Why Do Dogs Eat Poop And How To Prevent It?
You must agree that however much you love your dog, the disgusting habit of eating poop can completely turn you off.
Many dogs indeed consume feces, but they don’t do so to make you feel disgusted. The motivation behind what we perceive as a truly gross habit can differ.
It can be due to attention-seeking, boredom, stress, or maybe a sign of an underlying serious illness, as well as to several other behavioral, natural or medical reasons.
It is essential to understand that it is not that uncommon of a habit and to find out why your dog likes to consume its own or somebody else’s poop before taking drastic actions such as re-home the dog or, God forbid, euthanizing it because of it.
Here is everything you need to know about why dogs eat poop, how common it is, and how to prevent it.
So, What Is Coprophagia?
There is a scientific word for eating food – coprophagia, and there have been multiple studies regarding this type of behavior in canines and other animals.
A study in 2012 by the University of California which included 3,000 dog owners, found that one of every six dogs (16%) can be classified as serial poop eaters and have been caught doing it at least 5 times. One in every four pups has been observed eating feces at least once.
85% of serial poop eaters tend to eat the poop of other dogs.
Another interesting finding was that neutered dogs of either sex are much more likely to eat feces than intact male pups.
Female pups are more likely to resort to poop eating than male ones.
Also, the dogs which eat excrements are more likely to be living in multiple dog households and are greedier eaters.
The statistics showed that 40% of all Shelties and Border Collies resort to eating stool, while no Poodles were found to be poop eaters during the study.
A second survey that studied poop-eating dogs only concluded that about 38% of the dogs ate feces weekly and that 62% tasted poop on a daily basis. Then again, about 85% of them preferred fresh excrements that were 1 to 2 days old.
The researchers concluded that dogs who are “poop eaters” prefer fresh feces. Most probably, the habit is from the instinct to keep the den clean and protect pack members from parasite infestations that are still incubating during the first few days of defecation.
Also, the research found that neither punishment nor positive reinforcement effectively stops dogs from eating stool. The specialized food additives formulated to kick this nasty habit were efficient in only up to 4% of the cases.
The research team concluded that the best way to deal with the problem of coprophagia is to clean up after the pup.
Or, as we look at these statistics, you should maybe get a male un-neutered Poodle if you want to avoid this kind of behavior.
Another theory regarding coprophagia in dogs by animal behaviorist Steven R. Lindsay is that this may be a survival behavior that has evolved to cope with starvation in dogs.
Eating Feces Is Pretty Normal For Dogs And Puppies
For some animals, eating poop is a perfectly normal way for the animal to get all the essential nutrients it needs. For example, rabbits do this all the time and can die or develop health problems if prevented from doing this. Elephants, some primates, rodents, and beavers are known to engage in this type of behavior as well.
Related: Gross! My Dog Eats Rabbit Poop, What Should I Do?
Thankfully, under normal circumstances, domesticated dogs do not need to eat stool to obtain the vital nutrients they need. Still, coprophagia is considered quite a natural behavior among canines at certain life stages.
The mother dogs will lick and clean the feces of their puppies for the first three weeks of their lives to help the little ones defecate and urinate and keep the den clean.
The puppies could also engage in this behavior and start eating their own droppings and that of other animals.
Many dogs find eating goose dropping or horse manure particularly alluring.
The fact is that autocoprophagy (eating their own droppings) is harmless, but allocoprophagy (eating the feces of other animals) poses a risk of parasitic contamination or the ingestion of toxins or viruses.
Usually, this behavior disappears on its own when the puppy grows up to about 9 months old.
Adult dogs may resort to this behavior because of the abovementioned instinct to clean and protect the pack. Still, in other cases, coprophagia can be due to avoiding punishment, out of boredom, as a scream for attention, due to a health problem, or because of various other psychological and physiological reasons.
Keep in mind that dogs, just like wolves, tend to defecate as far away from the den as possible to protect themselves and the pack’s other members from infections. So, pooping where they sleep is not a natural instinct.
When you notice your puppy eating excrement for the first time, keeping a level head is important because your reaction can do more damage than good.
They have seen their mother do this multiple times while nursing, so for young pups, this is perfectly normal behavior.
Plus, as we all know, puppies are curious and like to explore just about everything – including their own or somebody else’s poop.
To discourage this behavior, breeders or owners should meticulously clean up after the puppy has defecated before it gets the chance to gobble the stool up.
So, Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?
If your adult pup suddenly starts eating feces, you should first rule out an underlying health problem.
Eating excrements could be due to a parasitic infection, deficiency in the dog’s diet, malabsorption issues, diabetes, thyroid disease, Cushing’s, or other conditions which cause an increase in the appetite or intake of drugs.
So, dog parents should consider a sudden interest in consuming poop as a possible sign that the dog may be suffering from a particular health issue.
Only when your veterinarian has ruled out any medical causes for this unsettling behavior should you investigate alternative causes.
Here Are The Common Health-Related Reasons For Dogs Eating Poop
Enzyme Deficiency
In the wild, the wolf will eat the prey along with the guts and other organs. The prey’s guts contain digestive enzymes, which the wolf or canine needs to digest food properly.
Today’s dogs commonly eat kibble or highly processed foods which can be difficult to digest and do not have the enzymes. The dog needs to break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates and absorb the vital nutrients it needs to stay healthy, strong, and active.
Dogs do produce their own digestive enzymes, but they can also get additional ones from eating some vegetables, fruits, or other foods.
Some dogs develop enzyme deficiencies due to different diseases and conditions, and often, they poop most of the ingredients whole and unprocessed. At the same time, they won’t be getting the nutrients needed to stay alive and well.
It makes sense that a dog with this condition, if left untreated, will resort to eating its own feces in search of the nutrients it needs and craves.
If your pup is diagnosed with a condition causing enzyme deficiency, it will be prescribed enzyme supplements which should be consumed before every meal.
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)
German Shepherds are a breed prone to the rare hereditary disease known as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, which causes an inability of the dog’s pancreas to produce enzymes, causing starvation and death if untreated.
The symptoms are weight loss, diarrhea, and coprophagia.
This condition is quite rare, and it usually displays itself when the pancreas has atrophied to 80-95%, which is why it is essential to talk to a vet to run some tests and examine it if you notice that the dog is eating feces and is losing weight without an apparent reason.
Dogs with EPI left untreated will slowly die of malnutrition.
Parasites
Intestinal parasites thrive on the nutrients the dog is getting from its food and thus leave the dog malnourished.
Worms, protozoa, or other parasites in your dog’s gut can cause it to seek the nutrition it is missing in its own or other animal’s stool.
So, if you are worried about your dog eating poop, you should always talk to your vet. A vet can check for infections and give your dog the proper treatment to kill the parasites.
Diseases Causing Increased Appetite
Some diseases increase the appetite of dogs to a state in which the dog starts eating its own stool.
Conditions like Cushing’s, diabetes, thyroid issues, and too many steroids can cause a ravenous appetite, which is why you should consult your vet if your dog starts eating poop regularly.
Other Deficiencies
Some veterinarians claim that dogs with a trace mineral or B vitamin deficiency could resort to coprophagia and even to eating objects that cannot be digested.
Other theories are that as canines age, they develop a hydrochloric acid deficiency, especially if they eat a poor diet. This prevents digestion and absorption of proteins, so the affected dogs try to get the missing nutrients from previously digested sources.
Gut Flora Health
The microbes that live in the gut and the balance between good and bad bacteria profoundly affect the overall health of people and dogs.
The microbiome can quickly become imbalanced by antibiotics or by other medicaments. Also, some chemicals can cause dysbiosis too.
It has been found that glysophate, one of the main ingredients of the Roundup weed killer used throughout the US, is responsible for destroying the beneficial gut bacteria in both animals and people.
When the gut microbiome is not well balanced, the affected dog will instinctively try to restore it by ingesting anything rich in microorganisms, namely feces.
Malabsorption
Your dog may not be absorbing all the nutrients essential for its health and wellbeing for one reason or another. The common malabsorption symptom is a stool containing whole, unprocessed ingredients.
Dogs that are not getting enough of the nutrients they need may be tempted to eat those delicious undigested nutrients in the fresh stool.
Some dogs may find cat feces even more tempting.
Malabsorption can be caused by EPI or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition in which the bacteria in the gut increase to a high level and begins damaging the absorptive surface of the bowel.
As a result of this damage, the digested food cannot be fully absorbed into the bloodstream and simply passes through the bowel.
If prompt care is not taken, this may result in malnourishment, and the dog could starve to death.
