Please please help both of my labs have been eating poop and they have been on the most expensive dog foods (science diet) and we were recommended to try change the food to something different and this has not helped the situation at all they both still eat poop it got so bad tonight when my you gear lab Heidi projectile vomited and it was all poop how do I stop this it is an awful Habit and the vets said there is nothing I can do! Any help would be appreciated both my labs are 2 and 2 and 1/2
Pick it up immediately. There is no pill or food additive that will fix this - you just have to prevent it by controlling your dog and picking up the poop as soon as it is produced.
Some of them do grow out of it. My chocolate did this when he was younger and does not now. So - I am quite familiar with all the products on the market sold to "fix" this problem and the advice to add pineapple or put cayenne on the poop - none of that works. Don't waste your time. Just pick it up.
BTW - Science Diet may be costly, but it's not considered a high quality food anymore. It was one of the best in the 80's but there are better choices for the same expense now.
Agree with Sharon, pick it up ASAP! As well, since Labs are mouthy & pick up lots of things they should not, have you taught "leave it" yet? Even with "leave it" you still really just need to pick up the poop right away, it seems to be a very tempting tidbit for dogs that are poop eaters.
Also agree with Science Diet, not the best food. Expensive does not equal best. Some people/vets think they eat poop because they are missing something from their regular diet, not sure if I really believe that, I think it is more so a behavioural thing.
Pick up poop ASAP. Teach "leave it" and that should do it.
Our last english pointer was an unfortunate poo eater. The only time she didn't eat poo (hers or others), was on a raw diet. The instant her and our other dogs were on raw it stopped. We kept them on raw for 3-4 years and later switched to a really good grain free food. As soon as we went back to kibble she started eating it again (grumble).
So while I am not saying raw is THE answer, possibly different foods or improved digestion could help. Digestive enzymes or probiotics for dogs might be a place to look. We didn't try these, but there was a definite connection for her on how well the food was digested for all dogs involved.
I have 2 poop eaters (Vermont and Homer). Homer has an iron stomach and can handle his nasty eating habits, but Vermont gets sick every time. Its a PITA, I of course pick it up as soon as they do it, but they sometimes do it when I´m not at home.
I haven´t been able to find a solution. Yep it is nasty, gross, I don´t have enough words to describe how disgusting this behavior is.
It seems like the better the food the more they actually do it...
My Duke is the only one who does it. What everyone says, remove it before he gets to it. I always cover the yard with a poop pick-up before I let Duke out. Bruno did when he was a pup, but I corrected him whenever I caught him and he stopped, but he is a dog who always wants to please me.
My dogs will eat poop, but ESPECIALLY if one of the boarding dogs is on Science Diet. For whatever reason, the poop of a Science Diet fed dog is apparently especially yummy!
I also agree about the RAW diet. feeding RAW is not for everyone, but if you know what you are doing, the results in improved dog health and behavior can be astounding.
But as far as your question, really the best solution is to pick it up. I have ecollar trained my dogs and can do a remote controlled "Leave It"! But ecollar training is a whole other issue.
Thank you so much for the replies. Both Jet and Heidi were on science diet and I have now taken them off this food and placed them on supercoat for breakfast and dog roll for dinner to see if that helps. I try my bet to collect it before they go anywhere near the poop but sometimes they are quicker than me.;(
I am sorry you have joined the disgusting poop eating club. As others have said the only way is to pick it up and teach leave. Teaching leave doesn't work for us as nothing is faster than a Lab after a favourite snack. Along with all the other things I have tried think it keeps him and the neighbours entertained.
I thought Ernie might stop when he stopped Pred, but sadly no. I don't make a thing about it and he doesn't seem to do it as much with me as he does the rest of the family who make a scene about it.
One of ERns favourite party tricks is to bring it inside when we have guests. Throw it onto the floor and say look at me then eat it. Different food hasn't made a difference either.
One of my labs has been a poop eater for early on. He is on high quality food, Acana. Our vet gave us some powder to put on his food for a but that is supposted to deter them from eating the poop. It didnt work at all. So now we just clean up after both our dogs after they go to the bathroom. This makes for a clean yard and less temptation for my lab. It doesnt work perfect but the majority of the time we are successful.
Haana eats JJ's poop. Only his. They are all the same food, JJ gets a little bit of whatever left over meat we have in the fridge but that is it. I think it is because he doesn't drink as much water as she does and well, I won't go any further...........
We have to pick it up before she gets to it, and 'leave it' doesn't always work............
Our chocolate did the same thing. Our old Lab/Golden mix never did, and thankfully our new puppy yellow doesn't. They all ate the same food (grain free/poultry free Taste of the Wild Pacific Salmon formula).
With multiple dogs it was hard to keep up on pickup as much as necessary. We tried a lot of remedies but eventually the thing that worked was careful correction with a remote collar. I'd keep an eye on him out the window and when he'd go to eat it, I'd give him a beep or low shock and he learned not to do it very quickly after that.
That type of collar is not for every dog, and you need to use it properly, but for him it was the best, quickest, way to correct bad behaviors. He was such a sweet boy, but he had a very thick noggin.
Mine are fully paid up members of the poop eating club... Abby latest edition to the family, learned it from Checka! They dont eat each others at home, so poop scooping isnt the issue, for me its when we are out walking off leash (most of the time) Sheep/goat poop a delicacy, cow poop will do stone martin poop... you name if its poop it goes in the mouth. "Leave it" works when I catch them by which time they will already have taken a huge gulp of it.
If someone find an answer Im all ears!!
We had two Labs who were fed exactly alike. One ate poo and the other didn't. The only think that took care of the problem was picking it up right away.
It was funny, because my poo eater had such a regal bearing and seemed so "ladylike" in personality. The dog I have now is a real tomboy, but has never eaten poo. I still pick it up, though.
Our first Lab was a poop eater. All we could do in the end is make sure that the yard was clean before we let her out. It was funny, in all other ways she seemed so "ladylike" in her demeanor.
The only help I can offer after picking up any on your own property immediately, is to train 'Leave it'. Although HK already knew and understood the command, she would ignore it when she found one of her most edible treasures, frozen poop. I had to go with an e-collar when we went out in the winter months, and I had to keep her constantly in my sight. When she ignored the command, she got nicked. In 6 years, she has progressed to obeying the command and not eating her treasured finds. But only if I have her in sight and tell her to leave it. If I am not paying attention, bad me, she eats it.
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