You've seen your dog eating poop... Some dogs sometimes have a tendency to consume excrement, either their own or that of other animals. This behavior, considered disgusting by the owner, is often normal in dogs. It's called coprophagia . However, if it becomes a habit, there may be an underlying medical or behavioral cause .
What are the causes of coprophagia?
There are several different causes for the consumption of excrement. It is necessary to identify the origin in order to resolve the problem.
- The mother dog licks her puppies and swallows their excrement. This stimulates them and teaches them to relieve themselves.
- Your dog simply enjoys it. While it's unimaginable for us humans, it's a real pleasure for dogs, who are naturally opportunistic. Especially since some droppings have a very strong food odor.
- The dog was scolded when he relieved himself in the wrong place. He didn't understand that he was supposed to go elsewhere. Out of fear of retaliation, he prefers to eat his excrement. You should never punish a puppy for having an accident . This is the best way to delay house training and can trigger bad behavior.
- Your dog may have digestive problems . Indeed, if your dog has trouble digesting, it won't properly absorb its food. As a result, it will be hungry and will be attracted to anything easily edible, such as feces. Cat feces, in particular, are often higher in protein.
- Your dog may be suffering from a vitamin deficiency. This is more common in dogs fed a homemade diet.
- In some situations, your dog might enjoy eating feces. This could be due to boredom, or it could be a way for him to get your attention (positive or negative). He knows that every time he's touched it, you've called him back or scolded him. It's a way of communicating with you.
As we have just seen, the causes can be varied. To prevent this behavior, it is necessary to understand its origin. In any case, you absolutely must consult your veterinarian!
If the reason is not medical, you will need to teach your dog to leave what interests him.
Learning to “leave it” for your dog
As with all behavioral problems, when trying to change a dog, certain rules must be followed. For example, you should not punish the dog. In fact, punishing the dog in this case will only reinforce the behavior. Your dog might even rush to eat and swallow.
You will need to take the initiative and positively reinforce your dog's good behavior. For a behavior to be reinforced, it must be validated and rewarded .
The steps:
1. Equip yourself with a 5-meter long leash and a treat pouch or your dog's favorite toy . These two items will serve as motivation and reward . The long leash is there to ensure the safety of the exercise. You will initially work at a certain distance from where your dog wants to go. The long leash is simply there to maintain control over your dog. Remember, it is not there to punish or jerk your dog.
2- You will learn to distract your dog from what interests him. To do this, prepare your treat or toy. As soon as your dog wants to go towards excrement, call him back by showing him the toy or treat.
3- As soon as he turns away and comes back to you, confirm with a “yes” and then give him his reward. Repeat this exercise several times.
Note: If the dog doesn't want to come back to you, it might be because you're too close to what interests him, the reward isn't strong enough, or he doesn't have a recall command. You'll need to work a little further away from the distraction.
4- The more your dog is familiar with positive reinforcement, the more easily he will abandon what he sees. Don't hesitate to overuse recall commands to encourage your dog to return to your area and leave what interests him.
5- Through short and repeated training sessions , you will no longer need to hold the lunge line in your hand.
Note: This learning process takes more or less time, depending on the individual. It depends on how long they have been reinforcing this behavior or what the original problem stems from.
Conclusion
While coprophagia may be repulsive to the owner, the dog doesn't perceive it as such. It's important to determine the cause and treat it. Don't hesitate to ask your veterinary team for advice. Finally, you can help your dog curb its urges with dietary supplements like BF Petfood 3-in-1 Biscuits , which, thanks to their seaweed content, promote better digestion and therefore limit this type of problem.
