You've just watched your dog do its business. You grab a tissue, turn around, and when you look back, the poop is mysteriously gone. Your dog stands there, seemingly chewing on something.
You pry open its mouth, and an awful smell hits you.
Despite wanting to deny it, the truth is undeniable: your dog ate poop.
Why Dogs Are Obsessed with Poop
To us, poop is disgusting. But to dogs, it's like a treasure. Their love for poop is almost insatiable.
Researchers from the University of California, Davis, have categorized dogs based on their poop-eating habits. Dogs caught eating poop more than six times are labeled "coprophagic dogs," while those caught fewer than six times are "non-coprophagic." They surveyed over 1,000 dog-owning households in Canada and the U.S.
The study found that about 23% of all pet dogs have eaten poop at least once. Among coprophagic dogs, 80% of owners reported their dogs ate poop more than ten times.
If you're considering getting a dog, be prepared for this common behavior.
Interestingly, different breeds have varying tendencies to eat poop. Terrier and hound breeds are more likely to be frequent offenders. Terriers, like Schnauzers, Yorkies, and even the adorable Teddy, are energetic and were historically used for hunting and guarding. Hounds, like Beagles and Labradors, are great at tracking due to their keen sense of smell.
On the flip side, Poodles (standard, miniature, and toy) are the least likely to eat poop. The top poop-eaters are Shetland Sheepdogs, with 41% of them being coprophagic.
Dog owners go to great lengths to stop this behavior, using treats to reward restraint, commands to deter eating, shock collars, or just cleaning up the poop immediately. However, the success rate of these methods is only 1-2%. Surprisingly, doing nothing has a higher success rate of 4%.
So, the saying "a dog can't change its poop-eating habits" might have some truth to it.
Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?
What's so enticing about poop that dogs would risk the wrath of their owners for a taste?
Dogs' poop-eating habits aren't linked to upbringing, whether they've been neutered, or compulsive behaviors like tail-chasing or fly-biting. Instead, it's rooted in a survival instinct to avoid intestinal parasites.
A study examining 1,393 dog poop samples found that over 30% contained parasites. Puppies under six months had the highest infection rate at over 40%, and stray dogs at 37.8%.
Intestinal parasites can stunt a dog's growth, cause anemia, digestive issues, and even death. Eating poop helps reduce the risk of infection. Parasite eggs are passed in feces and hatch into larvae in the environment. Hookworm eggs take 2-9 days to hatch, while whipworm eggs take 10-25 days. By eating fresh poop within two days, dogs can prevent larvae from hatching and reduce the risk of infection.
Another reason dogs eat poop is related to territory marking. Wild dogs use poop to mark their territory. To defend their territory, they might eat the poop of intruders and replace it with their own.
For wild dogs, poop can also be a survival strategy. In the wild, if food is scarce, dogs can't afford to be picky. Poop contains undigested proteins and fats, making it a valuable resource.
However, if your well-fed pet dog starts eating poop, it might be due to a condition called canine atopic dermatitis (cAD). This itchy, allergy-like skin condition can cause stress and lead to poop-eating behavior.
The reasons behind poop-eating are complex. If your dog happens to be a poop-eater, don't let it eat just anything.
In Melbourne, Australia, 15 dogs showed symptoms of marijuana poisoning after eating human feces containing THC (the main psychoactive compound in cannabis).
Moreover, some dogs can't tell fresh poop from contaminated poop. If they eat poop with parasites, you might end up with a hefty vet bill.
In short, while dogs eating poop might seem gross, it's a behavior with deep-rooted survival instincts. As a responsible pet owner, it's essential to manage and mitigate this behavior for your dog's health.
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