Poop. Poop is my life! (runny stools and eating, ICK)

[Curvygurl73 197]

Hey all....so, I'm very aware that small dogs tend to have the nasty habit of eating their poo, especially Shih Tzu . My angel Pepper did, but with training and Deter, we got good results. After a while, she hardly ever ate her poo.

WELL....my two little pups (a little over 3 months old), Freya and Raven, have some serious poo eating problems!! Especially Freya!!! She is actually a little obsessive about it i think!

We got her 2 weeks before we got him, and immediately noticed that she was highly possessive of her poo. To the point that, even though we would pick it up immediately, she would return to the previous spot and hunt for it the next time we went out! (and they say dogs can't remember! ha!) Treats, redirection, or praise had no effect on her intent to get the poo!! We take her out on a leash, and she quickly learned that she wouldn't get poo now. SO, my highly intelligent little angel decided to start poo hoarding....by which i mean, refusing to poo outside on her leash, and waiting to come inside and then drop her load and try to eat it before we noticed. (even in her exercise pen).

2 weeks later, we added Raven to our family (same age, same litter). He would also try to eat his poo, but was way less focused on it than her, and easily redirectible with toys/treats, etc. However, he seems to be getting more focused on poo as she ups the ante to get to hers (or his now).

An example of her manipulations for poo: the family was outside hanging in the yard for play/relaxation time. I noticed Freya go around a corner out of sight, so I follow and sure enough she is hunched. She sees me coming, cuts off the poo midstream and tries to whip around and grab a turd! I verbally correct and pick it up as fast as I can. I put her on the leash, and see if she will let the rest go. No go for 10 minutes. So, I let her off the leash...they play for about 15 minutes, and I see her go for the hunch again. I run over with a bag, redirect her with a "leave it", she does and I praise her! As I'm bending down to pick it up....I see her behind me hunching again!!!! And this time she whipped around to try and grab it before me....So, this time a firm "NO, BAD GIRL" and I go to pick up the latest turd. I kid you not....she is hunching AGAIN, and is straining!!! She manages to push out the tiniest sliver of poo I've ever seen...it was like a toothpick!! But, she was intent that she was going to get some poo!! OMG!!!

I know this is the "dirty little secret" (pun intended) of Tzus, but really??? This is beyond what I've ever heard from other owners that I know! Moments ago during playtime outside, I witness Raven getting ready to poo. I grabbed the bags and headed for them, and before I could get there, she had her face in his butt eating it like it was a water faucet!! Sorry about that visual...but I am so grossed out!!!

Complicating this is the second issue: loose stools! I didn't think too much of it at first as it was a new situation, shots, food changes, etc etc. But it seems like it should have evened out a little by now. Ravens poo is always firm first poo of the day....but from there it gets loose and looser till end of day its runny and messy. Freya's is mostly firm with some loose occasionally. Combine loose/runny stool with eating poo....well, I will let you form your own visual of their little faces. ICK! They are on Blue Buffalo Life Protection dry food.

Thoughts, suggestions, advice?? I don't want to try Deter or Forbid, or other things like that as they are still young. Has anyone discovered a more natural way to make poo less desirable?

Thanks!!

[Pawz4me 6,802]

The only time I've dealt with this issue it was easily corrected simply by picking up as soon as the dog went. Your situation sounds a bit more complicated. I do want to caution you about something -- if you're not very careful in your reaction, what you're likely to teach them is to NOT go in front of you. It sounds as if you're well on the way to that already with Freya. If she really gets the notion that she's not supposed to poop around you, then you're just complicating the problem even further. She's going to either constantly sneak off to poop somewhere you don't want her to, or she's going to develop chronic constipation. And it's possible that your reaction is causing her to become even more focused on getting poop. Calm and controlled and unemotional is the way to handle this. What I'd work on first is getting their poops good and solid. You may need to do a food switch, or it may be you're feeding them just a bit too much (overfeeding will often cause loose stools). Once you achieve good quality stools, I'd simply go out with them, stand very close by and not say a thing while they're in the midst of pooping. The instant they're done, you immediately begin to pick it up w/o making it any big deal at all. If she makes a move toward it calmly but firmly say "No," It's fine if you have to gently restrain her with one hand while you pick up with the other. You may have to experiment with that works in that regard. But I think you need to be very careful to not make them afraid to go in front of you. I would definitely try Forbid or Deter before I'd risk that.

[Vicki 8,173]

I "firmly" (pun intended) agree with Pawz4me! I've seen this some with my gals and try to look at it as practice should they become mothers. It is natural (and desired (?) ) for momma dogs to clean up after their puppies. I've never seen mine eat their OWN though, just others. Most have outgrown it now which I'm thankful for. Nothing like getting a big kiss from one of my babies right after they've had a "treat"! YUKKY!

Hang in there!

Vicki

[Luna 8,676]

I'm so used to this I rarely even notice it anymore (and I too have one that will "wait by the chute" for a "fresh delivery"). Some of mine don't do it at all any more, a couple are really awful about it. Had a handler friend accuse another of bringing a "fake" Shih Tzu to a show once: the dog was a singleton puppy and he would poop on one side of his pen and then immediately go to the other side and stare at the poop until someone picked it up, lol. I'm just delighted that neither of the pups we kept from our last litter is a poo eater!

[Sophie's Haven 17,464]

I have some POO eaters in my crew also...........I just give them a firm KNOCK THAT CRAP OFF stern voice and they know they are doing bad and cool it for a few days. Some days it is like the Sunday Buffet at Ryans Steak House...........you just have to stay on top of the action with a firm NO.

