Why Do Dogs Eat Poop? Causes and How to Stop It

The Short Answer

I debated whether to write this one. It’s not exactly a glamorous topic. But after Cooper went through a brief poop-eating phase at around two years old — and after I frantically Googled everything I could find at 6am while trying not to look at his face — I realized just how many dog owners deal with this and how few talk about it openly.

So let’s talk about it. Honestly, thoroughly, and without judgment. Because if your dog eats poop, you are not alone, and there’s almost certainly a reason and a solution.

The Science of Coprophagia

First, let’s get the terminology out of the way. The scientific term for poop-eating is coprophagia (from the Greek copros meaning feces and phagein meaning to eat). It’s been studied extensively in veterinary behavioral science, and the findings are genuinely interesting.

A landmark 2012 study by Dr. Benjamin Hart at the University of California, Davis surveyed over 3,000 dog owners. The key findings were:

• 16% of dogs were classified as “serious” coprophagics (caught eating poop at least five times)
• 23% of dogs were observed eating poop at least once
• Dogs strongly preferred fresh poop (less than two days old)
• Multi-dog households had higher rates of coprophagia
• Coprophagia was not related to diet or how easy the dog was to house-train
• Female dogs were more likely to eat poop than males
• Greedy eaters (dogs who steal food) were more likely to be coprophagic

Medical Causes of Coprophagia

Before addressing behavioral causes, it’s important to rule out medical issues. If your dog suddenly starts eating poop when they never did before, a vet visit should be your first step.

Enzyme Deficiency

Dogs need specific digestive enzymes to properly break down and absorb nutrients from their food. If they’re not producing enough enzymes (a condition called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI), food passes through partially undigested. The dog essentially feels hungry all the time because they’re not absorbing nutrients, and they may turn to poop — which still contains undigested nutrients — to supplement their diet.

Malabsorption and Malnutrition

Even without EPI, dogs can have conditions that prevent proper nutrient absorption. Intestinal parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, and certain infections can all interfere with digestion, leaving the dog nutrient-deprived and more likely to seek out alternative food sources.

Medications

Some medications, particularly steroids like prednisone, can dramatically increase appetite and reduce a dog’s food selectivity. A dog on steroids may eat things they’d normally ignore, including poop. If your dog started this behavior after beginning a new medication, mention it to your vet.

Nutrient Deficiency

While modern commercial dog foods are generally nutritionally complete, a dog on a homemade or raw diet that isn’t properly balanced may develop deficiencies that drive poop-eating behavior. Deficiencies in B vitamins and digestive enzymes are particularly associated with coprophagia.

Conditions That Increase Appetite

Several medical conditions can cause increased appetite (polyphagia), which may lead to poop-eating:

• Diabetes — the body can’t properly use glucose, leading to constant hunger
• Thyroid disease — an overactive thyroid increases metabolism and appetite
• Cushing’s disease — excess cortisol production increases hunger
• Intestinal parasites — worms steal nutrients, leaving the dog hungry

Behavioral Causes of Coprophagia

Once medical issues are ruled out, behavioral causes are the next area to explore. These are actually more common than medical causes.

Ancestral Behavior

This might make you feel better: poop-eating has evolutionary roots. Wild canids (wolves, foxes) eat poop for several adaptive reasons. Mother dogs routinely eat their puppies’ feces to keep the den clean and to eliminate scent that could attract predators. Puppies often eat poop as part of normal oral exploration of their environment. It’s programmed into their DNA at some level.

Attention-Seeking

Dogs are remarkably perceptive about what gets a reaction from their owners. If your dog ate poop once and you responded with dramatic horror (guilty — I may have shrieked at Cooper in the backyard), they learn that this particular behavior produces an intense, immediate response. For some dogs, even negative attention is better than no attention.

Boredom and Anxiety

Dogs who are understimulated, left alone for long periods, or experiencing anxiety may develop compulsive behaviors, including coprophagia. The behavior can become self-reinforcing — the act of eating provides some form of stimulation or stress relief, which encourages repetition.

Learned Behavior from Other Dogs

In multi-dog households, a younger dog may learn to eat poop by watching an older dog do it. This is one reason coprophagia rates are higher in households with multiple dogs. Cooper’s brief poop-eating phase started right after we began visiting a dog park where several other dogs did it regularly. Coincidence? I think not.

Fear of Punishment

This is a heartbreaking one. Dogs who were harshly punished for accidents during house training may learn to eat the evidence to avoid being punished. They don’t understand that the punishment was about where they pooped — they just know that poop plus owner equals bad things happening. So they make the poop disappear.

Isolation and Confinement

Dogs kept in kennels, crates, or confined spaces for extended periods are more likely to develop coprophagia. This may be related to boredom, anxiety, or simply proximity — if there’s poop in your living space and nothing else to do, the odds of interaction increase.