Poor Digestion
If your puppy is eating its own poop, this may also be due to poor digestion. This can be caused by various reasons, including feeding the dog with low digestible ingredients and nutrients or by another digestive problem.
In the first case, the food will come out of the pup undigested and will taste like the food it ate. This problem can easily be resolved by switching the dog to highly digestive dog food.
In case the food doesn’t help, the pup may be suffering from another digestive issue, which you will need to discuss with your vet.
Underfeeding Or Overfeeding
Sometimes eating poop is simply a sign that the dog is hungry.
If your dog loses weight without reason, you may be underfeeding it.
Increase its portion size, or switch to higher quality and more nutritious food, and watch the pup’s weight to see if it is getting enough food and nutrients.
Also, not getting enough to eat is common in homes where there are more than one dog, and one or more of them are dominant and eat the food of the others.
When the dog is hungry, it is only natural that the pup will look for food. And feces are just one of the things it will attempt to eat to satisfy its craving for food.
On the other hand, overfeeding can lead to the dog not being able to digest all nutrients, which can lead to nutrient-rich poop, which your pup may try to recycle.
Behavioral And Psychological Reasons
Once your vet has ruled out any medical issues and health problems that could be causing the coprophagia, you can start considering other factors, including numerous behavioral reasons for this nasty habit.
Here are some of the common behavioral issues which can make a pup start eating feces:
Isolation
Studies show that dogs kept isolated in kennels or other secluded areas without close contact with people are more likely to eat feces.
Restrictive Confinement
Coprophagia is quite common among dogs in crowded rescue shelters or dogs crated for long periods. The same phenomenon is most probably common among dogs confined in small spaces such as puppy mills too.
Anxiety And Fear
Fear of punishment is another likely cause for dogs to eat their poop. It is instinctive reaction to hide their poop, especially if harsh methods and punishments are used when house training the puppy. Unfortunately, this behavior can turn into a vicious cycle when the puppies get punished for eating feces too.
Seeking Attention
Dogs that feel ignored may resort to coprophagia simply to get any kind of attention from their human parents.
These attention-seeking pups may eat poop to get a reaction from their humans, so to avoid this type of behavior, try not to overreact when your pup eats excrement, however hard it is to remain calm.
A Misunderstood Association With Real Food
If you feed your dog close to where it defecates, it could begin associating the smell of food with the smell of feces and start to eat both without being able to tell the difference.
Smelling Feces On Their Mothers
Mothers will lick off and clean the feces of their puppies until they are weaned. Some vets claim that young puppies may start associating the smell of feces from their mother’s mouth or with any food that the mother has regurgitated with food. This is also called appetitive inoculation, which can cause the bad habit to form in puppies when they are still very young.
Living With Sick Or Senior Dogs
Eating the excrement of an elderly, sick, or weak dog in the household is a natural instinct for the stronger and younger dogs. It is the instinct to remove any signs of weakness in the pack and protect it from any potential predators, which can cause these dogs to try to destroy any evidence.
Living With Dominant Dogs
Another theory is that when several dogs live under one roof, some become the dominant ones, and some are the submissive ones. The submissive members of the pack have often eat the poop of the dominant ones.
Natural Behavior
Since mother dogs will lick their puppies clean of all feces for the first weeks after giving birth, this can cause the puppies to learn this behavior and begin doing it themselves. Mothers do this to keep the little ones clean and remove any scents that could attract predators.
This usually goes away as the puppies grow, but some dogs may also stick to this behavior throughout adulthood.
The Ancestry Factor
It is quite possible that before becoming domesticated, wild canines were scavengers and ate everything, including the feces of other animals, in order to survive and live.
Even today, many dogs simply cannot resist getting into the cat’s litter box. It could be the high protein diets that cats are usually fed, or it could be referred to as the ancestry of the species.
Also, veterinarians believe that although wolves defecate as far away from the den as possible to prevent parasite infections, in some cases, when a weak or sick member of the pack defecates nearby, the rest of the group eats the feces to get rid of the unhatched parasite eggs. This could be another inherited instinct that today’s pups have in them.
Boredom
Puppies left alone for a long time may find playing with and eating with their own stool entertaining. So, they may resort to coprophagia due to boredom.
Stress
Stress can cause various physical and behavioral issues in canines.
Some pups may start eating their own excrement when under stress. This is especially common when they are brought to a new home or are under another cause of stress.
