Why your dog eats poop — and what you can do to stop this common canine habit
When miniature dachshund Valerie was captured after 529 days alone in the wilds of Australia’s Kangaroo Island, experts speculated she survived partly by eating other animals’ poo. While this survival tactic may have saved the resilient sausage dog, it highlights a behaviour that makes many dog owners cringe. This type of “recycling” is surprisingly common in our canine companions. But why would dogs, even those with full food bowls, choose to indulge in such a revolting habit? Here’s why some dogs can’t resist a faecal feast, known more technically as coprophagia. This type of ‘recycling’ is surprisingly common in our canine companions (Getty Images) What is coprophagia? Coprophagia or coprophagy is the scientific term for eating faecal matter (poo). It’s a behaviour displayed across a number of animal species. Around half of all dogs try eating poo at some stage – either their own, another dog’s, or other animals’. Research suggests about one in four dogs have made it a regular habit. In wild canids like foxes and wolves, mothers will eat their puppies’ stools …
