# OK. I give in. What now??



## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

I have been battling Poop-Eating with Tiko since he was 7 weeks old. I've tried everything, and I mean everything to get it to stop. Some days I think I've finally had success, then the next day he's sitting in his kennel with stinky poop breath and poop in the back of his teeth.

He's done it on 3 different diets, he doesn't eat every single poop so there is some weird criterea he has in order to want to eat it. He does it regardless of whether or not he's eaten food. I've tried feeding him twice a day. I've tried feeding him more. I've tried correction (wasted days hiding behind windows to catch him), redirection, praise for not eating poop, scooping right after he poops etc. It doesn't seem to register. I still come out there to find lil bits of poop scattered around his kennel and his breath stinking like crap with poop stuck in his back teeth.

So, if anyone has successfully combatted this with a kennel dog, let me know. I can't keep my eye on him all day, although I have done the "hide behind the window thing" for 2 or 3 days in a row, but it doesn't "stick." Yasko was easy, I yelled at him once and he never did it again. Cujo, same thing. But Tiko has poop-OCD. It's always been that way.


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## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

You mentioned 3 types of food...what about probiotic supplements? Yogurt? I mentioned this to a co-worker to try with her rottie and it seemed to do the trick.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Mike I had a Lab that did the same thing. Before the heat was off the turd, she had it GONE! They say there is a powder to put on it to make it taste bad. How can anything taste worst??????????? What about electric collar, hit the dog with a real high setting? Bored, diet issue, no play things, shown bad habits, just a nasty animal. :-(


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

Mike,

It might be worth trying some Bromelain tablets - it is a constituent pineapple that can discourage coprophagia. As a bonus it it good for relieving joint pain. I feed it to Smudge (for her joints) and she hasn't eaten any sh*t since (she used to be bad). You can get them from Healthspan:
http://www.healthspan.co.uk/vegetar..._pain_relief/ProductDetail-p223-c3193427.aspx

Failing that I would use an e-collar, doing something similar to a snake-proofing protocol.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

I had the issue with my two youngest. I put some habenero sauce on it and that did the trick. But Rotties are pretty smart... they stopped eating the stuff on the ground but then graduated to getting from the source as it was being made. Like some doggy fetish porn. 

I started yelling NO but then they stopped shitting outside and went in the house a few times...geeze! After I fixed that issue I picked up a dozen packets of Forbid, that did the trick for me. If you get it from Ryanspet.com you can get it wholesale. I don't see it on their website so you prolly have to call them.

The ingredients are Wheat Gluten and MSG. So you could probably make it yourself. I thought at first it was going to make the shit taste like Chinese Food. I dunno. I guess the pups don't like chinese food.

get some Forbid. That did the trick for me.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Ick just another reason I don't do Mals, alwasy upto something no good (can't sit still). My X had a female from a large litter 12+ pups and she was very dirty, must have been used to it having all the puppy shit hanging around the first 8 weeks. Forbid didn't work, pumpkin didn't work, screaming at her didn't work and I hid at the window too, I work at home. The only thing that worked was getting rid of the dog (not for her shit eatting reasons) she had bad hips. She was 14 months I think, when she left and still ate her shit when the mood struck her. I have had a couple pups that did it a few imes or until they where about 4 months and then it stopped. Good luck, I hope someone has a rescue remedy for you. Nothing like playing kong with a shit breath dog!


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## Terry Fisk (Jul 26, 2007)

I hear MSG (meat tenderizer, Forbid) is supposed to work. It did not for my Aussie. Currently using Icelandic Sea Kelp and that seems to be helping some. At least she does not seem to be so obsessed about seeking and eating poop.  There is also a product called Curtail, have not tried it yet.


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## Ashley Hiebing (Apr 6, 2008)

I've heard adding pineapple or zucchini to their food will make the poop less tasty. Sounds weird, but maybe it's worth a shot.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Quote: Ick just another reason I don't do Mals, alwasy upto something no good 

Might want to actually read Mikes posts, as you will find out he is a GSD. I had one dog like that, and I sold the dog. The dog disgusted me, and basically, I paid no attention to the thing, as it was disgusting.


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## Kameron Bean (Jun 23, 2008)

Bodo - my older GSD - used to be an avid poop-eater. That all went away when I switched him to raw diet. My younger GSD - Bart - has been on raw since I got him and has never eaten his own poop.

