Over the last few weeks I thought Ripple's obsession with eating other dog's poo was on the wane, we were starting to have off lead walks that didn't involve me constantly being on the look out for piles of poo. But for the last couple of days he has been like a dog possessed; yesterday, as soon as I let him off the lead he disappeared back the way we had come to eat some poo he had obviously smelt as we went past, today was horrendous as soon as he was off the lead he rushed about eating all the poo he could find. To my shame I lost my temper with him as he smeared some on my coat when I tried to catch him - knowing how cross I was with him he then would not come back and I just got crosser and crosser until eventually I did manage to catch him. I then gave up on the walk and brought him home. I now realise that he hadn't actually stopped eating poo, it's just the weather here has been so awful that it's either been washed away or people just haven't been out walking their dogs. I know I shouldn't have lost my temper but it really gets on top of me when he's like he was today, I even told him I felt like rehoming him . I don't think he's ever going to stop, so somehow I have to find a way of coming to terms with it.
It's hard, and I sympathize. It's difficult to break the habit so we try to avoid places where she might find poo. Normally we keep here on a lead until well clear of the car park because that's where poo seems to concentrate. Sometimes she notes the spot then doubles back! For the next few weeks she will be more interested in blackberries than poo so we get a short respite.
Sorry to read that you had a bad day. It is upsetting, kind of complicated when we love them so much and they do this. I can sympathasise - Cassie still loves her own, which at least I know where it is and can pick it up, if she gets there first I just tell myself it saves me a job! She also eats the poo of the GS that belongs to the owners of the estate where we live, at that's annoying, it is never picked up, I don't know what they feed her on, but she doesn't eat any others. I try to see it that she's a dog, and to her it's just a tasty snack. And as for her own, well she has to clean herself, especially when in season and I don't object to that. I still wish see didn't do it. And you do enjoy the gundog training don't you? That must be a time when you and he enjoy your time together without this.
Sorry you had a bad day I think they seem to have naughty days when you spend all day trying not to throttle them. Stanley definitely does. I'd try and let the poo thing go - it's rank, but it's not the end of the world, especially if it really gets you stressed out. Stanley doesn't eat dog poo - but he eats horse, sheep & cow poo. I used to try and wrestle him away, but now I just leave him to it and make sure he doesn't lick me. And I'm not sure if it's because I don't care as much so I don't notice it or if its because now I don't care it's less valuable to him, but it does seem to have gotten better. I hope you have a better day tomorrow - definitely have a (large) glass of wine tonight x
Moo has always done this she eats any including human. None of my others ever have. It used to bother me but in the end I stopped getting upset took what precautions I could.Its a hard habit to break. I got her to do it less with Care and vigilance but like you I'm only human. I also stopped getting excited about it and that seemed to take some of the fun out of it for her They are sneaky so sorry it upset you so much.I know he's such a hard dog like Moo is but you do such a good job with him, you really do.lots if dogs do it Its just one of those things that most dog owners don't warn you about
Thank you everyone, I'm trying to feel better about it but I'm still upset I lost my temper. Certainly for Ripple there's no treat that is a higher value than dog poo. @JenBainbridge I've got a cup of tea and a large bar of chocolate I did consider a Pimms but I thought it wouldn't go with the chocolate. @selina27 yes, the gundog training is great, although even there he has occasionally disappeared off for some poo. @Hollysdad - the doubling back gets me every time, it throws me into panic as I never know how far back he will go.
@SwampDonkey - Ripple is the only one of my dogs that has done it. As I thought he had stopped I even started looking for another puppy, but I have a dread of him passing the habit on so I'm not sure another dog is a good idea.
Yep those were my thoughts when I got Rory. I just never let him see her do it when he was young , ever. I was a demented poo picker upper and distractor. I had 3 dogs then and he never saw a poo hit the floor until he was about 1yrs old. I always exercised them separately which was ok because they had different exercise needs anyway. I took out with the old boy who didn't do it too and he taught Rory good habits. If I took him out with Moo I kept her on her lead. Most dog culture I encourage and want to keep but this tradition had to go.its was like total football you play it like you mean it. He never ever saw her do it, she never had the opportunity to teach him to do it. He does not do it. If I can do it so can you, Rory may occasionally try a bit of horse or rabbit but it's not a lifestyle choice like Moo. You just have to not let them learn it's nice or that you might want it. Its do able don't let it put you off you just have to be on it all the time until they are old enough not to copy the poo eater .
