How to Train Your Dog to Not Eat His Poop

Do you know what coprophagia is? If you have ever caught your dog eating his own poop or feces from another animal, this is defined as "coprophagia", or the desire to eat poop. As humans, there is no way we could ever make any sense out of this behavior, yet it is very common in puppies and often continues throughout a dog's life unless he has been properly trained not to.

There are several reasons why your dog might be eating poop, including:

• He just loves the taste (yuck!)
  
• He is bored, anxious, or stressed
  
• He has a vitamin or mineral deficiency
  
• He learned the habit from another dog
  
• He is not getting enough to eat 
  

The basic command you must teach your dog is 'leave it' which, once learned, can be used to make him stop eating more than just poop. You can use this command to stop him chewing on things he shouldn’t such as shoes, socks, kids' toys, and much more. There are, of course, several ways you can go about this, but no matter how you do so, remember to use positive reinforcement. Never punish your pup for getting it wrong, just keep working with him until he finally figures out that eating poop is not good. 

Any way you look at it, teaching your dog not to eat poop is a good thing. If your dog has been eating poop, be sure to take him to see the vet. You should have the vet make sure his vaccinations and parasite treatments are up to date. Feces can contain any number of parasites and diseases that can be passed on to your dog.