Why Does My Dog Eat Poop? Vets Explain This Embarrassing (But Common) Problem

You catch your dog doing it and your reaction is immediate, visceral disgust. Then they try to lick your face. It's one of the most common owner complaints veterinarians hear, and it has a name: coprophagia. Understanding why it happens is the first step to addressing it.

When It's Normal (Sort Of)

Mother dogs eat their puppies' waste for the first few weeks of life — it's a clean-nest instinct that keeps the den free of parasites and predator-attracting smells. Puppies learn by exploring with their mouths and may ingest feces during this phase. Most puppies grow out of it on their own by 6-9 months.

Potential Medical Causes

If an adult dog develops coprophagia, or if it persists beyond puppyhood, these medical causes should be ruled out first:

• Malnutrition or malabsorption — The dog isn't absorbing enough nutrients from their food and instinctively seeks them elsewhere
• Enzyme deficiency — Particularly pancreatic enzyme insufficiency, which impairs digestion
• Parasites — Intestinal parasites compete for nutrients, potentially triggering the behavior
• Thyroid disease or diabetes — Conditions that increase appetite
• Steroid medications — Known to increase appetite and sometimes trigger coprophagia

If your dog has suddenly started this behavior, a vet visit is warranted to check for these causes.

Behavioral Causes

• Attention-seeking — If doing it provoked a strong reaction from you, they may repeat it for the response
• Anxiety or stress — Particularly if confined to a crate or small space with their waste
• Boredom — Dogs engage with their environment in ways we find unpleasant
• Learned behavior — Puppies sometimes copy the behavior from other dogs

What Actually Works

Most effective: Immediate clean-up. Don't leave feces accessible. Supervise outside time and redirect immediately after elimination. This approach combined with ruling out medical causes resolves most cases.

Products: Certain dietary supplements (For-Bid, Forbid) make stools unpalatable. They work for some dogs but not others. Adding meat tenderizer (which contains papain enzyme) to food is a folk remedy with mixed results.

What doesn't work: Punishment. Rubbing their nose in it is not only ineffective — it causes anxiety that can make the behavior worse.

If this behavior begins suddenly in an adult dog, consult your veterinarian to rule out underlying medical causes before addressing it behaviorally.