My 2 year old miniature poodle has eaten poo since day one. I live in an area in which people either dont pick up or even worse pick it up in plastic bags and then leave these on the ground. When off the lead if my dog finds these he eats them.

We were doing OK (it was just cat/fox and human poo) but maybe its the warm weather but he has suddenly started eating poo and poo in bags again.

If he finds a bag on the lead, we can maybe make him drop it if we swap for cheese but we are more likely to get bitten.

I either never have him off the lead (and as I have a small courtyard garden, this is not an option) or fit him with a muzzle. Could I have some recommendations please for a muzzle that would be suitable for stopping him eating poo and bags of poo.

Last night he found a full poo bag in long grass and ate it whole. I am still waiting for it to appear.

I am seeing a behaviourist. I am not asking on here for advice on that but rather on a muzzle. I know its resource guarding. He will definitely bite. If he is off the lead, there is NOTHING he will swap a poo bag for. NOTHING. I have tried! Like I wouldn't swap a steak for a stale cream cracker.

Thank you, I'm at my wit's end.

Basket muzzle would be best.

The Muzzle Shop is very helpful with questions and advice on type and sizing.  https://www.themuzzleshop.com

Before using a muzzle make sure u train your dog to accept it .its not always a quick thing to do but this video by Chirag Patel  is really helpful
I also hope.your behaviourist will be able to help
https://www.developingdogs.co.uk/muzzle-training/

Muzzle wont stop the dog eating crap take washing up bottle filled with water give dog a squirt wont be long before he stops

It can actually, friend of mine uses one with her ridgeback.  Had 5 ops already due to eating rubbish and vets told her that they can't operate again.  Since being muzzled he hasn't been able to do it and she can confidently let him off leash.

Occasionally a dog will learn to push the muzzle in to eat stuff, but there are muzzles with solid ends to prevent this, or you could tape over the end with duct tape to achieve the same.  Either way you want a basket muzzle, introduced carefully.  For the finer faced dogs I like whippet muzzles; I use a greyhound muzzle for my fine-faced malinois, for example.

You need to stop dog going to poo to eat it not taping muzzle up so it cant you are not learning dog anything

> not taping muzzle up

That's is not what putting a muzzle on the dog is.
There are differing sorts of muzzles available but the sort I would say is google greyhound muzzles uk, then you will see what they look like!

As the op is working with a behaviourist I would.hope that she will get good advice on training the dog with  this problem  as well as wearing a muzzle to reduce the problem.
It doesn't solve it in most cases but can help enormously together with  training  especially if it's an established habit.

Wearing a muzzle wont stop the dog trying to eat poo all you will get is muzzle full of poo waste of money using a behaviourist no good telling dog its naughty

Have you read the OP's post?  Not sure you are helping really

Yes told her how to solve a simple problem as I said wearing muzzle wont stop the dog from going to the poo it needs a squirt of water everytime it goes for one not someone that is going to charge her money you only need common sense

A squirt of water every time won't do the job in most cases, actually; it'll only teach the dog that eating poo when the owner is close by is unsafe.  The most likely outcomes of that approach are a dog that eats poo sneakily, or wolfs it down faster, before the owner can reach them.

Using a muzzle absolutely can be a very valuable tool for a situation like this, because while some dogs will push the muzzle in, most won't, so it prevents the dog practicing the behaviour while training modification (e.g. teaching a solid 'leave' cue) takes place.

Additionally, using physical aversives (such as squirting with water) to punish a dog who is already showing clear resource guarding behaviour, and who is a known bite risk, is a sure fire way to make the whole situation MUCH worse.  I've seen it time and time again, when I've been called in to try and undo the damage.  Resource guarding is an anxiety-based behaviour, and any form of punishment or confrontation is a very bad idea.

I'm afraid "common sense" is not a useful tool, in a situation like this - understanding how dog behaviour works is what is needed, and this particular dog is absolutely better off with his owner having help from a behaviourist.

Absolutely right Nikita and a good behaviourist will also be working with the vet in identifying potential medical factors  that might be motivating the behaviour. A variety of things can trigger coprophagia and identifying underlying motivation is crucial for the correct treatment programme. This requires specialist knowledge, and is not just a matter of common sense.

Couldn’t agree more about the muzzle- not a long-term solution but a vital management tool.

The Labrador I used to have would have LOVED to be squirted with water. Great, if I eat poo I get to play with the fun water!

The trouble with aversives is that you almost always end up having to escalate. What do you do when the dog who loves poo more than *cheese* decides that it’s willing to deal with the water squirt in order to enjoy its favourite snack? Carry a hosepipe? Shock collar? Loud siren? Anything else you want to traumatise your dog with instead of investing in a muzzle and some humane training?

Personally I believe every dog should have a muzzle and be trained to wear it comfortably because you never know when you’ll need one, even the most placid of dogs can react defensively when scared or in pain.

I have a dog that loves water but it don't eat poo just tell the dog its naughty it will stop immediately