9 week old german shepherd puppy

Question
We have a 9 week old female german shepherd puppy who we have had for one week. she has had her first injection and been wormed this week but for the last couple of days she has started to eat her poo. Why is this and what can we do.

Answer
The best solution to stool eating, coprophagy, is cleaning them up before the dog has a chance. You can try food additives, the home remedies pineapple juice or canned pumpkin or the commercial products Forbid or Deter.

Why dogs do it is poorly understood. It may be diet related, but changing the dog's diet might cause worse problems. Whatever problems it causes for the owner, it doesn't seem to hurt the dog unless you are trying to clear up a worm infestation.

For more information see http://home.gci.net/~divs/behavior/coprophagia.html