How Do You Stop Fido From Eating Poop?

You have discovered that your precious dog that licks your hands and face is eating poop. Your tummy rolls and your nose squinches up in disgust. So how do you stop your Fido from eating poop? Is it harmful to the dog to eat poop? The biggest problem seems to be the disgust factor of the owner for in the previous article we discovered it was a natural thing for some and a behavior thing for others.

It has most likely no harmful effects to the dog. If your dog is healthy to start with the chances of getting anything from this unseemly habit are very small. Of course they can pick up worms but most people have a schedule for de worming their dog that should take care of this problem. Your dog is exposed to many things that can harm him whether he is gobbling it down or just sniffing it.

So, how do you stop this habit? First you have to take an educated guess at why he is doing it in the first place. At this point prevention is the best cure. The habit like anything else can be a very hard one to break so make sure that you have a good plan and lots of patience. The following is a list of things that you can try to stop your dog from eating poop:

Reduce the temptation

This means you need to be vigilant about cleaning up the poop before he eats it. Take him to potty on a leash may help.

Move the kitty litter box

Put it up high or in a room with a gate across it that he can not get to. Or if your dog is big like mine is then just get a kitty litter box that has a top on it, that way he can not get to the poop.

Change his diet.

Make sure it is high protein, low carbohydrates and low fat.

Add something to the food to make it distasteful when it comes out as poop

You can buy different products from the store that do this or simply try things at home like; pineapple, spinach, garlic, pumpkin or meat tenderizer.

Put something on the poop that your dog will be exposed to and not like

Hot sauce, vinegar, citronella and hot pepper are good deterrents

Catch him in the act of poop eating

This way you are right there to correct the behavior you do not want. Say no or leave it firmly and give him something else to eat and then praise him greatly for it

Stop the stress

If your dog is bored or lonely give him toys and things to do

Never confine your dog to the area he will poop in.

Give him a potty area and then take him from it after he uses it

Make sure he gets regular exercise

Take him for walks, go to the beach or park and stimulate his body and mind

Train him by using a clicker.

Do this on other things so he learns the lesson of the clicker then as your dog approaches some poop say, leave it, hit the clicker and when he leaves it alone give him a treat and tell him how much of a good dog he is.

Use some sort of loud noise to distract him from the poop

Nothing gets your dogs attention like a piercing shrill of a whistle or blow of a horn and when he jumps away from the poop take him somewhere else and reward him.