hi everyone

just a quick question!

i have a 14 week old male German Shepherd who keeps going to the toilet and if i don't clean it up in time he eats it!

I have been told this is normal but any suggestions on how i get him to stop it please?

PS i do feed him enough!

Thanks

It is one of those lovely doggy habits - they do grow out of it and don't worry it isn't because you aren't feeding him enough.

I used to make sure I cleaned it up quickly - I also have heard that pineapple juice in with their food can help to stop it - but never actually tried this - sure someone else can give you advice on this!

hello

My 12 week pup started this bad habit a few weeks ago.  with the advices i have read on this website I started putting a little pineapple juice and little bits of pineapple chunks in with her kibble.  Not only did she love the pineapple on her dinner(s) she no longer eats her poop YAyyy. 

They do grow out of it, but it won't do them any harm, so I personally wouldn't worry about it. It is only disgusting to us, not to dogs. Sometimes cleaning it up quickly can make things worse, as the pup starts to think that their poo is 'prized' and of high value, so will be more inclined to eat it.

If it really bothers you, I would remove the pup from the toileting area when they have been and clean it up out of their site.

To be honest  clearing up quickly is the best method to stop this, also do not make a big disgusted fuss about it.  If you do he will think his poo every important and that you want it too, and be even more inclined to eat it quick.  Also if he is scolded for toileting some pups try to dispose of the evidence.  Distract the pup with a tasty treat, and clear away.  Pups are more likely to eat the poo if what comes out is not well digested so worth recycling.  What are his poos like.  They should be firm and not too smelly.

hi yeah they are firmish, not really that runny. They don't smell as bad as my two year old Akita ones but nevertheless still not great!

thanks everyone for the advice i will deinately try the pineapples!! xxx

definately even !

are you sure yoru not overfeedign if the poos are not that firm.  I woudl try a day or two of giving a quarter less food than you are at present and see if the poos don't become firmer.  Poos that are loose will eman the food is not being digested either due to ilness, unsuitable food or overfeeding.

Well they are firm in the sense i can pick them up with kitchen roll, they are not runny.

i feed him two cups of pedigree complete puppy twice a day ( one cup in the morning & one in the evening) i give him snacks throughout the day too i.e dog treats

is this ok?

The dog treats may well be the problem with the smell.  Also pedigree has always made my dogs poos smell awful and given them yellow Rather soft motions, but what suits one will not suit another.

Most people here agree that there are better foods at similar price than pedigree.

so shall i lay off the dog treats....?

The problem is that i also have an Akita and can't give her treats without him really??

what other food do you suggest?? i.e one that i can pick up in Tesco or something

The ones stocked in supermarkets are designed to appeal to the owner (pretty shapes adn colours) not be best for the dog.

Many of the good foods deliver to your door, so there shouldn't be a problem getting them.

My own personal favourite is Arden Grange.  James Well beloved is also not hard to source, and both can be bought in Jollyes or Pets at Home, and I am pretty sure both brands deliver.

ok thats great thank you ill have a look

I believe Tesco now stock Autarky - I haven't used it myself, but I've heard it's meant to be reasonable.

sorry to divert from the original post subject but Brainless suggested that the poo's shouldnt be too smelly.  my puppys poo's smell REALLY REALLY bad....is that not right????  they have always smelt bad so i havent been worried about it, but she did used to eat her poo before the pineapple was introduced.

No poos should not be very smelly.  Some foods will make the poos smell really bad as the food isn't digested well.  Tinned food for example gives very smelly poos, as does food that the dog isn't digesting or if the dog has a bacterial overgrowth.  When Im fed raw teh poos had virtually no odur a few minutes after beign depostied.  The main odour with poos is that from the anal glands coating the poo in the anal secretions which have a typical slightly fishy smell, adn smell only really horid if infected.

Well they are firm in the sense i can pick them up with kitchen roll, they are not runny.

i feed him two cups of pedigree complete puppy twice a day ( one cup in the morning & one in the evening) i give him snacks throughout the day too i.e dog treats

is this ok?

"i feed him two cups of pedigree complete puppy twice a day ( one cup in the morning & one in the evening)"

14 week pup should maybe be fed 3 times per day rather than 2. Especially with a GSD puppy. My friends are very experienced with GSD and many can have dodgy tums . We have a young GSD with us at the moment who needs 4 small feeds because the bigger feeds cause his tum to swell. His stomach had to  be drained once and while I am sure this is not the case with your pup it is good to keep in mind..

With a GSD pup I would definitely be changing to a better diet.  they often have delicate tummies.  As adults they seem to do very well on the Arden Grange lamb and Rice formula.  James Wellbeloved also do several kinds of puppy food.  The lamb being easily digested.

oh dear
her poo's smell really bad, not fishy tho.  i mean i can smell them badly from where i am standing when she is pooing in the garden let alone when i get near to clear up.  she is fed on JWB which I believe is a good food?  they are firm poo's and not a funny colour.  perhaps i should get her to the vet to check out her little belly. she 'farts' quite a bit and these smell bad too - but she is a staffy which is quite common. 

I feed my dogs mainly raw food, and if one of them does poo in the house I won't know about it til I find it - no smell! :)

You dirty little devil!

DENZIL