My puppy is a poo eater, any ideas how to stop her Questions

I feel mildly put on the defensive here.. I believe I stated above that vets (my vet) has said things about diet that made me feel he wasn’t that knowledgeable.
When reading things online you can find a huge myriad of different opinions, I’m trying my best, and appreciate the feedback here. Please don’t bite my head off as I try and learn...
I’ve looked thru the ingredients on the “puppy” food and on the “adult” food I’m feeding my older dog. The %’s of protein,fat, etc are very similar. It turns out that the food older dog is getting is an “all life stages” food. Some ingredients are same, actually many. The main difference is crude fiber .5% higher in “all life stages”, vitamin E is 25IU/kg higher in “puppy” food, and the calorie content is higher in “puppy” food, 364kcal/cup vs 337kcal/cup.
I am switching the pup to the “all life stages” food.

Please refer to my post above to GsdSlave.

In the future I may look into making my own food for my dogs. I have a few challenges in this. I live off grid, create my own electricity. I would need either a very efficient electric freezer (expensive) or an propane (lpg) freezer, which are expensive and I’m not sure how well they really work. My freezer above my fridge (lpg) works ok, but not great..
Also I’ve been a vegetarian for over 30 years so the idea of working with a lot of meat while prepping food is rather unappealing to me. I might be able to get over that.
In the mean time I’ll continue to share my apples and oranges (I thought it strange they liked citrus) with them, and I will offer carrots as snacks too, to give them some fresh fruit and veggies. Maybe I’ll get some livers or other organ meat to put on top of kibble.

Marc, yes, I do know that you do live off grid and that you are a vegetarian and now way could you feed your dogs as I do. It is not easy and nor is it - umm - pleasant messing with raw meat.

But what I can cope with and what I think is best for my wubble, is my problem. And no way would I ever try to convince anyone to feed the way I do.

And Tikva lurves nanas. Just as Pereg loved kohlrabi.

Don't! A lot of things come across as overly abrupt online when they would sound perfectly OK in normal conversation

I brought up making my own food for the dogs because of a few videos I watched last night. She was talking about different types of pet diets, listing in order what she thought was best to worst. I found it very interesting and good food for thought but seems it takes much understanding and research to feed ones pet a well balanced homemade diet. So for now I’ll feed them the best kibble I can find that fits my financial constraints and supplement it with a few fresh items.

I’ll take that into consideration in the future and try to not get my hackles up..

I started raw feeding probably middle 2011 because some people on the Epi List found their epis did better on it - and some kibble contained items that they found were triggers for their dogs. It did take a while, tweaking things, and although it did not help Pereg she definitely enjoyed raw better than kibble. Mind you I had to buy another freezer...

...and even Pereg was not that big - maybe ±20kg

It is not easy - it is messy [I am talking about raw, not cooked food] and it is preferable to give the dog vitamin and mineral supplements. After all, kibble and tinned dog food have these additives and who knows where they come from. I know exactly where the food and supplements I buy come from.

Tikva has been on raw since I finished bottle feeding her and had weaned her. She is three-years old and weighed 5.7kg three months ago and Ram, my vet, will be here shortly so she will be weighed again [he has to know how much to draw for her Parkworm shot].

Raw feeding is not easy and definitely not for everyone. I do not know anything about cooked food for dogs.

@who owns who I am in the same situation as you - I am also a vegetarian, ( I do eat fish, it is the slaughterhouse methods that I am opposed to). However, my OH is not veggie, so although I don't really like handling raw meat, I do allow the Beagles a little raw supermarket minced beef occasionally. Eddie refuses to eat either raw chicken or fish, but both of them like the type of product which comes cooked in a plastic tray, (oh dear, plastic, yet more moral decisions), and I usually use these, with some cooked mixed vegetables, to add flavour and variety to their grain-free kibble.
We all arrive at our own feeding methods, based on a balance of what seems to suit our dogs best, what we like to see them relish, and what we find convenient. It is a good thing that there are so many options available, as there really is no one size fits all, - though I would like to see some of the lower rated products disappear from the shelves.

I wasn’t having a dig at you, just trying to point out that vets are not the best for giving nutrition advice.

