What Is The Fascination With Poop and My Dog?

If you've owned dogs for more than about five minutes, you've probably asked yourself at least one of these questions:

• Why is my dog eating poop?

• Why is my dog eating its own poop?

• Why is my dog eating another dog's poop?

• Why is my dog trying to catch poop before it even hits the ground?

• Why did my freshly bathed dog just roll in poop?

The short answer?

Because dogs are weird.

The longer answer is actually pretty interesting.

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Dogs Experience The World Through Their Nose

Humans are visual creatures. Dogs are scent creatures.

What looks like a pile of disgusting waste to us contains an enormous amount of information to a dog.

A dog can gather information from feces about:

• What another animal ate

• Whether that animal is healthy

• Hormonal changes

• Stress levels

• Intestinal bacteria

• Age and sex of the animal

• Whether the animal is familiar or unfamiliar

To your dog, poop is less like garbage and more like reading someone's social media profile.

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Why Do Dogs Eat Their Own Poop?

The medical term is coprophagia.

There are several reasons dogs may do it.

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Puppy Behavior

Many puppies experiment with everything using their mouth.

Just like they chew sticks, rocks, leaves, socks, and furniture, some puppies sample poop.

Most grow out of it.

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Mother Dogs Do It

Mother dogs naturally clean the whelping box by consuming their puppies' waste during the first weeks of life.

This is normal maternal behavior and helps keep the den clean.

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Opportunity

Sometimes the answer is surprisingly simple.

The poop is there.

The dog finds it.

The dog eats it.

No deep psychological explanation required.

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Nutritional Issues

Occasionally dogs may consume feces because of digestive disorders, intestinal parasites, poor nutrient absorption, pancreatic disease, or other medical problems.

If the behavior suddenly appears in an adult dog that never did it before, a veterinary examination is worthwhile.

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Why Do Dogs Eat Other Animals' Poop?

Many dogs seem to prefer somebody else's poop over their own.

Some favorites include:

• Cat poop

• Horse manure

• Rabbit droppings

• Goose droppings

• Deer pellets

Why?

Because many of these contain partially digested material that still smells like food.

To us, horse manure smells awful.

To a dog, it may smell like partially processed grain, hay, or feed.

Cat feces are especially attractive because many cat foods are high in protein and fat.

Disgusting?

Absolutely.

Surprising to a dog?

Not at all.

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Why Does My Dog Eat Poop Directly From Another Dog?

As horrifying as this behavior is to watch, some dogs become fascinated with fresh feces.

Fresh waste contains stronger scent information than older waste.

Some dogs are essentially trying to investigate the source material before it hits the ground.

No, your dog has not lost its mind.

It's simply being a dog in a way humans wish it wouldn't.

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Why Does My Dog Roll In Poop?

Now we reach the truly frustrating behavior.

You spend:

• Two hours grooming

• Forty dollars on shampoo

• An entire afternoon brushing

And ten minutes later your dog finds the only pile of manure within three acres and rolls in it.

Nobody knows with complete certainty why dogs do this, but there are several theories.

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Camouflage Theory

Wild canids may have rolled in strong odors to disguise their own scent from prey animals.

Whether modern dogs are still acting on that instinct is debated, but it remains one possibility.

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Communication Theory

Another theory suggests dogs roll in strong smells so they can carry the scent back to the pack.

Essentially:

"Hey everybody, look what I found."

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Because It Feels Good

Sometimes the answer may be even simpler.

Dogs enjoy strong smells.

Dogs enjoy rolling.

The combination is apparently magical.

Unfortunately for us.

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Is Poop Eating Dangerous?

Sometimes.

Potential risks include:

• Intestinal parasites

• Bacterial infections

• Gastrointestinal upset

• Exposure to medications found in another animal's waste

The risk is highest when dogs consume feces from unknown animals.

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Can You Stop It?

Usually, yes.

Helpful strategies include:

• Pick up waste immediately.

• Keep yards clean.

• Use a leash during potty breaks.

• Teach a reliable "leave it" command.

• Reward attention to you instead of the poop.

• Ensure routine parasite prevention and veterinary care.

Most importantly, avoid turning it into a game of chase.

Many dogs quickly learn that grabbing poop causes their owner to sprint across the yard yelling like a lunatic, which makes the activity even more entertaining.

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The Bottom Line

Dogs are brilliant animals.

They can learn hundreds of words, solve problems, detect illness, herd livestock, locate missing people, and perform incredible tasks.

They can also look directly into your eyes after earning a championship ribbon, then walk outside and eat a piece of horse manure.

The two facts are not mutually exclusive.

Welcome to life with dogs.