Useful Links
Why Does My Dog Eat Poop?
If you’ve ever owned a dog or own one now, you probably have wondered why dogs eat poop. It’s disgusting, unattractive, and generally unsafe in many ways. But, you should know that if your dog eats poop, he’s not alone. In fact, it is a fairly common behavior that can cause a lot of stress for owners. Known as coprophagia, the eating of poop can be a sign of deeper anxiety or nutritional issues.
Why Dogs Eat Poop
Dogs will eat poop for any number of reasons. The simplest explanation is that they may be hungry or they might be trying to clean up their space. If you do not feed your dog enough or if they are in a dirty pen, they will work to resolve these issues, often resorting to eating their excrement.
There are also health issues related to poop eating. A dog might not be getting enough nutrients due to parasites or worms that suck the nutrients dry of their food. They simply might not be getting the nutrients they need from the dry food they receive each day.
Other dogs will eat poop as an anxious habit, or even because they have seen you picking it up and are trying to mimic your behaviour in their own way. They could also be copying other dogs eating poop.
The important thing to know is that no matter why dogs eat poop in your household, the problem can be solved relatively easily.
How to Adjust the Behaviour
If your dog likes to eat poop, the first thing you should do is check for any health problems. This is especially true if the dog never did it before and has started recently. Dogs that eat poop regularly could have worms or other parasites or may not have enough food. See your vet to determine why this is happening and then treat it immediately.
If your vet gives your dog a clean bill of health, they don’t have any other problems that could lead directly to the issue, and they don’t stop doing it, you need to address whatever other problems might be causing them to eat poop.
Start by keeping the yard clean of poop. Remove the poop from your yard every day, check the paths near your home and pick up any poop your dog leaves. It doesn’t matter why dogs eat poop if it is not a health problem – it is behavioural and can be treated by removing the source of the problem.
Adjusting the Behaviour
Alternatively, you can take other measures to stop the eating. It might seem strange that bitter apple and cayenne pepper would be worse tasting for a dog than the poop, but they are. Additionally, if you feed you dog a spoonful of pumpkin puree a day, the poop will taste much less appealing to them. You can also spray them with a water bottle or use a sharp “No!” whenever they start to eat poop.
Ultimately, removing the cause of the problem is the easiest way to solve your dog’s coprophagia issues, but if you frequently take you dog to dog parks or let them off the leash outside, you’ll want to take more advanced steps. Be consistent, watch them carefully and by all means, don’t let them lick your face.
Disobedience of Dog
There’s a difference between disobedience and incomprehension. If your dog isn’t obeying a command because he doesn’t understand what it is you want him to do, that’s not a behavioral problem at all; it simply means that you need to spend some more time together in training. True disobedience occurs when your dog deliberately does not obey a request or command, although he has full knowledge of what it is that you’re asking him to do (and you know this because he’s performed it reliably on several occasions beforehand).
How to Train Your Puppy
Free puppy training tips:
Your puppy training routine should start the day you bring your new puppy home. Dogs are always learning, but they learn best when they are young. This is a vital time for influencing your dog’s future behavior. Without your intervention, your dog will learn, but not what you want it to. Start implementing some simple puppy training tips the day your new canine companion arrives in your home.
Stop Your Puppy’s Chewing Habit
If you’re trying to stop puppy chewing, you should first recognize that chewing is a very natural and expected behaviour in a puppy. They are going to chew on things, either because they are bored or because they are teething. It’s not a matter of actually stopping that chewing, but redirecting it. You need to generate enough things for your dog to do that they will not want to chew up your carpet, slippers, or couch cushions.
Which Training Book is Right For You?
Dog Training Books – Which One is Right For You?
By David Ostiguy
With so many dog training books out there to choose from, it’s difficult to find out which one is the best. So which books actually deliver the goods and have the best results?
Why Your Dog Is Scratching
There are millions of dog owners out there as we speak eager to learn how to stop dog scratching. Whether from fleas, a food allergy, or a fixation on their skin, a dog that keeps scratching can cause hot spots, infections, and other skin problems that can progress to severe long term problems if you’re not careful.
The Causes of Dog Scratching
There are multiple reasons a dog might scratch incessantly. Before you can stop dog scratching, you must first identify the root cause.
Keep Your Dog From Chasing Things
Tired of your dog bolting after anything that moves? It’s important to stop dog chasing for a number of reasons, starting with the very real danger to the dog. A moving car, a squirrel, or a cat can all lead a dog to situations that can be very dangerous to their health. Not only that, but if you don’t stop your dog from chasing things, it can be very hard to have a nice, calm walk. So, rather than simply keeping them tied up all the time, you should learn to stop dog chasing before it becomes a major issue.
The Basic Retraining Methods
If your dog has severe chasing issues, the first thing you should do is some basic retraining. In many cases, if the fixation is not too extreme, the retraining will help to reduce the negative behaviours.