my pup (1 weeks) has started to eat his own poo. i am trying to toilet train him, but finding it hard. Is there any particular reason he may be eating his poo and can this affect his health? Thanks

His age must be a typo, surely? I'm guessing he's a bit older than that! What are you feeding him? Is it the same as the breeder was feeding him? Do you tell him off when he poos in the house?

I have read sometimes that dogs will do this if they have seen another dog do it. Another reason could be that he is lacking in certain vitamins. Does he do it every time he goes to toilet or is it sometimes and not other times? If is is not every time- Have you fed him anything different such as a treat and he is smelling this in his faeces and this is making his faeces attractive to him? I have heard if you give a dog a small amount of pineapple mixed in with their food it will help, but if he is a very young pup I wouldnt really want to do this myself as pineapples are quite acidic and it could upset his tummy. I would be inclined to say to keep an eye on him when he is going to toilet in the garden and immediately after catch his attention with a toy or a treat so he comes to you and removes himself of his own accord away from his toilet. Then I would clean up his poop straight away without him seeing you do this. If he thinks you are paying attention to it, it could make it more attractive to him. Also it is a wise idea to clean it up straight away so that he is not eating faeces that could possibly have worm eggs if he is a very young pup. I hope this helps. Good luck with your new pup. xxx

I used to mix about 1inch of grated courgette in with her food - just once a day...and it worked.

We had the same problem with our 11 week old puppy.  For us it was difficult to get her to stop eating her on pooh because she would do it not so much in front of us but in her kennel during the night.  I brought this up to our Vet and she recommended a product called, FORBID.  You mix it in there food and Walla!  It works like a charm, no more eating pooh.  You can find it at most pet stores.  The Vet did not recommend feeding her pineapples because, she said; it could affect her diet (sugar level) especially that she's only puppy.  To answer your question about if this could affect the health of your puppy the answer is yes, especially if she is eating pooh which has been sitting outside for a period of time.  This is why after they go it is important to dispose of the waste (clean-up).  Unfortunately, they learn this habit from there mothers during the first 3 weeks
of birth.  The mother eats the pooh of there young to avoid leaving them in search of food.  Hopefully this will answer your questions and resolve your issue.

Good luck,
CH 

"Unfortunately, they learn this habit from there mothers during the first 3 weeks
of birth. " 

Sorry, I don't agree with this opinion.
Some pups do eat their own, and sometimes other dogs', poo. It can occur when the pup feels hungry and the poo contains undigested food, which will to the pup be like an extra meal. Once they've started this habit, it can be hard to break. Try to minimize the opportunity for the pup to eat poo, and eventually it should grow out of it.
Dogs will quite happily eat the poo they find in nature, like that from foxes, cats, horses and other animals. They very rarely get ill, since their stomachs contains the acids to break down far worse things than ours do. It's a vile habit though, and worm medication given to horses can sometimes be a danger to dogs, so not one to be encouraged.
Good luck with your pup's eating habits :p
Karen

 

Add some fresh pineapple to his diet each day, that will stop it!