[Vicki 8,173]

KNOCK THAT CRAP OFF

Vicki

[missy dawn 22,220]

I would DEFINITELY get them off of blue buffalo! Look up blue buffalo reviews

Sheila-shih tzu dreamer

[Curvygurl73 197]

Going dog food shopping is like trying to decide on what brand of toothpaste to use!! there are SOOOOOO many, and all claim to be natural and have real meat these days. I'm totally open to other suggestions on dog food...I've wondered if that might have something to do with the softer poo as well. Blue Buffalo was one of the ones that my vet recommended and I had a coupon, so I went with that. Shelia, I googled reviews, but most everything I found was positive....? Are the "real" reviews hidden under all the paid stuff? What kind of food do ya'll (everyone in the forum) use?

Pawz4me....thank you for the feedback! I am trying very hard to not to correct the poo eating behavior with frustration when I correct, but I talked to a trainer who said that since treats/toys wasn't working to distract, to do the firm correction. I only give it once and only if she tries to eat it. But, I too have had concerns about the sneaky behavior being related to that (although, she became sneaky in the first week when I was still just using treats to get her away from it). A neighbor suggested a citronella collar as a training tool....anyone tried that?

My concern is that I would like to be able to let them play outside while the weather is nice (we live in Alaska, and as they say on Game of Thrones - Winter is Coming! - in which case they will be house bound a great deal) instead of having to stay mostly in their exercise pen. But right now, if they are out alone....even if she has just pooed, she will poo some more so that she has the freedom to buffet as much as she likes!! lol I would also like to teach them to use our doggie door when they are old enough and winter is here, so they can go out and potty when they need to and come back in without my husband and/or I standing over them in the midst of a snow storm waiting to grab the poo! I have other questions regarding potty training too....I think I will post that in another topic though.

[Vicki 8,173]

Here's a link to another thread of the raising of my puppies. They were about 12 weeks old when they mastered our doggie door.

http://www.chattertzu.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19823&page=9#entry238619

Hmmmm. That didn't seem to work, so here it is (and you need to click on the picture to start the video).

Vicki

[Curvygurl73 197]

ahhhhhh....i can't stand the cuteness!!! lol I think that they could both learn the doggie door pretty quickly....i just worry about letting them out alone and then the poo eating. Maybe once i can try Deter or Forbid, I will be one of the lucky ones whose dogs hate the stuff!! *fingers crossed*

[Vicki 8,173]

I have both a Sun Room and and exercise pen attached outside my doggie door so that my dogs can't get to the whole back yard (and pool). There are pictures somewhere in that thread of how it looks from outside.

Here's a photo of the entire setup:

Initially my Ebony and Panda refused to go outside when it was raining, so the sunroom came into existance. So they have a place outside to go potty and NOT get wet. (I live in Washinton State!)

Vicki

Edited July 14, 2014 by Vicki

[missy dawn 22,220]

Google top 627 complaints and reviews about blue buffalo pet foods.

www.consuneraffairs.com

please read this

sheila-shih tzu dreamer

[missy dawn 22,220]

Vicki, i never get tierd of looking at the monsters!

Sheila-shih tzu dreamer

[Curvygurl73 197]

ohhhhh, Vicki, i LOVE your set up!!! man...i wish we had that kind of space!! we have a LOT of space, but its just not easily accessible because of the split level!! grrr....our next house will most definitely be a ranch style!!

on a positive note (and i know that i'm cursing myself here! ha!), we have been two days poop-eating free!! of course....i've been on them like a duck on a june bug!! also, started something called "potty mouth"...a different version of Deter I guess. They were out of the other brands. so....we will see how it goes!!

as ive been watching more closely the last couple of days, Raven definitely will eat his poo if given the chance, but he is very redirectible!! He poos, then actually walks away, turns around to observe his gift to the world, then starts to walk towards it. A firm "leave it" makes him stop and then look at me, which he gets massive praise and belly rubs for!!

Freya is the true problem child, as she is attempting to turn as she is pooing!! OY!! But, the last two days, i've said very calmly "leave it" and if she tried to go after it before I could pick it up, give a gentle tug on the leash. I am hoping above all hope that I will be one of the lucky ones that these poo-pills work for!!!

[Vicki 8,173]

Thanks Crystal! My setup looks different now as I've extended the outside exercise pen. It's now a black pen and about 8 foot longer and about a foot taller. All the "junk" around it has been removed now too, so it has a much "cleaner" look. I can close the door on the Sunroom to keep everyone completely out of the weather when I want too. Usually don't do that for very long because of the urine odor and I never seem to find the time to pressure wash it daily. I do keep an automatic air freshener in it though which helps on those days I don't get it washed out.

Good to hear you're making some progress on the "poop" eating too. I hope it continues. There not much worse than the Doggie Breath afterwards!

Good Luck!

Vicki

[Sweet as Taffy 400]

I never heard of "poo eating" until I got Taffy. I was so freaked/grossed out the first time she ate it. Called my vet like I had an emergency LOL. Anyway, Taffy thinks her poo is the best treat ever. ugh..YUCK

I have her trained on pee pads and try to keep a watch on her. If she see sees me looking, she'll leave and not do her business. I have to sneak/look and as she's going I get a piece of kibble in my hand and so when she's done she comes to me for treat instead. and I promptly pick up poo and flush it down toilet. She can be sneakiy though and try to turn around while she's pooing to get her own treat and eat it first !!

Luckily, I have a small place and usually hear her when she starts circling/fake digging beforehand. If I miss her, well, she eats her homemade "dessert" YUCK!