Now, the cat's poop...that's a different story!:grin:


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## Jeanne Meldrim (Mar 27, 2008)

We had that problem with our Mal. We tried meat tenderizer, Forbid, papaya supplements, hot sauce and running outside to pick it up every time any of the dogs pooped (this made him eat faster). Nothing worked. He seems to have finally stopped on his own. He turns two years old this month.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

I don't know if I can get Forbid in Belgium, but I will try the UK site Ian suggested.

I tried the e-collar thing (and prior to that, the sit at the window and yell at him thing). But it only works if I catch him each and every time (although yelling once got Yasko to stop). Face it, I don't have the time nor patience to sit behind the window waiting for him to poop. He's incredibly boring to watch when he's sleeping 

It definitely is relationship ruining behavior, because I get mad and can't enjoy my dog because his breath stinks. Not ready to get rid of him over it yet, I will give the food-supplement route a shot.

Raw diet doesn't help. He was on raw diet and ate his poop, then he switched to Natures Variety kibble and ate his poop, now he eats Orijen and he eats his poop.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Our younger dog had this problem until he was about 12 months. He's not outside in a pen but then dogs don't poop every five minutes so I got used to his "routine" and took him out either for a short walk in the woods - here practically no problem - or in the garden, sometimes on the long lead or watching him like mad. As soon as he squatted, I praised him and called him to me for a kibble. Then I took him in and removed the offending poop. 

Punishing can have a very good reinforcing effect. I've heard of putting courgettes into his food, all sorts of things but to stop an instinct like this I find is best with distractiion. The worst thing about our dog is that he sometimes starts to squat, a bird will fly overhead, a bumble bee will buzz and he'll forget to do what he went out to do. Take him in and he'll do it if you don't watch. I've found telling him sternly to "go and do it" helps. We're kept him because he's quite talented but otherwise.......

Have you tried putting him in a smaller space - dogs are not nest dirtiers - ok then he needs more exercise outside the pen but it might work.


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

Gillians idea about less space seems like a good one. Another might be to put something in his food to give him the runs for a while, never seen a dog that would stoop to licking it up. Kind of messy though. Sure wouldn't be kissing any dogs for a while. They used to break chicken killers by hanging a dead old chicken around his neck and letting it rot off. You might get a fabric bag and fill it with....and hang it around his neck. Or, if he likes ....so much, quit feeding him food and fill his bowl with..... and see how he likes that for a main course dailey. He just might get tired of eating it.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Not sure if this will work for a kennel dog but here is what I did. When Jett was a puppy sad to say he was a shit eater also  I had heard if it but thought it could never happen to me. 
I am a working man I get up drink coffee feed the dog get dressed let the dog out and go to work its dark and I am to busy to stand around and wait for my dog to take a dump and see if he eats it. 
Here is what i did I let him out and quickly feed him in the house before I let him out side I grab a hand full of kibble and toss it scatter it across the grass in the back yard. Then pup finishes eating and needs to go out and piss and shit pup smells food on the ground starts hunting and eating kibble pup has to take a small break to poop and pee go's rite back to hunting kibble forgets all about the shit. Did it did month and stopped pup did good for a few days gos back to eating shit gave one more month kibble toss cured! hasn't eaten any shit in 1 1/2 years.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Mike Schieber - Not sure if that would work for a kennel dog either, but that's pretty darn creative.


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

Training by ambush! Don't wait for the opportunity, Set up a bunch of "dump" sites and walk the dog to them, every single time the dog even looks at the pile stim him, do this a lot of times , no need for high voltage. Also have you tried to limit the kennel pooping? Take him for a short walk, let him go and right back in the kennel. Maybe you already tried this?


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

Mike,

I understand your frustration. When Smudge used to eat her sh*t it used to really annoy me. Let's face it, you don't want a dog anywhere near you after it has eaten sh*t.

There are various products on the market that claim to help, such as Forbid (which is prescription only in the UK) and Deter:
http://www.petvetcare.co.uk/acatalog/nutrition.html
http://www.viovet.co.uk/p1284/Deter_Coprophagia_Tablets_-_Pack_of_60/product_info.html

Another option might be to teach the dog to eliminate on command? Smudge will do this in the morning as she knows she gets her walk after she has gone.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

Funny, that site you link for Deter says:



> but most dog owners find it offensive


MOST?? I don't think I wanna meet the people that like it!!


