Copraphagia (poop eating) is usually a nasty learned habit and not a medical problem. Here are the top reasons why dogs eat poop and what you can do to curb their appetite!

1. Oral fixation habit—puppies (like human children) go through a phase where they put anything and everything in their mouths in order to investigate. Unfortunately, this often includes feces. As dogs mature, usually this habit goes away…but not always. Vet Tip: encourage oral investigation of toys and other objects. Do not punish or give excessive attention if your puppy does eat feces—this will just reinforce the behavior.

2. Allelomimetic behavior—this is the fancy name for learned behavior. If your dog watches you pick up poop, he can learn to do the same. If his beloved master is doing it, why shouldn’t he…? Vet Tip: Clean the poop out of the yard when your dog is not around!

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