poop eating shih tzu

Question
We have a 5 month old shih tzu, and have had him since a baby.  He eats poop, fresh or old, whenever he can find it.  We pick up outside, and inside, but he will  poop and imediately start snacking.  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