* Warning: moan alert! * The recent poo poll (Lottie was a definite yes) has triggered me to ask if anyone has any advice for coping with a poo addict with a sensitive stomach. I posted on here about a year ago about how having both these problems was doing my head in and... it still is. Lottie (now 20 months) still has food intolerances and when she eats things that don't agree with her, she tends to do large, smelly poos (sorry) and quite often these happen overnight. I never hear anything so can't go and let her out, so it's an unpleasant greeting for me in the morning . I've resisted using a muzzle for ages and worked really hard on 'leave it' but that doesn't work when she's some way away from me or when she's overexcited (like when other dogs are around). So I have finally started using a muzzle but it seems to create almost as many problems as not using one: she spends most of her time using her paws or rolling around on the ground trying to remove it it's possible but not easy to give her treats through it if she finds poo, she rolls in it or sticks the muzzle in to eat what she can giving her a treat when the muzzle is covered in poo is not a pleasant experience walking to heel and recalls are getting worse because she keeps trying to remove the muzzle we can't do retrieves, hunting for treats etc, which is frustrating because she loves going off on scents and chasing deer/rabbit/squirrels etc, which is worse if I can't distract her people look nervous when they see her even though she's adorable really On the plus side, I don't have unwelcome presents in the mornings and I can try adding new foods to her diet without wondering if any reaction is to the new food or the poo she's eaten. I would love to know that there's some light at the end of the tunnel - like her growing out of either eating poo or the stomach problems (I can always hope!). Any advice/suggestions/encouragement gratefully received .
Sorry to hear you have your work cut out Ali. My sister in law's dog was an awful poo eater (her own) and this has got better as she is older, but my SIL was scrupulous about picking up the instant she had pooped and was sure this helped. How long has Lottie been using the muzzle for? I always thought that was the best solution but she doesn't seem to be happy at all about it. Could it be the design??
I can imagine this is a really frustrating problem. You seem to be trying most of the techniques normally recommended. This bit in your post made me think: I wonder if you would be better off pouring all your energy into training and keeping her close. You could work on a really strong off lead heel, and allow her exercise in things that you do together, retrieving, games, hunting etc. and keep her tightly focussed on those activities. In between, she can go back on her lead. So basically just don't let her be that way away from you, or run with other dogs (you could arrange playdates etc if you really want her to do this - in poo free places!). If you kept this up for long enough, perhaps the habit will wear off as she gets older.
Thanks for your replies. @drjs@5 I don't think the muzzle fits brilliantly but it fitted better than the others I tried in the pet shop. There don't seem to be many options given that I don't want a mesh one or one that I can't put treats through. Lottie has never eaten her own poo so I can't control it by picking hers up/feeding her pineapple etc. @JulieT this is an interesting idea. Perhaps I should use a muzzle if we're walking with another dog as that might be enough to distract her from the muzzle and yet stop her from poo-eating while they're running around and then do the controlled walking/training when we're on our own. Food for thought. Thanks.
My dog doesn't eat poo, but he is a dog that is capable of getting into all sorts of mischief if I let him wander. I too often make mistakes (although I try not to, of course) but the most stress free walks are when he is engaged with me, fetching and training, gets a limited amount of free time sniffing - but alongside me, bumbling very close to me, not off doing his own thing - and I put him back on lead when the level of distractions gets too high. I kicked myself yesterday because I thought I'd walk back to the car with him off lead but at heel, I knew I was pushing it because we had to walk down a bit that was very busy with other dogs and people, and sure enough he embarrassed me by legging it over to another dog. I'd have saved that if I had just put him on his lead!
I've had the same problem with Jura, she has a sensitive stomach, triggered by eating cat or fox poo which resulted in bouts of diarrhoea. As well as working on her leave it and drop it commands, when off lead I keep her close, and focused on me using games and rewards to keep her attention, and it has significantly reduced the problem. There is still the occasional time where she will grab a sneaky mouthful of some when she is off lead, but the effects are not nearly as bad now, and it has made a huge difference.