It is essential not to punish your new puppy for eating its own poop in the first few days after bringing it home because this can lead to even more stress and cause further harm.
Cleanliness
It is in the nature of dog mothers to keep the den and the puppies clean from feces and scents of excrement, so your dog may be feeling the urge to eat the entire poop to keep the nest and home clean.
Learning The Behavior From An Older Dog
Young puppies tend to soak up every type of behavior they see in older dogs. If they see an older dog engaging in poop eating, they will quickly follow up and imitate this behavior too.
Just Because…
Sometimes, puppies or adult dogs eat their own stool just because they enjoy doing so. So, if there is no health issue or other logical explanation for your dog eating poop, you should train it and remove the stool as quickly as possible to avoid further incidents.
Seasonality
It is not clear why, but the fact is that when the temperatures drop, dogs are more tempted to eat stool. No wonder there are already terms like “poopsicles” used among dog owners who claim that their pups resort to eating stools only when it is snowing or very cold outside.
This could be due to a change in the gut microbiome during the colder seasons.
What Are The Risks For A Dog Which Eats Poop?
If your dog eats its own poop, there is no direct risk for its health and wellbeing. But technically, any parasites or bacteria from that poop can be transmitted to humans through contact with the pup’s saliva or mouth.
So, wash your hands thoroughly after getting in contact with your dog’s mouth or saliva if it is a poop-eater.
There is a bigger risk of infections if your dog eats the feces of other animals – dogs, cats, or others.
The risk of ingesting parasite eggs or harmful bacteria is bigger, especially if your pup eats stool from an animal that is not yours.
If your dog is a serial poop eater, you should regularly treat it for parasite infections and have the vet check its fecal matter for any traces of parasitic infections.
Also, you can help keep the dog’s breath tolerable after it has eaten poop by washing its teeth. This will also help remove any harmful bacteria from the mouth of the pup.
How Can You Stop Your Pup From Eating Feces?
So, now that you know what might be causing the nasty habit of poop eating in your dog, you are probably wondering how to prevent this type of behavior in the future.
While many of the abovementioned possible reasons for coprophagia have pretty straightforward solutions, in some cases, the solutions are not so clear-cut.
Here are some tips on stopping your pup from eating poop altogether:
Watch For Additional Signs Which Can Mean That Your Pup May Have A Health Issue
If your dog suddenly starts eating feces, this could be a sign of an illness or another health issue, some of which can be very dangerous.
So, instead of punishing or getting furious at the pup, ensure there are no other signs which can mean that it has health problems.
Some of the symptoms to look for are weight loss in adult dogs or insufficient weight gain in puppies, diarrhea, vomiting, a stool that includes large particles of undigested food, lethargy, increased appetite, behavior change, and others.
If one or more of these signs are present, you should go to the vet for a thorough examination of the pup.
Once the issues are addressed and the proper treatment and care are provided, the coprophagia will most likely stop.
Keep Things Clean
Make sure you clean up after your dog or cat immediately after it defecates. By removing the stool, you will remove the temptation of the dog to gobble it up immediately.
So, if you have litter boxes, pick up any stool and remove it as soon as possible to reduce the risk of your dog eating it.
If you are still house training your puppy, clean all stool traces immediately to prevent the pup from deciding to play with it or ingest it.
Also, clean up after your dog when outdoors to stop your dog or other dogs from eating feces.
Change The Diet Of Your Dog
As you have read, in many cases, the dog may be eating its poop because of insufficient nutrition. Changing to better quality, more natural, and highly digestible dog food can often halt this kind of behavior.
Pick foods with high protein, low carb, and healthy fats to ensure that the dog gets a well-balanced meal and can easily digest the food.
Make sure the commercial dog food doesn’t contain artificial additives or fillers which are not natural for the dog.
You can also prepare your pup’s food at home, using real animal protein and some veggies or fruits and whole grains.
Eating real food is in the genes of every dog, so make sure you feed it with more natural and less processed dog food.
On the other hand, completely raw unprocessed meat or fish can be dangerous because there are risks of bacterial or parasite infections. Still, you can resort to frozen or air-dried raw dog food if you want to feed your pup with natural animal protein.
It is essential that whenever you switch your dog’s food, you do it gradually. Start by adding some of the new food to the old one, and transition slowly until it starts eating the new food.
This will help the pup’s digestive system to acclimate to the new nutrients, lowering the chance of stomach disorders.
