When your dog eats its own poop, there is usually a perfectly natural explanation behind the behaviour that seems so repulsive to us humans. The phenomenon has a technical name, coprophagia, and it refers to a dog eating faeces, whether its own or that of other animals. For the vast majority of dogs it is not about illness, but about a mix of instinct, learning, boredom and, in some cases, something that isn't quite right in everyday life or in the bowl. Understanding why your dog eats its own poop is the first step towards breaking the habit, and in the following we go through the most likely causes and what you can concretely do.
The short answer is that coprophagia in healthy dogs is most often a learned or instinctive behaviour that you can influence through routines, activation and a well-balanced diet. If the behaviour worries you, or if it appears suddenly in a dog that has never done it before, it is always a good idea to have it assessed by a veterinarian so that any health-related causes can be ruled out.
When coprophagia is completely normal dog behaviour
In puppies and young dogs, exploring the world with the mouth is a perfectly natural part of development. A bitch also licks her puppies clean during the first weeks of life and in that process eats their faeces, and this is a completely normal maternal behaviour that keeps the den clean. Many puppies copy this behaviour and try it themselves, and most of them grow out of it as they get older and find more exciting things to use their mouths on. If you see your puppy doing it, there is rarely reason for concern in itself, but it is worth stepping in early so the behaviour doesn't settle in as a habit that carries into adult life.
Among adult dogs coprophagia is less widespread, but still common enough that it is not in itself a warning sign. Some breeds and individuals are simply more prone than others, and the behaviour can appear in periods and disappear again. What matters is whether it is a fixed, recurring habit, and whether it is accompanied by other changes in the dog's wellbeing.
The most common reasons dogs eat poop
Boredom and lack of stimulation top the list for many dogs. A dog that has too little to do during the day invents its own activities, and for some, faeces becomes a way to pass the time or to create a response from its surroundings. This is especially true for dogs that spend long periods alone, or dogs with a high activity level whose need for both physical and mental exertion is not met in everyday life.
Learning also plays a big role, and here we humans sometimes end up reinforcing the behaviour without meaning to. If you react with loud outbursts, chase the dog or give it plenty of attention every time it approaches faeces, the dog can learn that this particular action triggers a reaction from you. For a dog, negative attention is still attention. If a dog has previously been told off for relieving itself indoors, it may also learn to remove the "evidence" by eating it, and thus coprophagia becomes a learned strategy.
Stress, anxiety and changes in everyday life can likewise be behind it. A move, a new family member, changed routines or long periods alone can create unease that manifests in behaviour we perceive as abnormal. Finally, there is the simple mechanism that faeces can quite simply smell and taste interesting to the dog, not least if it contains undigested remnants of something tasty.
Could the food be the reason the dog eats its own poop?
Diet is one of the factors worth taking a closer look at when a dog eats its own poop. If the dog is given a meal that is not sufficiently digestible, or that contains a lot of fillers, some of the nutrition may end up undigested in the faeces. The result is a stool that still contains something the dog's body perceives as edible, and for some dogs that becomes the very reason to eat it. A diet built on digestible, carefully selected high-quality raw materials gives the dog more out of each meal and leaves less behind to tempt it.
At ESSENTIAL FOODS all dog meals are prepared from human-grade ingredients and fresh raw materials, where animal protein plays a central role, and where the composition is based on how the dog's digestion actually works. That very idea lies behind BOF, Behaviour Optimizing Food, where nutrition should not only satisfy but support the dog's wellbeing and natural balance. If you are unsure whether your dog's meals suit its needs, ESSENTIAL FOODS' nutrition advisers are ready to help by phone, chat or email and can assist you in finding the right nutritional profile.
If your dog has a sensitive stomach or reacts to certain raw materials, it may be relevant to look at a meal that is gentle on digestion. In sensitive stomach you will find relevant products gathered with a sensitive stomach in mind. If you have a dog that needs a grain-free diet, the grain-free meals are gathered in grain free meals, where you will find meals completely without grain and unnecessary fillers. Note that OUR FINEST BALANCE is not a grain-free meal, but a meal that many dogs with a sensitive stomach thrive on, and which you should therefore assess separately from the grain-free selection.
How to get your dog to stop eating poop
The most effective measure is often the most undramatic, namely removing the temptation before the dog reaches it. Pick up the faeces immediately in the garden and on walks, so the opportunity simply isn't there. At the same time it is wise to tone down your own reaction, because the less fuss you make, the less interesting the behaviour becomes to the dog. Instead of telling it off or chasing it, you can call the dog away and reward it when it comes, so you shift the focus onto something that gives a positive experience.
A calm recall and a swap game, where the dog learns to come to you rather than head for the faeces, works for many. Here a tasty treat can be worth its weight in gold, and small, delicious training treats make it easy to reward precisely at the right moment. In mini Delights you will find small bites in a suitable size that are easy to bring along on the walk, and that many dogs are willing to work for. For more targeted training, MOTIVATION DELIGHTS can help keep motivation up as you build a solid recall.
Finally, it is about giving the dog enough to do, so the urge to entertain itself with faeces becomes smaller. Longer walks, more scent-based activities and mental activation fill out everyday life in a way that benefits the dog's overall wellbeing. A THE LICKING MAT is a simple way to give the dog a calm, focused task where it gets to use its nose and tongue, and which is also de-stressing. If you combine removing the temptation, a neutral reaction and more activation, you have the best conditions for breaking the habit.
When you should contact the veterinarian
Although coprophagia in most healthy dogs is a behavioural rather than a health-related matter, there are situations where it is wise to involve a veterinarian. If an adult dog that has never done it before suddenly starts eating faeces, or if it happens at the same time as changes in appetite, weight, energy or the appearance of the faeces, you should have the dog examined. The same applies if the behaviour is intense and persistent despite your attempts to change it. A veterinarian can assess whether there is something underlying that requires treatment, and that is something only a veterinarian can determine.
If, on the other hand, the concern is about whether the dog's meals suit its digestion, age and daily needs, that is the domain of nutrition. Here you can confidently rely on ESSENTIAL FOODS' nutrition advisers, who can guide you in choosing the right dog meals, while the veterinarian takes care of the health side. The two work together, but do not replace one another.
Coprophagia in puppies and the right puppy meals
If it is your puppy eating its own poop, you are in good company, because it is one of the behaviours many puppy owners experience in the first months. The key is to address it early and calmly so it doesn't become a fixed habit. Remove the faeces immediately, keep training positive and make sure the puppy has plenty of age-appropriate activation and rest. A well-planned foundation during upbringing makes a big difference, and here ESSENTIAL FOODS has gathered advice directly from the source in a well-thought-out puppy universe, where you can learn more about everything from feeding to the small everyday challenges.
Puppy meals must also give a growing body the right starting point, and a digestible diet built on good raw materials leaves less undigested in the faeces. The BEGINNING series is created for the finest beginning with luxurious, grain-free puppy meals, fresh raw materials, human-grade ingredients and carefully selected local and regional delicacies, completely without grain and unnecessary fillers. If you want to give your puppy a soft and tasty start, THE BEGINNING PÂTÉ, 400G is a well-considered choice that is easy to combine with the rest of the puppy's meals.
Your dog eating its own poop is rarely as serious as it feels in the moment, but it is also not something you simply have to live with. By understanding whether it is a matter of boredom, learning, stress or something in the diet, you can take targeted action with routines, activation and a well-balanced nutrition that leaves less to tempt with. Give it time and patience, keep your reaction calm, and involve a veterinarian if something changes or the behaviour worries you, so that both you and your dog get a safer and cleaner everyday life.