HELP My 5 month GSD pup eats his own poo as if it's ice cream. It is truly disgusting, especially when his breath smells of it!!
I've been hoping he would grow out of it (my older shepherd did) but he still tucks in as if its the best treat ever. He only ever eats his own, which is a VERY small consolation!

I have heard about adding pineapple to his food, and would like to know:

Is tinned pineapple OK
How much should I add to his food at each meal
and HOW LONG is it likely to take if it's going to work?

Getting desperate now. He is fed on Burns and Naturediet, with the occasional raw chicken wing, and sometimes a little raw tripe for variety, so he has good quality food.  He does love his food though, and is a real pig.

I'd love to have kisses from him, but urgh...........no way

Kat

Pineapple will only stop this behaviour IF it is caused by an enzyme deficiency. Dogs and puppies will do this for several reasons - once you know what the reason is, you can work to stop it, but remember it is perfectly 'normal' behaviour for a dog......

1) Inapropriate toilet training - punishing a dog when you find a motion will result in the dog reasoning that if there is no faeces on the floor, you can't punish them, and this is the only way they have of removing the evidence.

2) Learnt from the dam. Puppies who were not raised with access to two different substrates will continue to soil the bed area - the dam will remove the soiling, and this become a habit for the puppies - they copy the good and the bad.

3) Enzyme deficieny, often cured by adding a small amount of pineapple to the diet. Depending on the size of the dog - between a tablespoon full and 1/4 of a tin.....

4) Bacterial overgrowth - most common in puppies who eat other dogs faeces as they are naturally driven to add the good bacteria from other dogs and even other animals guts that they are lacking. Needs vet treatment with long term strong antibiotics to restore the balance.

5) Most common - inappropriate diet - food it too rich or contains indigestible parts - such as a high grain content. This is why dogs often eat 'cat litter tray crunchies'.......

HTH

I give my boy 5 chunks of tinned pineapple a day, he used to turn whilst pooping so he could eat the first bit while he was waiting to finish, yuk! Take the advise from the other post aswell as i am no expert, but Merlin has stopped this now and even sniffed his own poop today and didnt touch it, hooray!! I even found one in the garden earlier that i didnt know he had done. On another thread someone posted that their pup stopped doing this after he had been wormed, so that may be worth checking. Good luck.

Your in control , after he poos make him sit and pick it up. If you don't pick up your poop (i hope you do) then after he poops continue walking. Don't stand there watching him like "when is he going to stop." Give him a tug and keep walking!!

Thanks for replies!
Digger: Most of those don't apply, though could be copied from dam, as home reared, although did have a paper toilet area. Will try the pineapple and see if it is enzyme deficiency (which enzyme btw?) or if all that fails, I'll see the vet
Stann:  :) I didn't think there was a pup as stinky as mine. Started the pineapple now, and so here's hoping. He was wormed not all that long ago, but coming up for another soon, so will try that too! How soon did you notice him not eating it???
Manny: Not always possible, I have a huge garden, he is black and disappears at night! Sometimes first sign is him trotting back licking his lips, with a disgusting smell on his breath, and in this weather, they enjoy the freedom of coming and going in the garden to enjoy the freedom and use their paddling pool :). Otherwise, we certainly pick it up quickly, so as not to give him the opportunity.

Thanks again - keeping fingers crossed something works soon
Kat

The enzyme in pineapple is bromelain - it helps digest protein and this is why we humans like it with pork....

we noticed this weekend that he had stopped when i found a big one in the garden he had not touched. Usually we follow him around and cover it immediately with various pots and things in the garden, including an old paint tray that came out of the shed. Then we used to call him indoors and praise him then clear it up after. We did this because i read a thresd on hear that said they may eat it quick as they think you want it, (or words to that effect). Today he did one, turned and sniffed it, then walked away. I was worried for a it when he turned, but if he leaves it he gets a treat aswell. If your pup dissapears at night in your garden you could try a long lead and to follow him around. It is a pain when its raining but far less of a pain than when they wipe poo on you which has escaped from the gaps where their teeth havn't yet grown, yuck!! Keep a jacket and brolley on the back door handle. We were quite lucky as our boy went at around the same time each day so we knew to watch closely when he was due a poop. Good luck.