Once you start feeding your dog with food that includes all nutrients it needs to be healthy and strong, it will most likely stop feeling the urge to seek the missing ingredients in feces.
This, of course, is the case when the dog doesn’t have digestive problems or parasites causing malnutrition and the inability to absorb the nutrients in the food.
Work On Improving The Dog’s Gut Microbiome
Improving the gut health of your pup can do wonders for its health and may also stop its bouts of coprophagia.
Once you have changed your dog’s food to higher quality and highly digestible one, you can start working on improving the microbial balance in the gut.
Gut health is crucial for the dog’s immune system and overall health.
Since it can easily become imbalanced due to antibiotics, other medicaments, or other reasons, you must help your dog to restore the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut.
This can easily be done with the help of probiotics and prebiotic supplements for dogs. You can also give your dog plain yogurt with probiotics and feed it with dog food, including prebiotics and probiotics.
Use a high-quality probiotic, and in just a few weeks, your dog will be healthier, happier, and will be able to digest its food better.
Hopefully, this will stop it from feeling the urge to eat stool.
Keep The Dog Physically And Mentally Engaged
You need to spend time walking, playing, training, and mentally stimulating your dog if you want it to be happy and well.
Ensure to engage it in interactive games or find ways for your dog to stay busy, especially if you have an energetic or a working dog.
Provide your pup with enough toys to keep it entertained whenever you are not nearby or at home.
This is essential because dogs with high energy levels and a strong drive to work can easily get bored and may resort to destruction or undesirable behavior.
One such behavior is eating poop. So, by giving your pup the action and play it needs, you can enjoy spending more time with your four-legged friend and help prevent any poop-eating incidents out of pure boredom in the future.
Be A More Attentive Dog Parent
As mentioned above, dogs can sometimes resort to coprophagia due to being left isolated for long or due to prolonged confinement, stress, or fear of punishment. Also, some pups will seek your attention by eating feces.
So, if you want your pup to stop engaging in the disgusting habit of poop eating, you should be more loving and spend more time with your pup.
Also, use positive reinforcement when house training your puppy instead of resorting to punishments that can cause or worsen this type of behavior.
Punishing an adult dog for poop eating is not as effective either. In fact, the studies on dogs with such habits show that only about 2-4% of the dogs will stop eating stool as a result of punishment.
Supervise Your Dog When Out On A Walk
You should keep your dog on a leash or supervise it closely when outdoors to prevent it from eating its own or other animals’ feces. You can also use a basket muzzle to let your dog roam freely, although this may cause distrust among other people and dog owners.
Train Your Dog With Positive Reinforcement
Teaching your dog to avoid feces or scavenging everything it sees will help curb the gross habit of coprophagia.
You will also keep your dog from consuming strange materials that could clog its digestive tract, as well as from eating a toxin or something contaminated with hazardous bacteria and parasites.
Training is a long process and requires patience and consistency from your side.
Positive reinforcement is the best way to teach your pup to “come away” or “leave it” from something it sees on the ground.
Try training your pup at home by giving it the “come away” command and rewarding it with a delicious treat, petting, and vocal praise until it learns to obey the command.
Also, when the puppy defecates outdoors, call it, or pull its leash gently to distract it from its own stool. When the puppy responds and comes, you should reward it with a treat. Do the same when the puppy approaches another dog’s feces.
This is one of the most important things you should teach your pup, whether it eats poop or not because it can keep it safe from infections, obstructions, and poisoning.
Provide The Pup With The Enzymes It Needs To Digest Its Food
If your dog has a serious health problem causing enzyme deficiency, then your vet will prescribe a treatment for the condition or enzymes you should give the pup before each meal.
You can add green tripe to the dog’s food if you prepare its food at home. It is rich in digestive enzymes as well as probiotics.
If your dog has a trace mineral deficiency, you can give it supplements and add kelp to its food.
Pups with a hydrochloric acid deficiency can be fed a tablespoon of apple vinegar per 25 lbs. of food that will replace the missing acid in the digestive tract.
Dogs with little or no digestive enzymes can starve to death, so you should consult your vet on the best way to help the dog start digesting the food properly and absorbing the nutrients it needs.
Once your dog receives all those vital nutrients, it will most likely stop looking for them in poop.
Related: How Much Pineapple To Give Dog To Stop Eating Poop?
