Why Does My Dog Eat Poop?

Eating poop (coprophagia) is common and usually behavioral. In a 2018 study by Hart and colleagues, about 23% of dogs had been seen eating stools at least once, and 16% were frequent eaters, seen doing it at least six times. VCA notes that most cases look purely behavioral, but the AKC says an adult dog that suddenly starts should see a vet first.

What the research found

The study drew on two owner surveys:

• They prefer it fresh. 82% (first survey) and 85% (second) of the stool-eaters chose stools no more than two days old.
• Greedy eaters do it more: 51.1% of the stool-eaters, against 28.2% of the other dogs.
• It’s most likely in homes with two or more dogs.
• No link to diet, age or house-training. 78% of frequent eaters were easily housetrained, close to the 82% of dogs that didn’t eat stools.

Why dogs do it

• An inherited habit. Hart and colleagues propose it comes from the wolf: eating fresh stools near the resting area may have kept parasite larvae out of it, since the larvae can become infective after about two days. They call it tentative, with no field observations behind it.
• Learned and rewarded. VCA notes that your reaction can become a reward, that puppies may copy their mother or playmates, and that droppings of plant-eating animals may tempt dogs with their partly digested plants.
• Diet and routine. The AKC lists diets short on nutrients or calories, too much time confined in a small space, wanting a reaction from you, and a healthy dog eating a weaker housemate’s stool.

What helps

1. Remove the opportunity. Keep the yard and living area clean and pick up on walks (AKC); clean up before you leave your dog alone, and supervise (VCA).
2. Call your dog right after. VCA suggests teaching your dog to come and sit for a special treat as soon as it finishes eliminating.
3. Teach “leave it” and “come.” The AKC recommends both; the dog commands list and the reliable recall guide show how.
4. Keep the feeding area away from the potty area (AKC).
5. Ask your vet about diet. VCA says a more digestible diet or a different protein may help, and enzyme supplements may help some dogs.

Be realistic: in the Hart surveys, commercial products worked for 0 to 2% of dogs and behavior methods for 1 to 2% (teaching “leave it alone” reached 4%). That’s why prevention carries most of the load.

What not to do

• Don’t rub your dog’s nose in it. VCA is blunt about this old method: it doesn’t work, it’s inhumane, and it may make the habit more likely.
• Don’t punish or overreact. The AKC warns that punishment during house-training can cause the habit, a vicious cycle (potty training without punishment).
• Don’t count on taste tricks. VCA notes that many dogs put up with taste deterrents or learn which stools were treated, and that papaya, yogurt, cottage cheese and breath mints have never been shown to work.

When to call the vet

• An adult dog that newly starts. The AKC says to see your vet to rule out parasites, steroid drugs, malabsorption, diabetes, Cushing’s disease and thyroid disease.
• It keeps happening despite cleanup and supervision (AKC).
• Soft or poorly digested-looking stool. VCA says the minimum is a stool test for parasites, with further stool or blood tests when the stool looks off.

The free vet visit prep sheet helps you note when it happens and how the stool looks. Eating grass is a separate habit (why dogs eat grass).