I’m so frustrated.. I let her out after she had her dinner tonight, and I went out 2 minutes later and she was already having a snack (of poo).
As soon as she heard me she came running away from it, but with a piece in her mouth.. yuck. Sometimes after I’ve followed her out and cleaned up her poo she will squeeze a bit more out so she can snack on it.. I’m just shaking my head as I type this. On walks she doesn’t try and eat any poo, hers or other dogs. I guess at this point she has lost all her freedom. She will only be allowed outside while I’m with her. Maybe I’ll allow her to be on my small deck, but tied up on a line so she can’t get off. Hopefully she won’t start pooping up there.. I hate to take all her freedom from her but this habit needs to be broken, it’s effecting my relationship with her, and I’m washing my hands so much, anytime she licks me. She is very affectionate and full of licks/kisses, but I don’t really want them from her while she eats her poo. Argh. How long do you think it might take before I can try giving her some freedom? I’m thinking that she needs to be on restriction for at least 2 months.. I’m really upset about this.

I am in the process of changing her food too. I really hope if I’m super diligent about this that I can get her to stop eating her poo. I don’t want to have to restrict her for her whole life, that’s no good for her or me, and I can’t put up with this, it’s disgusting and making me feel depressed.. I’m not a happy camper at the moment. Sorry to come on here and whine... this is just so upsetting for me. I have dogs because they make me feel more relaxed, but Katie Mae is stressing me out, the opposite of what I need. It’s almost bed time but I’m much to upset to go to bed.

I feel like I got a defective pup.
I’m giving myself a panic attack just thinking about this. I don’t know if I could put up with this for 10-15 years if I can’t alter her behavior, and I feel horrible thinking about that. It’s going to be like she’s an apartment dog. Now when I go out she will always have to be inside, and so will Bandit too I guess. : -(

Marc - Katie Mae is NOT a defective pup - she is just one of thousands of pups who like eating their own poo. Restricting her freedom might do the opposite of stopping the habit, ie almost making it a game for her to get to her poo before you do even if you are standing there with her on a short leash. And keeping her [and Bandit] inside when you go out might end up with her pooing indoors and eating it without you knowing it.

Please do not give up on her, and please try not to worry yourself into having panic attacks. Just love Katie Mae, however disgusted her poo eating makes you feel.

I think you could do with a few cyber (((hugs)))

Thanks Juli. I know Katie Mae is not a “defective pup”, I was just feeling very frustrated at that moment.. I wish I could take comfort knowing lots of other dogs “do it”.. sigh

I have relaxed. I made some tea I got from the acupuncturist for when I have insomnia, it’s very relaxing (got horrible insomnia two months ago when I quit smoking). Katie Mae is really an awesome little puppy girl, I totally love her. She is very devoted to me, much more so than Bandit, he is a more typical aloof Akita. She keeps her eye on me much more than he does. She learns quickly and listens really well, isn’t stubborn like a typical Akita (at least not yet). Her and Bandit get along really well, it’s working out just as I was hoping it would adding KM. It’s just the poo eating. It just got to me tonight.

It was just the way she ran away from her poo but kept the piece in her mouth, and then dropped it as she got near me. I don’t scold her for doing it, but she does see me shovel it up. I guess she might see it like I’m taking something from her, haha.

I think it already is kind of a game for her. She ran away from it when she heard me. It was around the corner of the house so I couldn’t see her, but that’s the area they like to poo in. When I leave them in the yard there is plenty to shovel out, so she’s not eating it all (oh happy day!!).

I do leave them inside sometimes, if it’s too hot out, or raining, and at night time. I’d smell it on her breath if she ate inside poo. I’d think.. I’m not giving up on her, she’s my dog and I’ll look out for her and she’ll look out for me. She really is the sweetest Akita I’ve ever met. Both of them are, have nice temperaments. My previous Akita was much more aloof with people, not as friendly.

They are both sleeping inside now, and I should do the same. Thanks for the cyber (((hugs)))

I do know how you feel. Merry would eat any dog's poo when she came, and would even snatch horrid pieces while we were walking. Being told that dogs don't share our hang-ups, and that it was just recycling doesn't help, it really does make you feel sick!
As I said before, my breakthrough was rewarding her for doing her poo. To begin with I gave extra special treats which were much tastier than what she had done, and praised, praised, praised her for poo. Carry something tasty in your pocket every time you go outside with her. Supervision is essential, but make it low key so she stays relaxed. (I'm sure there must be a flower pot in that area which needs a lot of attention). Keep your trowel or poo bag nearby, so you don't need to leave 'it' on the ground where she could snatch a piece.
It will come, and the first time she poops, leaves it, and comes to you for her reward, you will feel as if you've won the lottery.

