There’s really no way around it! Dogs tend to eat poop! No matter how cute, cuddly, or all of the above your pooch is, there’s a good chance they’ll take a trip to brown town at some point!
Earlier, we learned a little bit about how to stop your dog from eating it’s own poop, but now we have a little more insight as to WHY they do it!
Here are the top eight reasons dogs indulge in the icky habit:
1. Bad Habits
You know how babies like to chew on things when they’re teething? Well puppies go through the same thing! Young dogs tend to learn a lot about the world around them by popping anything and everything in their mouthes, and sometimes that includes poop! Some puppies grow out of this phase, but others might cling to the disgusting habit! The best way to avoid it is to give your doggy lots of toys to chew on as a less-gross alternative!
2. Doggy See, Doggy Do Do!
Believe it or not, dogs pick up a lot of their behavior based on what they see us doing! And guess what they see us doing a lot?? Picking up their poop! If a dog is constantly seeing its owner picking up its poop, eventually the pooch is going to want to try it out themselves! And seeing as they don’t have hands, well, you get the picture! The best way to avoid this is cleaning after your doggy when they’re not around!
3. Look At Me!
Just like everyone else, dogs LOVE attention! So when they start eating their poop and notice all of the extra attention they’re getting from you, chances are they’ll do it again, even if the reaction is negative! So the best way to prevent this is by not overreacting when you catch your pooch snacking on some stool! In most cases, they’ll eventually stop altogether!
4. Clean Up On Aisle #2!
Dogs can be very tidy creatures and they tend to keep their living spaces as clean as possible, especially indoor dogs who are crate trained! So when they make a mess in their area, they’ll try to clean it up themselves! So unless you clean up after your dog quickly, they might beat you to the punch!
5. Destroy The Evidence!
This case is similar to the attention-seeking behavior. Dogs who are punished for making a mess tend to notice that pooping equals punishment! So to avoid getting a stern talking to, they’ll try to hide the evidence they only place they can. In their bellies! So try to go easy on your dog next time they make a mess!
6. Instincts
A mommy will do ANYTHING to keep her puppies safe! And one of those things is eating their poops! It’s in a mama dog’s nature to clean up after her puppies and hide their poop from predators, even if the only enemy they have in your house is the vacuum cleaner! But this is simply the dog’s instincts kicking in, and in most case the mommy will stop ones her pups are all grown up!
7. Feed Me!
This one is pretty self explanatory! If a dog isn’t getting enough food from you, eventually it’s going to start looking elsewhere! And after a while that tightly coiled snack sitting on the floor starts to look tastier and tastier with each passing minute! If you feed your dog the right amount of food, chances are they wont look for extra food elsewhere!
8. Sick
This is the least likely of scenarios, but it DOES happen! If your dog is sick and has parasites, there’s a chance that it could lead to them eating their own poop! If you’re really concerned with your dog’s health, you should always take them to the vet for a check-up! And remember, dogs that regularly eat their own poo have a high chance of getting parasites, so if it becomes a regular thing it’s probably a good time to have them checked out!
Well now you probably know a little bit more about dog poo than you ever wanted to know, but hopefully it explains a little bit more about why your pooch has acquired a taste for poop!
[Image via Wikimedia.]
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