You’ve got the most wonderful canine as companion – a delightful puppy with charming eyes and pleasant disposition. Loyal and playful, this little creature would cheerfully welcome you whenever you arrive home.Your beloved dog fetches your slippers and excitedly runs around the house, waiting for you to start your regular game of catch. Simply put, your puppy is just about the perfect pet there is – well, almost.

Because just when you thought that you’ve got the best canine in town, your little buddy has one little surprise for you. As it turns out, your puppy likes to eat poo...

Coprophagia, or dog stool eating, is natural to dogs. Puppies have the tendency to develop a habit for this, which is brought about by the gradual desire of their taste buds to consume something solid. To help you out with this problem, here are some tips in getting rid of the nasty dog stool eating behavior of your beloved pet:

 1. Keep your place spic and span.

When you keep the environment of your puppies tidy, chances are, the probability for dog stool eating behavior is reduced. Always make sure that after eating, playing, and especially excreting, you clean up the area immediately. Keep a lid on the litter box to avoid any unsanitary odor and the temptation for dog stool eating behavior. By eliminating the opportunity for stool-eating, your puppy will eventually get rid of that habit.

2. Train your pet.

Training your pet is very vital in bringing a halt to coprophagia or dog stool eating behavior. You can get your canine buddy off this nasty habit by introducing the words BAD, NO, or other negative vocabularies. Whenever your dog starts stool eating, say “BAD” or “NO” and gradually, it will begin to associate these negative words with dog stool eating. Coupled with punishment, e.g. no desert, your pet will be conditioned to stop dog stool eating behavior.

3. Spend more time playing with your dog.

Keeping your pup busy can take its mind off dog stool eating behavior. Increase the quality time that you spend with your pet. Walk them in the morning and make time to play with them when you are at home. Treat these as your bonding moment with your pet. This way, you do not only reduce your pet’s tendency to engage in dog stool eating but also give you some time to relax.

4. Invest in toys.

So, you keep your pet busy while you are at home, but what happens when you are not around? The best thing to do in this kind of situation is to introduce your pet to a wide array of toys it can play with. This will keep your charming little canine entertained and hopefully, diverted from its dog stool eating habits.

5. Add Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) to your pet’s food.

Some dog owners who had similar problems with their pet add a dash of monosodium glutamate in the food of their dogs. This chemical gives an unpleasant taste so that your puppy will be revolted with the taste of their own stool. By constantly doing this, your pet will eventually learn to dislike the taste of stool, thus, ridding it off the habit.

6. If the dog stool eating persists, consult your veterinarian.

As your puppy grows older, the dog stool eating habit usually stops. However, there are certain cases where the pup would continue with this behaviour. Consulting the experts is still the best way to help your pet do away with this offensive habit. Sometimes, the puppy might have a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Should this be the case, then the puppy should be put in a program that provides complete nutrition suitable for the canine’s age.