Canine coprophagia (dogs swallowing their feces) is definitely a problem that dog owners struggle to deal with. It is difficult to accept this kind of habit which does not make sense and which can also become a hygiene problem for everyone who is exposed to the animal.

After all, why would our pets, whether a cat or a dog, want to eat their feces when they are perfectly nourished with meals specially developed for them?

Canine coprophagia is generally more common in puppies under one year old, but it should be noted that it can occur at any stage; therefore throughout the life of a dog. This problem, which is nevertheless very widespread, has still not had a lot of research carried out to find how to stop our dogs from eating their own feces.

But everything is not gray since there is still good news for dog lovers like us. Indeed, there are many effective techniques and training methods that we can use to correct this bad habit.

If, like thousands of other teachers, you are also facing this problem, the rest of this article will certainly interest you and give you the solutions you were waiting for!

Why do dogs eat cat feces or their own?

We grant it to you; Understanding why our cute little doggies form this nasty habit may seem incomprehensible, but there are actually quite a few theories that can explain why they seem to enjoy it while we, on the other hand, find it truly disgusting. These theories can be broken down into two different groups:

1. A dog behavior problem
2. An underlying medical problem

If you think that a medical problem could be the cause that pushes your dog to swallow his own defections or those he finds along the way for example, it is in this case essential that you take him to see a veterinarian. A simple examination will allow you to identify what the problem is immediately.

It is very important that all dog owners who have a puppy or adult dog that eats their feces ensure that all necessary dog vaccinations have been done and deworming treatments are up to date. The reason is that various diseases as well as quite a few internal parasites can be transmitted to a dog through coprophagy.

Common causes of canine coprophagia

According to researchers, there are different causes that could explain coprophagia. Here they are :

1. Your dog might find the taste pleasant, no matter how disgusting it may seem to us!
2. It may be a symptom of anxiety, stress or boredom.
3. Puppies may be deficient in vitamins or minerals and will eat their own feces to restore this balance.
4. If a puppy is punished for going potty inside your home, he may on future occasions eat his poop to “cover the evidence.” This may happen because your puppy misinterpreted the punishment. In other words, he believes he was punished for defecating, rather than defecating in the wrong place.
5. Maybe your dog actually takes care of cleaning his space. Of course, it goes without saying that this should be the owner’s job.
6. Sometimes dogs develop this habit of eating feces because they copy the behavior of other dogs they are around. There is also a theory that some dogs eat their poop because they see their owners cleaning it up, and they simply decide to do it themselves.
7. Female dogs who have had a litter of puppies often eat the puppy’s feces. This keeps the area clean, but also helps conceal the reach of any predators that might be lurking.
8. Perhaps this is the result of overeating. If a dog is overfed, he has not properly digested his food and therefore his feces still smell and taste like his dinner!
9. If you only feed them once a day, some dogs can become very hungry and might start scavenging around for food (this includes feces).
10. Some dogs developed coprophagia once they started medication or antibiotics.
11. A dog can also eat the feces of a sick dog. This behavior is an attempt to hide or protect the sick dog from predators.
12. Dog owners have noted that when changing the power supply