how to stop my dog from eating poop?
That’s one of the most common questions I receive from my email subscribers, so I decided to write this post so I have something to share.
Poop eating is a frustrating habit, not to mention disgusting!
So I’m going to go over the three options that actually work to stop your dog from eating poop!
How to stop a dog from eating poop in the yard
First of all, make sure your dog does not have a health problem that’s causing him to seek “nutrients” from poop. At the end of this post, I mention a supplement that can potentially help, and it’s a good idea to bring up this issue with your dog’s vet.
If you suspect the issue is more of a training issue, here are three options to try:
1. stop leaving your dog alone in the yard alone. Instead, take him out on a leash or go out with him. pick up the poop immediately.
2. use a long lead and teach a solid “Leave it!” rewarding with highly valued food rewards (hot dogs, hamburger) for ignoring the poop.
3. If nothing else is working, you might consider using an e-collar with a remote if you are comfortable with that idea.
That way, you can correct your dog with a “tap, tap” while you watch him from a window. I’m not saying this option is for everyone, but I get so many desperate emails looking for a solution.
One of the above three options should be able to help everyone.
I realize some people are not able or simply refuse to stop leaving their dogs in the yard unattended. That’s why I suggested training your dog with a long lead or an e-collar.
I also realize some people are uncomfortable with shock collars/e-collars, and that’s ok because the option with the long leash can work pretty well.
More details on the above three options:
1. If your dog eats poop in the yard, stop leaving him in the yard unsupervised.
Hej gissa vad?
My dog doesn’t eat poop! He’s never had the opportunity because we don’t have a fenced yard. He’s either out on a leash with me or off leash but still with me. Otherwise, he’s indoors.
I realize this option doesn’t make sense to some. You have a nice, fenced yard for your dog and you’re having nice weather so you want to leave him in the yard when you’re not home. Jag fattar. but if he’s eating poop, and you truly want or need to stop the behavior then you might need to temporarily change your routine.
2. use a long lead to teach your dog to stop eating poop in the yard!
Another option is to put a long lead/leash on your dog and go out in the yard with him.
If he tries to eat poop, prevent him from doing so by stepping or pulling on the leash and say “LEAVE IT.” Then, reward with highly (and I mean highly!!) valued food like real hamburger, hot dogs or bits of steak. See my post: how to teach Leave It.
This option takes a lot of time, consistency and patience on the owner’s part. You might need to work for several weeks or months before you truly break your dog’s habit.
It won’t happen overnight and not even in a week. go out DAILY with your dog and practice. In a month or so you might see a difference. Or you might not.
This is why I like to recommend the e-collar approach. It’s not for everyone, but it does work the best and the fastest.
3. using an e-collar/shock collar to stop your dog from eating poop in the yard.
A lot of dog owners have already considered this option when they reach out to me for help, but it’s almost like they need reassurance that it’s the right choice. If your dog is eating poop and you’ve tried everything else, yes, I recommend the e-collar approach if you are comfortable with the idea.
Here’s the key: You need to find a collar with a remote so you can be standing inside at a window watching your dog and correct him from a distance.
I prefer a collar with multiple settings so you can control the correction level. I recommend the Garmin brand, and you can most likely put it on the lowest setting. That way the “correction” is more of a “tap, hey, don’t do that.”
Most dogs will only need a vibration-only correction or a very mild static correction. I always recommend testing it on your own wrist first so you know exactly what your dog will experience and you won’t feel guilty.
Shock collars are really not a big deal when used properly. people who are strongly against them seem to mean well, but they don’t understand how shock collars work. Or they’ve never been in a situation where one was needed.
A few tips when using thee-collar:
Use a strong enough correction to get your dog’s attention. This is better than 5 or 6 little “taps” your dog will learn to ignore.
If your dog doesn’t seem to notice the correction,Prova en högre nivå nästa gång.
Om du är ute med din hund, erbjuda matbelöningar när han lämnar bågen ensam. Du kan göra detta direkt efter en korrigering.
Låt din hund bära e-krage slumpmässigt medan den är avstängd så att han inte förknippar korrigeringarna med kragen.
Vad ska man prova utöver ovanstående?
Här är några ytterligare tips för att hindra en hund från att äta poop på gården:
Håll bågen hämtad! Dyh!
Mata regelbundna måltider vid specifika tidpunkter (mot att lämna mat ut hela tiden). Din hund kommer att vara på ett “schema” och du vet när han måste gå.
Ta honom till en veterinär för att diskutera dietförändring. Han kan behöva en mat i högre kvalitet eller en med högre protein, högre fett osv. Överväg att mata en rå diet.
Ta in ett avföringsprov för att se till att han inte har parasiter.
Ännu fler tips!
Prova ett tillägg som Solid Gold SEP (sluta äta poop) för att förhindra denna vana. Det kommer inte att magiskt lösa ditt problem men kan hjälpa. Bilden nedan.
Täck bågen i något obehagligt tasking till din hund som wasabi eller varm sås eller bitter äppelspray. Se till att allt du använder inte kommer att skada din hund om du äter.
Använd en husdjurskorrigerare som är en produkt som sprayer tryckluft vid husdjuret. Ett alternativ att använda i ersättning av en e-krage.
Dubbel din hunds övning (mindre uppmanad energi är lika mindre tristess)
Arbeta med lydnadsutbildning varje dag. Detta ökar hundens övergripande självkontroll och gör honom mer benägna att lyssna på dig.
Ge din hund ett slags “jobb” eller mental aktivitet varje dag. Han kan vara uttråkad!
Har du fortfarande frågor?
Maila mig eller lämna en kommentar nedan så att mina läsare hjälper dig att brainstorma.
Do you have a POOP EATER?
Hur hanterar du den här pinsamma frågan?
Relaterade inlägg:
Hur man hindrar min hund från att humpa andra hundar
Hur man hindrar min hund från att skälla på gården
Hur man ökar hundens impulskontroll