I have two labs, a black lab who is 6 months old and a chocolate lab who is a year old. My chocolate lab keeps going out in the yard and eating poop. Then she comes in the house and a few hours later throws up. It is totally gross and not good for my dog. I live in upstate NY so it is hard to keep all the poop cleaned up this time of year. I do my best to watch her but sometimes she just wants to outside and play. Any suggestion on how I can get her to stop eating poop?

Training, training, training. It's essential to teach the "Leave it!" command. Also essential to reduce temptation... as much as it sucks, you need to get out in the snow and pick it up as soon as it's dropped. I have heard of people adding pineapple to the dog's food and having success with it... but it doesn't work every time and it definitely doesn't work if your dog is out at the dog park, on a walk, or whatever and eats another dog's feces.

The earlier you start training, the better. Poop eating is one of the hardest and nastiest habits to break... but it needs to be done since a world of worms and nasties live in poop.

"Leave it" only works if you're there to say it, although it is an important command every dog should know. The only real solution is to pick it up before they can get to it.

Is she eating her own poop, the black lab's poop or both? If she's eating her own I have also heard about the pineapple. There is also a product called For-bid. I think that I read putting canned pumpkin in her food might be a deterrent as well, but I'm not certain about that one.

Now, if she's eating your other dog's poop you have your work cut out for you. My chocolate lab who is 7 months old tries to eat my friend's dog's poop right after the dog poops. Gross. I have really been after my pup to stop this using the leave it command. He knows that command well and will respond, but will turn around and do it again given the opportunity. As somebody else mentioned you've got to get the poop picked up ASAP and you have to stay on top of the dog - watch them closely. My pup used to eat any poop he would find, but I've gotten him to stop that - it's just the fresh stuff he goes after now. Yuck.


Nancy

Generally she is eating my other dogs poop, not her own. Also she eats bunny poop which makes her sick too. The odd thing is she doesn't do it all the time. Just when she is in the mood...

Regarding the bunny poop -- Jasmine does the same thing and accordingly my Vet has added a dewormer for tapeworm to her dewormings. Common dewormers do not protect against tapeworm. You might want to talk to your vet to have this added to your pups dewormings.

You could try giving the For-bid to your other dog. The stuff makes the poop smell bad or something so it's not appealing. Maybe that would stop her.

Nancy

The only sure fire way of stopping a poop eater is to pick up the poop as soon as it hits the ground. Even if it is freezing outside and there is snow on the ground you are going to have to go out with your dogs and pick the poop up immediately.

my dog eats his poo too, but as long as I am there when he's going to say leave it, he will, but I leave him to it, there will be no trace!

Here is a link that will explain 20 reasons why dogs eat poop (http://www.pet-comfort-products.com/why-dogs-eat-poop.html). It may help to understand why they eat poop so you can decide what you want to do about it. You should know that this is not so uncommon.

You could let your poop eater out first to potty and then let your non poop eater out second. When everyone is done go pick it up. You may want to try letting her take a toy outside with her if she likes carrying things in her mouth. I have one that likes to carry things and I make her bring the toy back inside when she comes in. Sometimes a diet change can help.

I never had a dog that didn't eat rabbit poo but it usually doesn't cause any problems like vomiting and I have my dogs on Heartguard Plus that has a monthly worm-er in it.

Good Luck, I hope you can nip this in the bud since it just started.

I try to stop the behavior. Charlie got giardia and the vet said he could have gotten it from eating somebody's poop. Yuck. Truthfully, I think he got giardia from drinking out of rain puddles, but if there is a possibility of getting it from eating poop (and who knows what else they can get from doing it) the behavior has to stop. I've really been working with Charlie on stopping the habit. Plus, it's just so darn gross.

Nancy

Thank you everyone for all the information and helpful hints. I guess I am just going to have to pick up the poop before my dog does. Thanks again.

Lucy is a BIG poop eater. The only thing that has worked for me is to pick it up as soon as she goes...which actually works out better for me because I'd rather KNOW there's nothing back there for me to accidentally step on. I let them play out in the backyard by themselves for short intervals, but only when I KNOW its going to be a while before they have to poop again. Otherwise, I have to be out there watching her.