Hi, we have a 10 month old Lab and when he is on the lead walking he doesn't eat random things when he tell him to leave it. Problem is whenever he is off the lead he goes in search of other dogs poo ( not interested in his own and has never eat his own) but loves eating others. Not every type some he leaves. I have asked a gentleman who has a couple of labradors near us and he has said it may be the food he is on that isn't giving him enough nutrients. He has been on puppy iams since we brought him home at 8 weeks and that what he was on at the breeders. Please can anyone advise me if they have had this problem and what they did? What is the best food to switch to if he needs more nutrients? We tried one from the vets but he wouldn't eat it, he wasn't interested in it at all. Thanks.
Our 10 year old black lab has always done this despite all our efforts. She eats Arden Grange chicken and rice both wet and dry, which is a good quality food and she loves it so we knew it wasn't her diet. The year before last, she was horribly ill from eating other dogs poo - we thought we were going to lose her. Since then, we only let her walk freely with a muzzle on. Much as we hate this and the response it gets from others, it has forced her to stop and she has been well since. She is a very gentle loving lab so I hate her having it on but it's the difference between having a well dog or a sick dog. I think there is an article on the site about poo eating.
Another poo eating lab - join the club. It seems to be pretty common, lots of threads on here about it. Ripple is my third lab and the only one that has done this; like yours it's other dogs poo and some kinds more than others. I fed Millie's Wolfheart from quite a young age and that's a decent quality kibble and that didn't make any difference. Now I feed one meal kibble and one meal raw and although Ripple eats poo less I'm not convinced it's his diet, I think it's the huge amount of work I've done on 'leave it'. I've also become expert on spotting poo first and keeping Ripple away from it with distraction games and also the 'magic word' cue. I've not tried a muzzle as I'm not sure about the effectiveness - I think I would just end up with a poo covered muzzle. I would recommend continual training and games when you are out walking, unfortunately this doesn't make for a very peaceful walk but hopefully in time the habit will become less.
Ye Yes, we first bought a fabric mesh muzzle and sometimes you knew she has tried to eat poo so I was always washing it! Then we got a plastic boxy type one which not only stops this happening by it's construction but more importantly we think fits better - she doesn't seem to mind it going on so we reckon more comfortable. As soon as her lead goes on, it comes off. Really we would just prefer not having to put one on her (and believe me, I absolutely hated the idea of it) but after her being so desperately ill that time and the time it took to get her well again, it has to be. We tried all the distraction games, watching her like a hawk etc but our daily walks through the fields and wood just turned into a stressful event.
I would consider changing her food as Ian's isn't very good quality. Have a look on the dog food comparison website for suggestions. When off lead, does he interact with you? I play a lot of ball games, hide behind tress etc. It keeps her attention on me and not on other dogs or things she could eat.
It may be worth changing foods @Solo - sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. As @SteffiS says it all comes down to training, training and training. A muzzle may prevent the poo eating but it is not changing the behaviour which is what you really want and of course you will end up having to clean muzzles caked with poo instead. I do sympathise, my girl was awful for poo eating - dog, cow, horse, rabbit. Our walJ's were constant vigilance and many, many 'leave' and treats and 'magic word' use we got there. Now I honestly can't remember when she last touched or went to touch any. Walks may not be fun but then walks with young dogs rarely are - it's all a training opportunity.
Welcome to the forum @Solo from Hattie 9 years and Charlie our rescue boy 6 years. Hattie was an animal poo eater but not dog poo thankfully. I have a good "leave it" cue and now she can walk through sheep, rabbit, cow, horse even fox poo and not eat it and she never rolls in it either, she looks at me as she knows a "leave it" means a yummy treat. This training didn't happen overnight but it does work and someday could save your dog from eating something that could harm him. I believe it's one of the most important cues to teach a puppy/dog and it's pretty simple to get started. Charlie however doesn't eat poo because he is running too fast x
Hi, my sympathies with this one, Cassie is a bit of a poo eater. I say "a bit of " because about four months ago I thought my whole life revolved around dog poo --- her own was a particular delicacy, I don't know which is worse really. Also all other species, I think badger was the only one never sampled. Anyway, she's 10.5 months now and all that seems a distant memory, I don't know if her world has become bigger and there's more too it than poo eating. One day I realised that I had to change my own attitude, (not easy), but I read something about bitches cleaning up after their puppies and so I started telling myself that she was doing a great job cleaning up the world! Also that she's just a dog and to her someone's left a tasty snack. The other thing that happened when I turned a blind eye instead of marching up to get her to leave it ( as then I thought I was going to have the perfect dog!) was that she would often pick it up (oh yuck) and spit it out and leave it and now mostly sniffs and walks on. Whereas before she would bolt it down before I could prevent her from doing so. She still does it a little bit, there's a certain dog that must be fed on something irresistible, but it's nothing like the problem it was. I think advice from others re distraction and training is a big help. Also can see that health risks as at @Atemas raised are a real concern.
Cassie went on to Skinners Junior at around 7-8 months, about the time things started to ease off, it may have been influencial.
We had that issue with arnie our last lab if it was there he would eat it marley our pup is the same a lab thing so I am told was told by a breeder to put pineapple bits or juice on food as it give it foul taste the other end was a bit scepitcal but it works after 2 days with marley the pup he leaves it alone would definitely recommend trying it
Bailey was an avid fox and rabbit poo eater (and roller in fox poo too). However, once I found out that a hot dog sausage was better than fox poo it all stopped - I really can't think the last time he either ate or rolled in fox poo - he will still snaffle the occasional bit of rabbit poo, but as my vet said, think of it like salad as that's all rabbits eat! I am lucky that he has never shown interest in other dogs poo or any other animals or human poo that I know some on here have to deal with . Bailey is now fed raw in the mornings and Taste of the Wild kibble in the evening. We have tried various kibble with Bailey over the year we have had him, but he has done well with Taste of the Wild.
