Stop dogs eating poop

I love my dog, most of the time. But, she has some bad habits (like being a garbage disposal). She will eat anything: leaves, paper, dryer sheets, and (worst of all) poop.

So I endeavored to answer the question: why does my dog eat poo?

1. She might be hungry. But considering she eats 3 cups of dog food and half-a-pound of grass a day I don't think this is the reason.

2. She may be eating poop to hide the evidence. This is an intriguing reason. If she still associate pooping with being scolded for doing it in the wrong place, in the house, she may be trying to stay out of trouble. Hiding the evidence can also indicate that her area is dirty, especially if she is in a crate or kennel. Mother dogs like to clean up after pups also.

3. Some dogs like to carry stuff in their mouths. Watch out for this in retrievers. Theory goes that your dog picks it up and walks away, when she gets caughts she quickly disposes of the evidence.

4. She may have parasites or worms. Parasites do leech nutrients from your dogs food, but dogs with parasites tend to eat other things, like dirt, to compensate.

5. My dog may key nutrients and minerals not available in her food. This is usually the issue when dogs eat cat poo, or some other animal.

7. Stress will drive animals to do odd things. Maybe I need to teach her yoga?

8. Puppies will eat poop as a novelty. This is a novelty I would like to stay confined to other people's dogs.

9. She may be mimicking you. This is perhaps the strangest answer I have ever gotten. I have eaten many strange things, but, no, never eaten poo.

10. She may simply like the taste of poop. Well, maybe, she likes licking the cabinets in the kitchen.

1. Clean up the area she relieves herself in. It is simple and it could solve all your problems

2. Check her for parasites. Talk to your vet, they know a lot about animals (who would have guessed).

3. Try a different food. She may be missing something that a new food will give her.

4. Buy some hot sauce or bitter spray to put on her leavings for a few days. If you go the hot sauce route make sure you get extreme hot sauce, if it is too mild you will encourage the act.

5. Buy a squirt gun. Squirting your dog has a good range and a high annoyance factor.