So you’re saying there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that you yourself have seen this light!! That gives me some optimism, at least for the moment. Your dog Merry was older when you got her so it was an even more entrenched habit.. so maybe a can work through this with a young pup. Thanks for the tips!!

Today she didn’t poo before we went out, (2:30pm) she knew I was watching her.. she went twice while on our walk and hasn’t gone tonight.. although she seems to not be feeling well. Didn’t eat much dinner and spit/threw up a little bit and it smelled of poo..and was brown tinged : -(

I was talking with someone about this today and they said their dog does it too. But their dog just eats horse and others poo, not it’s own.. I said it’s not the same.. and that’s easier to control. The only place my dogs are off leash/lead is in our fenced in yards (I have 2 different areas, split by the little dirt road going down to my neighbor). So our yards are the only place she has access to “special treats”. I will have to find something tastier for her.

I will keep posting on this thread how this progresses..

If Merry poops in the garden - she does go out unsupervised now - she will now leave her poo for me to find. I still reward her - Good Girl, prize for poo poo! - when I see it and pick up, but the treats don't need to be as special these days.

She will still try to snatch rabbit and horse poo on her walks though, but she is on a longline so I can check her. Somehow that type of poo doesn't seem as objectionable, though it does still carry risks.

I can see that this is going to be a long process. I let her out this morning and spent some time in the yard. Nothing, and she hadn’t poo’d for 17 hours. Brought her back in and fed the dogs. Let her back out a bit later and she finally poo’d, over 19 hours since her last one. I called her over and made both dogs sit and gave them treats. Bandit was on me all morning as he could tell I had treats. Katie Mae took a long time to eat hers, will need to find something she likes better, and have to remember to tell her good poop instead of asking her to sit. Need to train myself too. She didn’t really want to come back inside either, she was stubborn about it, like why do I have to do that.

I can’t say that Katie Mae is getting any better... she is very sneaky... She still manages to get a bit of her special snack 2-3 times a week, sometimes through her sneakiness and more often from my momentary lapse, or last week when my nephew was here and I hadn’t told him to watch her close when he had her outside. I need to be more on it, but she’s fast. The other day we were outside and as I had to pee, and it’s my yard, i went outside too. When I finished and turned around she had already poo’d and was starting to snack... it’s a work in progress I suppose, I just need to be more vigilant. She’s more then happy to run over to me for some attention after going, I just have to keep my eyes on her. She doesn’t seem to mind being in the house with me, but it’s making her more of a Velcro dog. I guess I’d rather a Velcro dog than a poo eater, but I need to pay more attention or she will be both.. when I have treats with me all either dog does is bug me for them, so when she knows I have treats she’s focused on me and doesn’t poo..

I see that this has been viewed 355 times. Some of you must have or had dogs who have done this. Please chime in with your experiences, especially ones that had a successful resolution.

Marc - Katie Mae is still a puppy and she is now a puppy who "thinks" she is growing up. So she probably knows that you do not want her to eat what is hers - after all, she produces it therefore... - and now she could be confident enough to [how can I put this politely?] stick a finger up to tell you that she will, and can, do what she wants. Not what you want. And that, to her, means eating her poo.

And I could be way out on this, but maybe if she sees you scooping up her poo she might think you are taking something away that is hers? Sort of "I poo'd, that poo is mine, so why do you take it?"

Another thought - you say Katie Mae is affectionate but you can smell poo on her breath when she wants to cuddle/lick/love you. So if you pull away from her she would not understand why. If you really do think you can smell poo on her breath there is always something you can put in her water to take away unpleasant breath smells, but it is possible that because you know she has been eating poo you think you can smell it on her breath.

If that was the case, then I would smell the raw meat that Tikva eats - especially raw liver and raw ox lung, which I can smell as I handle it, smell as I cut it up, but can not smell on her breath even immediately after she has eaten.

I am not sure if the above makes sense to you, or can help you, but Katie Mae is your girl and you love her, just as she loves you. Hopefully she will grow out of her poo eating habit, sooner rather than later.