave the older ones loose in an area of the house when we're away, but we crate the young ones. We have both wire crates & plastic crates. If we're away too long they will have accidents though-that comes with it & we can't get mad at them for it. I think they can get bladder infections if they try to hold it too long. We don't like to crate them for too long though-it's best to let them at least stretch their legs & run for a while outside so they don't get cramps or something.:smile:


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## 00BabyBunny00

In this case, for crate training, how long is too long? My pom puppy is 13 weeks old and he can hold it all night (about 8 hrs). Not that I don't let him go during the night, it's just that he sleeps through the night and he'll pee and poop once he wakes up.

I work fairly close to home. So he's left at home 5 hrs max at a time. Is it ok to leave him in a crate for 5 hrs, let him out for 1/2 hr to stratch his legs (and potty), then another 4 hrs or so till I finish for the day?


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## ChattyCathy

00BabyBunny00 said:


> In this case, for crate training, how long is too long? My pom puppy is 13 weeks old and he can hold it all night (about 8 hrs). Not that I don't let him go during the night, it's just that he sleeps through the night and he'll pee and poop once he wakes up.
> 
> I work fairly close to home. So he's left at home 5 hrs max at a time. Is it ok to leave him in a crate for 5 hrs, let him out for 1/2 hr to stratch his legs (and potty), then another 4 hrs or so till I finish for the day?


During the potty training period, this sounds right. However, when he is better at holding his pee/poop, you should let him out of the crate for longer times. He shouldn't be in his crate all day and night while he's a pup either. Take him out to pee/poop then play with him for awhile before you put him back in the crate. He needs to get out to play and socialize. I understand when you work you have to crate him. I still do that with my little one but at night she is free to roam and if I wake up in the middle of the night I will take her out (and her sister) for a potty break and go back to bed. (She also sleeps w/me.)


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## 00BabyBunny00

That sounds great. At the moment he's in a playpen which is about 1.5 meter long and wide and he's got training pad in there with him. Then when I get home, he's free to run round the house. Oh, and I take him on 2 short walks, 10-15 mins morning and lunch then a longer walk, about 30mins after work. He's still full of energy after that!!

I can start crate training him during the weekend when I'm home :smile: Once he's crate trained, I can leave him in his playpen again during the day then I'll let him out for comfort breaks when I get home.

Maybe I should start gaving him yogurt again? He didn't seem to eat as much of his poop when he had yogurt?! Now he'll eat nearly every bit of it!!


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## ChattyCathy

00BabyBunny00 said:


> That sounds great. At the moment he's in a playpen which is about 1.5 meter long and wide and he's got training pad in there with him. Then when I get home, he's free to run round the house. Oh, and I take him on 2 short walks, 10-15 mins morning and lunch then a longer walk, about 30mins after work. He's still full of energy after that!!
> 
> I can start crate training him during the weekend when I'm home :smile: Once he's crate trained, I can leave him in his playpen again during the day then I'll let him out for comfort breaks when I get home.
> 
> Maybe I should start gaving him yogurt again? He didn't seem to eat as much of his poop when he had yogurt?! Now he'll eat nearly every bit of it!!


A labrador breeder once told me she gives a teaspoon (a dollop) of yogurt everyday to her dogs to help their digestive system. I also give my two dogs yogurt regularly. I haven't noticed any difference but it makes me feel better. It can't hurt so why not?! I wouldn't give too much though because they could get diarrhea from it.


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## ChattyCathy

00BabyBunny00 said:


> That sounds great. At the moment he's in a playpen which is about 1.5 meter long and wide and he's got training pad in there with him. Then when I get home, he's free to run round the house. Oh, and I take him on 2 short walks, 10-15 mins morning and lunch then a longer walk, about 30mins after work. He's still full of energy after that!!
> 
> I can start crate training him during the weekend when I'm home :smile: Once he's crate trained, I can leave him in his playpen again during the day then I'll let him out for comfort breaks when I get home.
> 
> Maybe I should start gaving him yogurt again? He didn't seem to eat as much of his poop when he had yogurt?! Now he'll eat nearly every bit of it!!


I forgot to add that usually dogs don't pee/poop where they eat and sleep. so if he isn't in the crate for long periods of time you can have him trained in no time. Good luck! Puppies are the best!!!! :biggrin:


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