Author: Jamie Lovejoy, DVM

Watching your puppy eat poop is the one thing that makes you reconsider how much you want those puppy kisses. Unfortunately, eating stool (a behavior called coprophagy or coprophagia) is actually a very normal behavior in puppies, though it isn’t a behavior we want to encourage. Understanding why your puppy eats stool and learning how to address this behavior appropriately will help prevent it from becoming a lifelong habit. So … why do puppies eat poop? Why Is My Puppy Eating Poop? If your puppy consistently ingests stool, talk with your veterinarian. There are many possible reasons for a puppy to eat poop, and knowing if the cause is medical, behavioral, or a combination of both can help you eradicate the behavior successfully. Puppies Eat Poop To Mimic Their Mothers  Before puppies are weaned, it’s very common for the mother dog to eat the stool her young produce. This is a primitive, evolutionary behavior that developed to keep the den clean and protect the puppies from disease, parasites, and predators. The smell from large amounts of stool accumulating in a den would certainly draw unwanted attention! Young puppies learn how to be a dog from their mother by mimicking her behaviors, so it’s not uncommon for them to also try eating their own—or their litter mates’—stool. This behavior can sometimes be thwarted by picking up any stool the puppies produce before they have the chance to snack on it. Puppies Eat Poop Because of Poor Digestion  Another theory behind coprophagia is that some puppies develop the habit after not digesting their food well. If food is digested poorly, this might cause portions of the stool to have the same smell and taste as their puppy food. This similarity may inspire some puppies to eat the stool. Causes of poor digestion can be diet formulation, parasites, or abnormalities in the digestive tract. Inadequate weight gain or gastrointestinal signs such as vomiting or occasional diarrhea may warrant further investigation into your puppy’s intestinal health and diet. Boredom and Stress Can Cause Puppies To Eat Poop Puppies with inconsistent socialization and activity can develop many bad habits in an effort to entertain themselves or feel more in control of their environment. Though chewing on crates and furniture is more common, some puppies might eat their poop. Consistent, frequent playtime and interaction is important to help prevent this unwanted behavior. If your schedule requires your puppy to be alone for extended periods of time, talk to your veterinarian about age-safe dog toys that will keep them entertained and stress-free. Puppies Eat Poop Because They’re Not Getting Enough Food Though rare, coprophagia can develop simply because your puppy isn’t getting enough nutrition. Growing puppies require many more calories than adult dogs and should be fed a diet specifically designed for their needs. Young puppies should be fed three or four times a day on a consistent schedule. If you have questions about how much or how often you should feed your puppy, talk to your veterinarian. Intestinal parasites can also leech nutrients from your puppy, leading to clinical signs that are similar to when they aren’t getting enough food. Your veterinarian can look for evidence of intestinal parasites through fecal testing. Puppies Eat Poop To Get Your Attention Getting upset and yelling at your puppy is a very common reaction when you see them doing something as gross as eating poop. Unfortunately, most puppies can’t distinguish negative interactions from positive interactions, so pet parents might be unintentionally reinforcing this behavior. Some puppies will quickly learn that they get attention from their humans if they eat poop—and they’ll start to do so just to get a reaction. Puppies Eat Poop To Avoid Punishment On the other hand, puppies who recognize yelling and punishment as something to avoid may eat poop to hide the fact that they have defecated where they aren’t supposed to while being house-trained. Therefore, punishment tactics should never be used with puppies to help with house-training or stool-eating. Instead, put effort into praising good behaviors (like when your puppy poops outside). When a puppy poops on the floor, ignore them and just clean it up well. When they potty outside, praise them. Your puppy will learn that they get attention for pooping outside, not for pooping inside and eating it.

WRITTEN BYJamie Lovejoy, DVM Veterinarian Dr. Jamie Lovejoy graduated from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2012 after an undergraduate degree in Marine Biology. …,Bee stings are, unfortunately, very common in dogs. While most humans steer clear of black-and-yellow flying insects, our pups rarely recognize the danger. Like in people, many dogs will only suffer a mild painful reaction to a bee sting. But others will have much more serious complications, including swelling, severe pain, and even anaphylaxis or systemic allergic response. Because bee stings can result in a medical emergency for some pets, it’s important to seek medical advice if you think your dog has been stung and to be able to recognize the symptoms of a severe reaction.

References Mellor DJ. Tail Docking of Canine Puppies: Reassessment of the Tail’s Role in Communication, the Acute Pain Caused by Docking and Interpretation of Behavioural Responses. Animals. 2018; 8(6):82. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8060082,References Close,Though dogs have been bred to have a wide range of ear sizes and shapes, there’s still a large population of dogs who are subjected to a surgical ear alteration called “ear cropping.” Banned in multiple countries, this cosmetic procedure has too much risk and too little benefit for the modern dog. Though becoming less popular with pet parents and even some breed enthusiasts, myths about the benefits of ear cropping still make this procedure a welfare struggle in the U.S. Here’s what to know about ear cropping in dogs.

In This Article The Average Dog Lifespan View 5 More +