Why Does My Dog Eat Poop? Causes, Concerns, and How to Stop It

The first time my dog ate her own poop, I genuinely thought something was wrong with her. The second time, I Googled it at midnight in a panic. By the third time, I was just tired.

Here's what I found out: this is one of the most common things dogs do, it has a name (coprophagia), and most of the time it's not a medical emergency. But "common" doesn't mean you just have to live with it.

First: Is This Actually Normal?

Kind of, yes. Studies estimate somewhere between 16-23% of dogs eat poop at least occasionally. It's more common in certain situations, certain ages, and certain breeds, but no dog is immune.

In puppies, it's especially common and often self-correcting. Mother dogs eat their puppies' waste to keep the den clean, and puppies explore everything with their mouths, including things you wish they wouldn't.

That said, sudden onset in an adult dog who never did it before is more concerning and worth looking into.

The Main Reasons Dogs Eat Poop

They're eating other animals' poop (not their own)

Cat poop, rabbit poop, deer poop, horse manure. This is actually the most common form, and dogs genuinely seem to find these delicious.

Cat feces in particular tends to be high in protein since cats are obligate carnivores. From a dog's perspective, it smells and tastes like cat food. Disgusting to us. Apparently fine dining to them.

This is mostly a behavioral issue, not a medical one.

Nutritional deficiency or malabsorption

If a dog isn't absorbing nutrients properly from their food, they may eat poop to try to recapture what their digestive system missed. This can happen with:

· Poor quality food with low digestibility
· Enzyme deficiency (especially exocrine pancreatic insufficiency)
· Parasites affecting gut absorption
· Certain GI conditions

If your dog is eating poop and showing other signs like weight loss, poor coat condition, or inconsistent stool, talk to your vet. There might be an underlying health issue.

Hunger

A dog that's underfed will look for calories wherever they can find them. This is more common in dogs on calorie-restricted diets, dogs with medical conditions that increase appetite, or dogs who have historically been food-deprived.

Attention-seeking or anxiety

Dogs who don't get enough mental or physical stimulation sometimes eat poop because it gets a reaction out of you. A big "NO!" and chase scene is still attention, and attention is attention.

Dogs with separation anxiety sometimes do it when left alone. It can also be a stress response to punishment-heavy training , dogs who've been harshly punished for accidents indoors may eat the evidence to avoid the fallout.

Instinct and curiosity

Some dogs just do it. Some lines were bred to scavenge. Some dogs find poop genuinely interesting from a scent standpoint (remember, they have 300 million scent receptors , poop is an entire story to them). Some just try it once and decide they like it.

Not every dog who eats poop is stressed, sick, or deficient. Sometimes dogs are just gross.

They learned it from another dog

Dogs pick up behaviors from other dogs. If one dog in the household does it, others sometimes start. This is particularly common when a puppy grows up watching an older dog do it.

When to See the Vet

Take it to your vet if:

· It started suddenly in an adult dog who never did it before
· Your dog is also losing weight, has diarrhea, vomiting, or low energy
· They're eating their own poop specifically (more concerning than eating others')
· The behavior is compulsive and happening constantly
· Your dog is eating poop from unknown sources outdoors (parasite and pathogen risk)

For senior dogs, a sudden change in behavior like this is always worth mentioning. Age-related conditions can drive some unexpected behavioral shifts.

Health Risks

Here's the part people actually want to know: can your dog get sick from it?

From their own poop: Relatively low risk if they're up to date on vaccines and parasite prevention. Their own bacteria aren't going to shock their system.

From other dogs' poop: Moderate risk. Other dogs can be carrying parasites (giardia, roundworms, hookworms, parvo), and your dog can pick those up.

From cat poop: Lower risk of canine-specific diseases, but toxoplasmosis is possible if the cat was recently infected, plus whatever parasites the cat might be carrying.

From wildlife poop (deer, rabbit, raccoon, etc.): Higher risk. Wildlife can carry parasites and pathogens that don't normally circulate in your household.

If your dog is eating outdoor poop regularly, make sure their parasite prevention is current.

What Actually Works to Stop It

Management first

The most effective strategy is simply not giving them access.

· Pick up your yard immediately after your dog goes , don't let poop sit around
· Keep the litter box somewhere the dog can't reach (baby gate, top of stairs, door with cat-door cutout)
· Keep your dog on leash in areas where they tend to find poop
· Supervise closely until you break the habit

This sounds obvious, but most people focus on "training the dog out of it" when the easier solution is just not having poop available to eat.

Rule out medical causes

If there's any chance it's nutritional or medical, fix that first. Switch to a higher quality food, add a digestive enzyme supplement, or get a vet checkup. No amount of behavioral training will help if your dog is eating poop because they're not absorbing nutrients.

More enrichment and exercise

If boredom or anxiety is driving it, this has to be part of the fix. A dog who's mentally and physically tired at the end of the day is less likely to engage in weird compulsive behavior. More walks, more mental stimulation, more structured play.

"Leave it" command

Teaching a solid "leave it" can interrupt the behavior in the moment. It takes consistent training, but it's genuinely useful for this and about a hundred other situations. Check our Puppy Training guide for how to build this foundation.

The key is catching it before they eat it, not after. "Leave it" after they've already eaten something is just teaching them to ignore you.

For the yard: clean it more obsessively

Seriously. The moment they go, you pick it up. Don't give it a chance to become interesting.

Deterrent products

There are products you can add to your dog's food (like For-Bid or pineapple, which some swear by) that supposedly make poop taste bad. The results are genuinely mixed , some dogs are deterred, most seem unbothered.

If you want to try it, it's low risk. Don't expect miracles.

What doesn't work

· Punishing them after the fact. Dogs don't connect delayed punishment to past actions. You'll just confuse and stress them, which can actually make the behavior worse.
· Rubbing their nose in it. Please don't do this. It's ineffective and unkind.
· Yelling from across the yard. They can't connect your shouting to what they're doing, especially at a distance.

The Litter Box Problem

If your dog is specifically raiding the cat's litter box, this is basically a management problem more than a training problem.

Options:

· Top-entry litter box (cats can use it, most dogs can't reach)
· Baby gate with a cat door or small gap the cat can squeeze through but the dog can't
· Litter box in an elevated location
· Closed litter box in a room with a cat-only door

Cats hate change, so transition slowly. But solving the litter box access issue is almost always faster and more reliable than training the dog out of wanting it.

The Bottom Line

Most dogs who eat poop aren't sick and aren't broken. It's unpleasant, but it's also just... dogs being dogs. The fix is usually a combination of better management (less access to poop), ruling out any medical causes, and consistent training.

If it's a new behavior or comes with other symptoms, get your vet involved. Otherwise: pick up your yard, block the litter box, teach "leave it," and try not to think too hard about what just touched your face.