My 18 week old cocker has got a really bad habit of eating other dogs faeces when we are out for a walk.  The only way to stop him is by keeping him on the lead all the time which I don't want to do.  Any suggestions?

Not had this problem personally but have you tried feeding him before you take him out for a walk, having had spaniels for many years from childhood till 7yrs ago when I got my first present breed I know how greedy and food orientated they are and having a full tummy may mean he is less inclined to eat the undigested food in other dogs faeces.

Thanks for your suggestion but it doesn't seem to make any difference if he has been fed or not he is totally obsessed with it, just hoping he might grow out of it!!

How was he reared and what is he fed on.

Some foods are not easily digested and so when passed are still attractive and nutritious.

If the litters environment is not cleaned very regularly of waste then they may start to eat them, for nu trition or from boredom/curiosity.

It's a little easier when it's their won they go for as it simply means watching and making sure to clear theirs up before they have a chance to snaffle it.

Reducing the opportunity for him doing this on walks is the only way to break the habit, so you may need to keep him on lead for now so you can physically prevent it.

It may also pay to look at what you are feeding him in case there is something missing in his diet or he isn't absorbing from it that makes him crave supplementary nutrition.

Teach the command 'leave' or 'away' :-)

I use it when the girls find a juicy cowpat or a pile of horse poop .

Yes, another 'leave' here.  It's the second command that I teach, and one that I like ingrained. 

Years ago, I had a Toy Poodle run up to some poison that I had spilt.  He ran up, and backed off fast at the leave command.  Almost the most important word to teach a dog.

Me too leave is brilliant and maybe for a while a flexi lead so you can know exactly what he is doing and get in there with your command fast. I know some people have finally resorted to muzzling their dogs when on walks to prevent this which def works but hopefully as he is young you can stop it. My previous dogs loved a bit of horse or cow pooh and one would eat their own or the cats ... disgusting doggy habit !!

We have a 16wk old pup here who has started eating poop aswell...I read somewhere that pineapple mixed in with food was supposed to help stop this habit, has anyone tried this...I will get some crushed pineapple today if it works!!
Shes on RC and it was mixed with wet food (tiny amount) as she wasnt really interested in the dry only, have stopped the meat but this hasnt stopped the poop eating.
She understands the LEAVE command but as we approach her to get her away from it she gobbles it down...sickening!!
Ive never had this problem with any of my dogs before. She is also one of the pups I bred and kept.