pet dog

Question
my dog continues to eat cat (and maybe dog)poop. How can I get him to stop
this practice.


Answer
Hi Nelson,

When you get down to it, dogs can be pretty gross, but we love them anyway!

Every dog I've ever owned LOVES cat poop. In fact, after getting a chance to raid the cat box, it seems like they are just about crazy to get more.

The best way to stop the practice, is to place the litter box where it is physically impossible for the dog to get to it, but easy for the cat. For one thing, cats will often abandon using a litter box when a dog starts intruding. Most people will find this at least as serious a problem as a dog eating cat feces. Given the opportunity, your dog will always take the chance to clean up after the cat.

People arrange the litter box in various ways, depending on the relative sizes of their dogs and cats, as well as the agility of the cats. Sometimes placing the litter box higher than the dog can jump works well, if the cat is completely comfortable making the jump.

If the dog is larger than the cat, you can put the litter box behind an opening that the cat can fit through but the dog cannot. One idea is a baby gate set slightly above the floor so that a cat can scoot under it (or jump over). Of course it has to be high enough that the dog can't jump it. Sometimes that means stacking two baby gates, one above the other.

It's also possible to use a chain on a door frame or doorknob, modified to the right length so the cat can slip through the opening but the dog cannot. Another variation is to use wire to make a latch that holds the door partially open. Whatever you devise, remember to make it feasible to take on and off to go in and out of the room.

Dogs that eat other dog's feces is a whole other problem. You need to clean up your yard and not give your dog the chance to indulge. It helps if you can walk your dog on a leash so you can control the habit.

When a dog eats other dog's feces's it's called "Coprophagy". Sometimes a dog begins this habit because of a compulsive behavior in response to stress, frustration, or anxiety.  A dog that is tied up in the back yard for many hours a day is lonely and frustrated.  This often results in displacement behaviors such as barking, digging, and feces eating. Feces eating may also be an attention-seeking behavior, for example if the dog has learned that his/her owner comes flying out of the door in response, giving the dog that much needed attention(remember, even negative attention is attention to a dog).

You can read more about this problem and get possible solutions here:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1613&S=1&SourceID=47

http://www.urbanhound.com/houndHealth/ShowAnswer.asp?QID=115

I hope I've been a help. Best of luck,

Patti