How to Stop Your Dog from Eating Poop

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for. Here’s what actually works:

1. Clean Up Immediately

The single most effective strategy is also the simplest: remove the opportunity. Pick up poop immediately after your dog goes. In the yard, do a poop patrol at least twice a day. On walks, bag it right away. If there’s no poop available, there’s no poop to eat. This is what finally broke Cooper’s habit — consistent, immediate cleanup.

2. Improve Their Diet

Make sure your dog is eating a high-quality, nutritionally complete food. Consider:

• Switching to a higher-quality food with better digestibility
• Adding a digestive enzyme supplement (consult your vet first)
• Ensuring the food is appropriate for your dog’s age, size, and activity level
• Feeding adequate amounts — an underfed dog is more likely to scavenge

3. Increase Mental and Physical Stimulation

A tired, mentally engaged dog is less likely to develop or maintain poop-eating habits:

• Increase daily exercise — longer walks, more active play sessions
• Provide puzzle toys and food-dispensing toys
• Practice training sessions (even 10-15 minutes of focused training is mentally exhausting for dogs)
• Rotate toys to keep things interesting
• Consider doggy daycare or a dog walker if your dog is alone for long periods

4. Train a Strong “Leave It” Command

The “leave it” command is your best friend in this situation. Here’s how to build a reliable one:

1. Start with a low-value item (a boring toy) on the floor. When your dog looks at it, say “leave it” and reward with a high-value treat when they look away.
2. Gradually increase the appeal of the item on the floor while maintaining the reward for ignoring it.
3. Practice in different environments with different distractions.
4. Eventually practice near poop on walks. The moment your dog notices it, cue “leave it” and reward generously for compliance.

This takes time and consistency. Don’t expect overnight results. Cooper took about three weeks of consistent “leave it” practice before it became reliable around poop.

5. Commercial Deterrent Products

Several products are designed to make poop taste bad (or rather, worse). These work by adding a substance to your dog’s food that makes their stool unpalatable:

• Products containing yucca extract, chamomile, or parsley
• Meat tenderizer (the enzyme papain makes poop taste unpleasant)
• Pumpkin or pineapple added to food (some owners report success, though scientific evidence is limited)

6. Address Underlying Anxiety

If your dog’s poop-eating seems linked to anxiety or stress:

• Identify and reduce stressors in their environment
• Establish a consistent daily routine
• Consider consulting a veterinary behaviorist for severe cases
• Ask your vet about anti-anxiety medications if behavioral modification alone isn’t working

Why Eating Other Animals’ Poop Is Different

Many dogs eat cat poop, horse poop, goose poop, or rabbit droppings. This is actually different from autocoprophagia (eating their own poop) because other animals’ feces often contain different nutrients, higher protein content, or simply smell appealing to dogs. Cat poop is particularly attractive to dogs because cat food is higher in protein and fat than dog food, and some of that richness carries through.

While eating other animals’ poop is still undesirable (it can transmit parasites and bacteria), it’s more of a scavenging behavior than a sign of a problem. Management — keeping litter boxes out of reach, avoiding areas with horse or goose droppings — is the primary solution.

Is Poop-Eating Dangerous?

Beyond the obvious grossness factor, there are some genuine health concerns:

• Parasite transmission: Poop from other dogs or animals can contain roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, or giardia
• Bacterial infection: Salmonella, E. coli, and other bacteria can be present in feces
• Toxicity risk: If the poop came from a dog on certain medications, those medications could be present in the feces

Make sure your poop-eating dog stays current on parasite prevention, and mention the behavior to your vet so they can factor it into your dog’s health monitoring plan.

When Cooper Stopped

For transparency, here’s what worked for us. Cooper’s poop-eating phase lasted about six weeks and seemed to be a combination of learned behavior from the dog park and attention-seeking (my dramatic initial reaction definitely didn’t help). We addressed it with three things simultaneously: immediate cleanup every time, a strong “leave it” training program, and deliberately boring reactions if he did get to poop before I could pick it up. No shrieking, no chasing, just a calm redirect.

He also benefited from some additional exploration of why dogs eat grass, another common scavenging behavior that sometimes co-occurs with coprophagia.

Six weeks of consistency and the behavior disappeared completely. He’s six years past that phase now, and the only evidence it ever happened is this article and my lingering vigilance at the dog park.

Final Thoughts

If your dog eats poop, please don’t feel embarrassed or think something is wrong with you as an owner. This is one of the most common behavioral issues in dogs, it has clear causes, and it’s almost always fixable. Start with a vet visit to rule out medical causes, then focus on management (cleanup) and training (“leave it”). Be patient, be consistent, and try not to overreact when it happens.

And maybe hold off on the face kisses for a while. Just saying.