Bitch eating her own poo!!!!

Q

Quartz

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Not sure I can put things about dogs on this section but am giving it a go anyway. I have a 3 year old cavalier king charles which I rehomed on Saturday, so she is very new in our house. My question is that she eats her own poo, is this normal? My poodle has never done this, ok yes he likes other dogs poo but never his own, any ideas????
 
No its not normal and needs to be stopped! ~You can stop her eating her own pooh by putting a bit of pineapple or courgette (raw) in with her food. I think pumpkin may work too. Obviously this won't stop her eating other dogs pooh.
 
Thanks will get some pineapple. She doesn't seem to eat other dogs poo, or even eat her own when we are out walking. Its just when she does one in the garden. Thanks
 
she is probably still a bit nervous in her new surroundings and you dont fully know what happened to her in her past, so try the pineapply etc but also make sure you pick up her poo as soon as she has done it so it is not left for her to pick up, this should stop her soon. If you tell her not to touch it, reward her for not doing that. Do not punish her as sometimes dogs that may not have got any attention but only punishment do these "yucky" things just to get the punishment that they perceive as attention. Hugs to you both and the poodle.
 
Just to give you another view (50 years in hounds and working gundogs), I would say it is perfectly natural and the best treatment is to look away and remember not to let the dog lick your face!

Many animals occasionally indulge in copraphagia, including horses. I've discussed this with specialists and the explanation may be that the animal needs to top up on good bacteria needed for digestion. Bacteria, both good and bad, are obviously excreted with poo. Has the dog's food recently been changed? Maybe it's gut bacteria aren't trained yet to deal with the new food?

Bear in mind that ruminants eat their own vomit (chewing the cud), lagomorphs (hares and rabbits) eat their own dung as a normal means of digesting cellulose, and so on. Anyway, it never does the dog any harm even though it is repulsive to humans. I always think the habit of some human females (and males!) to douse themselves with scent must seem repulsive to all animals with a highly developed sense of smell, especially horses and dogs!
 
i must agreee with dry rot - i've had/dealt with lots of working dogs and some of them do it - some don't - they are all healthy and happy to do a full days work... so long as she's healthy and getting a good diet i'd not worry too much tbh
 
Completely agree with dry rot and posie - its a completely natural behaviour, its just our perception of it that makes it unacceptable to most people. The best thing to do is to ignore it and to just pick up regularly so there's less 'temptation'. But just be careful not to turn it into a race to pick up as soon as she's been to the loo - some dogs will then turn straight round to eat it before you get chance to pick up
 
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