What is it with dogs eating inappropriate things?  I’m not just talking about their love of your favorite slippers or the fact that, given the chance, they would clean out the entire refrigerator.  I can even understand them chasing down a rodent or bird and making a feast of it.  But why do they feel the need to eat the waste products of other dogs?

YUCK!!!!!

The clinical term is coprophagia, and there are pills you can give your dog that are supposed to make him stop, but in my experience they do not work.  (No, I am not taking the pills, nor do I suffer from coprophagia, but my golden does.)

According to the Douglas Island Veterinary Service in Juneau, dogs may eat feces for a variety of reasons, including medical problems or attention-seeking.  They also state that the dog may have learned this behavior from other dogs.  Maybe that’s why I saw my beagle and my golden fighting yesterday to get a VERY fresh specimen (i.e. it hadn’t yet hit the ground).  Hey – I warned you in the title this was not going to be pleasant!

Anyways, the whole article from Juneau can be found here:  http://home.gci.net/~divs/behavior/coprophagia.html. 

Write and let me know if you’ve found a way to cure your dog of this!  My e-mail is [email protected].  I’d love to hear from you anytime about this topic or things you’d like to see covered.  Even if you just want to tell me about your pampered pooch, I always love to get mail!

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!