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Ideas to stop a puppy eating his own poop


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Since we brought Fenway home he has a taste for his own poop. When we were in the UK it was easy to stop as all his bathroom time was outside with us, we were staying at my mothers apartment so there was no yard to let him roam in so we made sure he never got a chance to indulge. Since we came back to Spain and live in a house where the doors are wide open onto the terrace all the time it has become more of a challenge, we pick up as soon as we see it, but as he is free to come and go we are not always instantly aware that he has pooped. At 4 months old he is effectively house trained and only peed in the house once since we came home a month ago, and with the heat he is a very mellow puppy during the day so does not spend much time in his crate.

Any one have any successful solutions?

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Papain powder in his food might dissuade him. It comes from papaya. However, it may upset his tummy (it did with my dpups so I didn't use it) but some people find it very helpful. Just a small amount is used (and I can't remember how much but a Google search or a search here might find it for you).

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I've never had this problem but have read that bromelain added to the food will make the stools taste bad.

 

It's extracted from pineapple leaves and stems (small amount in the fruit may or may not be enough to affect the stool sufficiently).

 

Some people use Adolph's Meat Tenderizer, which contains bromelain, but since it it's also got a lot of salt and sugar I'd try to find plain bromelain if possible. Of course, dunno if Adolph's is available in Spain anyway. ;)

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Nothing stopped Gideon until I changed his food. I don't know if he was poop eating before because of the "natural flarors" in the original food or what, but when we babysit a friends dog, he starts eating that dog's poop. That dog eats the same old brand of food.

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I guess I will go and buy some crushed pineapple and give it ago, he only eats one proper meal a day so hopefully that will be enough to discourage him, don't worry I am not starving him he gets his other meals as training treats.

 

He has no interest in the other dogs poop, and when we are out walking will give strange dogs poop a sniff (in spain people are not very good at picking up especially on walks in parks and the country) and I don't think the type of food is the problem as I have changed that since coming to Spain.

 

If the pineapple doesn't work I will try and find the other stuff.

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Heidi was a voracious poop-eater. Her own, Levi's, random dogs (which gave me heart attacks daily). We tried everything, pineapple, changing food, etc. In the end, we taught her a good "leave it", and picked up poop in the yard immediately. She had totally grown out of it by 6 or 7 months. Good luck! :)

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Kiefer tended to be a poop-eater as a pup if I didn't pick it up immediately.

 

I think that you have your answer in how you managed him while in the UK -- vigilance.

 

Since I am always outside with my dogs (no fenced-in yard), I would (1) always try to pick it up before he had a chance to eat it and/or (2) tell him to 'leave it' before he could snatch it up and/or (3) actually praise him for finding it, giving him a 'sit' command (so he wouldn't snatch it) and praise him for sitting while I walked over to pick it up. He was (sort of) my little poop finder. :-)

 

I have had only the one poop eater, but from anecdotal tales, I would guess that most dogs will probably grow out of it. Kiefer did stop trying to eat poop after a few months, but was that from my management/training or maturity or a combination of both? Who knows.

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