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## Scott Dunmore (May 5, 2006)

In Pam Reid's book, 'Excel-erated Learning,' there's a section on taste aversion learning where she talks about working with stool eating dogs. She says that the most effective method was to lace the shit with lithium chloride which will make the dog puke after eating it. The analogy is made of having a bad experience with a type of food (or drink...) and avoiding that food for ages afterwards.

It seems like a tricky solution, but might be worth a try. She lists a number for Bio-Behavioral Technology, Inc., the company that did the research, to buy coprophagy kits. 602 897 1541. Their address is in Arizona. The book is 12 years old, though, so I don't know if the number is still good.

I haven't had to try this myself, so I don't know how well it works, but it's probably worth having a go. The book is a good read, as well.
Good luck!


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

You could settle in and enjoy a nasty habit dog, change his name to "Shithead", or do what I do when they eat sheep shit.........."SPIT THAT OUT YOU FREAKING MORON!" At which time the neighbors expel their dinner and drop the fork! Ooops sorry...:mrgreen:


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

All my dogs are already known as Shithead


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## Dan Long (Jan 10, 2008)

Mike I know it's more difficult in a kenneled environment, but I know some people with this problem who simply pick up after the dog as soon as it finishes it's business. That way there is no opportunity to eat it.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

Gross as it is there aren't alot of health implications for the dogs - so as disgusting as it is to watch it is fairly harmless.

Other than try the already posted solutions there isn't much you can do about it. Not completely off topic story to follow.....

I used to work as a guide for a busy sled-dog outfitting business and we got alot of customers from a rather $ couples resort and while most people were very nice and good sports we used to occassionaly (well, frequently...) get some rather "high maintenance" customers. Depending on the customer and what kind of hell someone had put you thru could lead to you enlightening some fur clad lady on what the doggie had just been eating when she waxed poetic about doggie kisses ......:twisted: 
Or if they hadn't tipped you yet you could just not say anything - 
but think - "man, if only she'd seen what he was mowing down on this morning!..... O


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## Ron Swart (Jun 7, 2007)

> It seems like a tricky solution, but might be worth a try. She lists a number for Bio-Behavioral Technology, Inc., the company that did the research, to buy coprophagy kits. 602 897 1541. Their address is in Arizona. The book is 12 years old, though, so I don't know if the number is still good


I tried calling it and it was not valid


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

Put pineapple in his food. It works.

A friend of mine had success with Solid Gold's SEP.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

SEP? Shepherd Eats Poop?

I bought some pineapple today, I will add it to his food tomorrow. Any suggestions on quantity???? 2 cans should do it right??


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

SEP - stop eating poop


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Konnie Hein said:


> SEP - stop eating poop


Ah. A 12-step program?



:lol:


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## Melissa Hoyer (Aug 28, 2006)

Interestingly, my Kira hates to go poop. She looks like it is the most embarassing thing in the world to do - BUT she was happy enough to eat it after the fact. She was a kenneled dog until 4.5 months and had certainly spent some time developing her poop eating technique UGH! It doesn't help that I have another GSD with EPI and she doesn't always digest her food as well as she should...very tasty, I'm sure.

Few things that worked for us, in order:
1. Raw Diet
2. Probiotics & Digestive Enzymes
3. Quick clean up
4. Electric Collar 
5. Growing a little older

Now, she only plays with poopsicles in the winter occasionally and uses my other GSD has a soft-serve machine every once in awhile...good lord, why do we keep these beasts around?


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## Jamielee Nelson (Apr 24, 2008)

Mike Schoonbrood said:


> I don't know if I can get Forbid in Belgium, but I will try the UK site Ian suggested.


You can buy it on eBay you dont see a prescription to get it


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

Hey neat they ship to Europe too. Its amazing (not really) how few US ebay sellers want to ship to the EU.

Global economy my ass. Maybe if it wasn't such a(n expensive) pain in the ass to ship over international waters the world would be a happier place. Import duty + tax would add 24.5% to the price of anything shipped to me from the US in addition to the shipping costs ($40+ for a moderate size package)


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

At least you can count on a shipped package actually getting to you if it's sent to Europe. If you try to ship something to Costa Rica it somehow mysteriously disappears. Nine out of ten times it's a total waste of time and money to even try.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

> At least you can count on a shipped package actually getting to you if it's sent to Europe.


Oh absolutely. I mean, it might take 3 weeks to get here, and customs might use it as a foot stool for 3 or 4 weeks, but by golly, 9/10 times it'll get to you!!


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