My 3 year old black lab Holly is a compulsive eater of other dogs' poo, . I have tried everything to stop her with no success. Last week again, she was stuffing herself and would not come back when called as she enjoys the poo fest so much. Eventually, despite being left in the garden on her return for 2 hours, as soon as she got into the house she brought lumps of dog poo up over the lounge carpet and kitchen floor. Not to mention being sick seversl times in the garden later. I am thinking of getting a muzzle so she can at least be off the lead and running about when we are out. Does anyone have any suggestions to stop poo eating. something like a nose scent inhibitor would be great. Ann
Hello and welcome to the forum. First off, let me reassure you that you are not alone. Plenty of dogs enjoy this less than pleasant habit. Here is an article that may help you: http://www.thelabradorsite.com/why-dogs-eat-poop-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/ There are a few things that I would raise from your post. If she's eating poo that's in your garden, I would suggest being more vigilant about clearing it up. It really doesn't take long when you get into the habit of picking up after her every time she goes. No poo = no opportunities to eat poo. Secondly, she doesn't need to be out in your garden without you. So, only letting her outside when you are around to go out with her will mean that you get to see when and where she goes (so can immediately pick it up) and distract her from any you've missed. As long as she is getting plenty of walks, she should never need to be out without you. A muzzle probably won't help you; plenty of dogs can still eat - and, maybe surprisingly, even bite! - through a muzzle. And a nose scent inhibitor? I don't know if such a thing exists but if it does, it would be bordering on cruelty, since a dog's sense of smell is so important to them. You should really be thinking more of management techniques than quick fixes like this. Finally, since a new regimen would mean you are always out with her to observe her, you can work on strengthening her "leave it" cue to work against poo. You do this by training it with less interesting items at first, and gradually increasing the desirability of what you're asking her to leave.