I was utterly furious with my boy as he found a bird wing ripe with feathers and wouldn't give it up...and I couldn't pry it from his jaws. This thread has made me feel a lot better - he's not interested in poo - so thanks to all the contributors for giving me such a revolting comparison
I wonder why some dogs do this and some don't. None of my 3 Labs or my Malamute ever ate poo, and it is not something we trained out of them, they just didn't do it.
I've only had one dog that ate her own poop, not other dogs'. Much easier to handle. She started doing it after we rescued her and we never understood why this nearly starving dog, now that she had a ready supply of good food and had it for a couple of years with us, THEN started on her own poop. After many months of diligent picking up by us she stopped. But other dogs' poop, you have no control over it; much, much harder to deal with if they eat everybody else's. You sure have my sympathy.
Yes it's a tough one. Our dog Sky who is 10 has always eaten poo so I understand all your emotions as I have been there. A few years ago she was extremely ill with haemorrhic gastritis - we will never know but have always thought it was linked to the poo eating. She now wears a muzzle when taken on the wood/fields walk daily here. I hate it but I hate the thought of her getting so ill again more. I don't think I will ever feel comfortable about the muzzle but accept it is necessary. She isn't muzzled on other walks where she has less freedom and we can see what she is doing. I am obsessional about clearing up both dogs poo the minute it happens. I know Red the puppy has eaten poo but hoping she being a different dog won't develop such a habit. Don't beat yourself up about losing your temper although I completely empathise with you. I too have done this and it only makes us feel bad, it doesn't stop them doing it. I don't think I have ever really come to terms with it but it is no bugs me in quite the same way.
Ripple is a great eater of all sorts of rubbish, piles of mown grass in our local rec being another one - that worries me as he would eat such quantities if he could that I imagine it would be very bad fermenting in his stomach. However, on the plus side, the other day at the beach he found a large piece of foam (probably from old furniture), my heart sank as I thought he would eat it, but instead he very nicely presented it to me in exchange for a (very) large biscuit .
Another big problem with dog poo eating yesterday on our walk . I know what makes me cross, it's ignoring the 'leave it' - which he seems to know perfectly well when on the lead and even off lead if it's not poo he's eating. Also the not coming back when he's found poo, this of course is made worse if I get cross with him as then he's got more reason not to come back; vicious circle. I still need to work harder on coming to terms with it. Luckily this time it hasn't affected his tummy at all. He's improving in so many other ways it's a real shame that this is affecting my relationship with him .
Ah Steffi, I get it, and I get your anger and frustration. I wish I could be relaxed about it but I just can't. Xena doesn't eat dog (small mercies) but she'll eat cat and human if it's going. We're not rural so sheep etc hasn't been an issue. The cat poo eating was never something I allowed, it just happened. You're walking along, and suddenly there's a mad snuffle and BAM, turns out there was a cat poo in that long grass/bush/flowers. I wish all cats were considerate and would poo on nice, short grass, but they bloody don't. How are you supposed to beat them to something that you can't even see? If I notice the mad sniffing I tighten the lead and move away, but I'm sure she's got a 50% success rate. Off-lead tracks are few and far between in NZ, but there are certain off-lead areas that I won't let her off on because of a) lots of household rubbish, and b) human poo. I'm very strategic with where I let her off lead for multiple reasons - I don't want her running up to other dogs, I don't want her scavenging food, and I don't want her eating poo. I feel for you with the dog poo, because it's bloody everywhere. All I suggest is being as strategic as you can with your walks (are there "cleaner" walks than others?) and maybe doing more lead walks?
Coco is a cat poo eater. Last week he pounced on what looked like cat poo on the pavement, snaffled a piece up before I knew what he was doing, then spat it out in disgust - it was dog poo. Small dog, big quantity.
Took Stanley for a walk yesterday and he thought he was at an all you can eat sheep poo buffet. Got me up twice in the night with the trots. Lovely!
