Poop eating

[Bluebonnet2 0]

I have two beautiful Shih Tzus - one almost 14 and the other 1 year old. The younger one likes to eat poop and I don't know how to stop this. We've been to the vet and tried the pills, which did not work (yes both dogs got them). I work and cannot be there all day to watch them. She will eat a meal and then go out and eat some poop, too. Help! How can this be stopped? I don't know whose she is eating, her own or the older dog's since they are usually doing this further back in our large backyard. Any advice is appreciated. Otherwise, she is healthy and a happy dog. They go out on their own through the doggie door.

[Emma's mommy 0]

Oh no, not yours too! I'm sorry I can't help you with that, mine hasn't started yet. ( fingers crossed ) I keep reading about it so I'm watching Emma like a hawk!!

I'm sure some one will chime in and give you good advice.

[mr.coffee 364]

Ummmm....you don't? LOL...j/k. Some will always do it. Some never do. I found working with Leave It and Drop It commands and high value treats helped.

-m

Edited September 15, 2010 by mr.coffee

[ShihtzuBeauty 47]

Hi and Welcome to the family! I have 2 out of 4 that eat poo and the only thing that works here is picking it up Right away.

[Wicket's mom 1]

:)!!

I'm sure this is not the answer you were looking for, but I'm with Melissa in saying picking it up as soon as it hits the ground is the only sure way! I've tried the powders, pineapple, spraying with a water bottle when he goes for it...the leave it command works most of the time...but since yours use the doggy door and you're probably not necessarily right there when it happens this might be a challenge. I'm sorry, I don't know how to help you, even though my back yard is fenced all around and I can see them from the kitchen window, I always go outside with them...

[Vicki 8,173]

I HAD this poop eating problem with my female Shih Tzu a few months back.

She never ate her own poop, but started eating poop when I got the second dog.

I called my vet and was given some prescription pills to give the male dog, which was supposed to make his poop taste awful and break my female from eating his poop.

Well, that didn't work. I then got some OTC pills from Petco and gave them to my male for over a month.

That didn't work either.

I switched the brand of dog food in a test to see if that was what it was. No luck, so I tried another brand. Still no luck.

THEN, I quit giving a certain treat that they only got once a day. MILK BONES.

I haven't had a problem with the female eating poops since.

Once, when on vacation and my Grand Daughter was staying here to take care of the dogs, she fed them Milk Bones (not knowing I had ceased that), and the female started eating the male's poops again!

I am convinced it was the Milk Bones since a few days after we got back (and I found out they'd been given the Milk Bones) it ceased again.

My suggestion for anyone having this problem is to try removing certain foods or treats from their diet, one by one, to try and find the cause.

I'm sure glad I did!