Check The Stool Of Your Dog For Parasites And Keep It Protected
As previously stated, dogs with parasites in their digestive system may consume feces to receive the nutrients the parasites are absorbing rather than being absorbed in the body.
So, make sure you check the poop of your dog for tell-tale signs of a parasite infection. If you notice white rice-like objects in the stool, these could be parasite eggs.
Also, ensure that you are consistent when giving your dog medication for internal parasite prevention to protect it from these harmful pests.
If you are worried about your dog having parasites, take it to the vet, and take a sample of the dog’s stool for a fecal examination.
Watch For Additional Signs Which Can Mean That Your Pup May Have A Health Issue
If your dog suddenly starts eating feces, this could be a sign of an illness or another health issue, some of which can be very dangerous.
So, instead of punishing or getting furious at the pup, ensure there are no other signs that can mean it has health problems.
Some symptoms to look for are weight loss in adult dogs or insufficient weight gain in puppies, diarrhea, vomiting, stool containing large particles of undigested food, lethargy, a change in behavior, and others.
If one or more of these signs are present, you should go to the vet for a thorough examination of the pup.
Once the issues are addressed and the proper treatment and care are provided, the coprophagia will most likely stop.
Prevent Access To Other Animals’ Feces
The temptation to eat “delicious” horse manure or high-protein cat feces is simply too strong for many dogs. So whenever possible, try to avoid taking your dog to places where it can find horse manure, and ensure you promptly clean your cat’s litter box from any solid waste.
It is best to keep cat litter away from the dog’s reach if you live in a multiple-pet household. You can choose a cat litter box that prevents access to the dog, such as a litter box with a cover, a top entry litter box, or a self-cleaning automated litter box.
Pick up any animal waste in your yard from domesticated and wild animals.
Add Stool Deterrent Products To The Dog Food
Particular canine-safe products make the stool unappealing when added to a dog’s diet.
They don’t work with all dogs, but you can try one or more of these products if your dog loves eating its own poop.
Suppose your dog is not allergic to any ingredients. In that case, products like NaturVet Coprophagia Deterrent Plus Breath Aid Dog Soft Chews or Nutri-Vet Nasty Habit Dog Chewables can help prevent stool eating behavior.
There are some natural taste-aversion products you can safely add to the dog’s food that can help curb the nasty habit of eating their own poop, such as parsley, chamomile, yucca, or pepper-plant derivatives.
Related: Meat Tenderizer For Dogs’ Poop: All You Need To Know!
Final Words
We can all agree that the thought of our fur baby eating poop is incredibly gross.
As you can see, coprophagia can be due to several mild to serious health problems. It is critical to address the condition, especially if it appears abruptly or other signs indicate that the dog is not getting all the nutrients it requires to be healthy, energetic, and well.
Ask your vet about this problem if you notice any of these signs.
Also, make sure that you regularly give your dog parasite prevention medicine to prevent parasite infections, which are often the underlying cause of poop eating.
Your dog may also need to be fed with higher quality food or fed more or less. Make adjustments to its diet to ensure that it is getting, digesting, and absorbing all the essential nutrients it needs and doesn’t need to resort to eating feces in search of those missing nutrients.
In case you have more than one dog at home, you should monitor which dog is eating what because the chances are that the more dominant dog may be eating the more submissive one’s food, and it may be hungry all the time and looking for the nutrition it needs even in the feces it finds outdoors.
If your pup has problems digesting the food because of a lack of digestive enzymes, you can easily help correct this issue by giving it enzyme supplements or feeding it foods rich in enzymes.
Keeping the gut flora healthy and well-balanced by giving the dog probiotics and prebiotics can also change its bad eating habits.
As dog parents, we must be ready to admit that some things we are doing wrong could be causing this nasty behavior. Keeping the dog isolated, alone, confined, or bored could be some reasons for eating poop.
Also, punishing a stressed puppy or not properly training it could be another reason for its love of ingesting feces.
Whatever the reason is, remember that canines have it in their blood and genes to keep their dens (homes) clean and safe from predators, so make sure you clean up after your pup and ensure that it gets the love and attention it needs, so it does not resort to this type of behavior.
Whatever the reason for your dog eating feces is, you can surely find a way to curb this behavior with some patience, love, and consistency.
So, do not give up on your dog just because it does something that its ancestors did every day to survive.
Make sure your dog is healthy and getting the nutrition, love, and attention it needs so that you can resolve this messy issue!