Few dog habits upset owners more than this one. You let your dog into the yard, look away for a moment, and catch it eating poop, either its own or another animal’s. Then it comes back inside and tries to lick your face.
Eating poop has a name, coprophagia, and it is far more common than most people think. In most dogs it is a normal, if unpleasant, behavior. Sometimes it points to a health problem, and those cases are worth knowing about.
How common it is
Veterinary behaviorist Benjamin Hart and his team at the University of California, Davis surveyed more than 1,500 dog owners about their dogs’ poop eating. They published the results in 2018 in the journal Veterinary Medicine and Science. About 16 percent of the dogs were frequent poop eaters, meaning their owners had seen them do it at least six times. Nearly a quarter had been seen doing it at least once.
The survey turned up a few clear patterns:
- Most poop eaters went for fresh stools, no more than a day or two old.
- Dogs described as greedy eaters, the ones that gulp their food and steal from counters, were more likely to eat poop.
- Dogs living with other dogs were more likely to do it.
- The dog’s age and the type of food it ate made little difference.
Why dogs do it
An old instinct to keep the den clean
Hart’s team proposed that the habit goes back to wolves. Wolves keep their dens clean, partly by eating any droppings left inside. Intestinal worm eggs in fresh poop usually take a few days to become infectious. Eating fresh poop removes it before the eggs can hatch into larvae that might infect the pack.
This would explain why most dogs choose fresh poop and ignore older piles. Hart has said it is the most logical explanation his team found, though it has not been proven.
Mother dogs clean up after puppies
A mother dog licks her newborn puppies to make them pee and poop, and she eats the waste to keep the nest clean. She usually does this for the first three weeks or so, until the puppies can walk away from the nest. It is completely normal.
Puppies are exploring
Puppies explore everything with their mouths, and poop is one more interesting thing on the ground. Many puppies grow out of it as they mature, especially if their area is kept clean.
Hunger and scavenging
Dogs are natural scavengers. Poop can still contain bits of undigested food, and to a hungry or food-obsessed dog, it smells edible. This is also why so many dogs raid the litter box. Cat food is high in protein and fat, and some of it passes through the cat undigested.
Boredom, stress and attention
Dogs that spend long hours alone in a yard or a crate, with little to do, are more likely to start eating poop. Some dogs learn that grabbing poop gets an instant reaction from their owner, even if the reaction is shouting. That attention can keep the habit going.
Fear of punishment
Puppies that are scolded or punished for accidents in the house may learn that poop gets them in trouble. Some respond by eating the evidence. Calm house training, without punishment, helps prevent this.
Medical causes to rule out
See your vet if poop eating starts suddenly in an adult dog, or if it comes with other changes. Health problems that can make dogs eat poop include:
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). The pancreas stops making enough digestive enzymes, so food passes through only partly digested. Affected dogs are often very hungry, lose weight, and pass large, greasy, pale stools. German Shepherds are especially prone to it.
- Intestinal parasites, which take nutrients from the dog and can increase hunger.
- Problems absorbing food from the gut.
- Conditions that increase appetite, such as diabetes, Cushing’s disease or thyroid problems, and some medicines, including steroids.
- A diet that leaves the dog hungry, either because the portions are too small or the food is poor quality.
Weight loss along with a big appetite and poop eating is a red flag, and your vet may suggest blood and stool tests.
Is it dangerous?
A dog that eats its own fresh poop usually stays healthy. The risks come mostly from other animals. Poop from other dogs, cats or wild animals can spread parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and Giardia, and bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. Poop from an infected dog can spread parvovirus, which is very dangerous for puppies that have not finished their vaccines. Some of these germs can also pass to people, which is one more reason to keep your dog from licking faces after a snack in the yard.
If your cat takes medicine, the medicine can also show up in its poop and be eaten by the dog.
What helps
The UC Davis survey found that the products sold to stop poop eating, the powders and chews added to food, rarely worked. Owners reported success rates of only a few percent. The most reliable steps are simpler:
- Pick up poop right away. Clean the yard daily, and go outside with your dog so you can clean up as soon as it finishes.
- Keep your dog on a leash on walks and in places where other dogs or wildlife leave droppings.
- Teach “leave it.” Practice with treats first, rewarding your dog for turning away from a treat on the floor, then use it on walks and in the yard.
- Call your dog away and reward it. As soon as your dog finishes pooping, call it to you and give a tasty treat. Many dogs start running to you for the reward instead of turning back to the poop.
- Block the litter box. Use a baby gate with a cat door, a covered box facing a wall, or place it somewhere only the cat can reach.
- Keep your dog busy. More walks, play and puzzle feeders help bored dogs.
- Stay calm. Avoid yelling or chasing, which can turn poop into a game or a way to get attention.
- Keep up with parasite prevention and regular stool checks at your vet.
What about dogs that lick or drink urine?
Dogs often sniff and lick other dogs’ urine to gather information about them, which is normal. A dog that regularly drinks its own urine is different. It can be a sign that the dog does not have enough water, or of a urinary tract infection, kidney disease or another condition that makes a dog very thirsty. Make sure fresh water is always available, and mention the habit to your vet.
