Echo Continues To Eat Poop

[Guest Shermanator]

We've had a problem with Echo eating poop (and rocks for awhile.) I've tried several things to eliminate this behavior, and its not working.

 

First, my DH works from home. He cannot supervise her all day. He cannot have her barking or whining. (Usually she sleeps all day, and is generally quiet.) We have a dog door, and it is not an option to close it during the day, or muzzle her all day. We do not crate. Besides, it would not be fair to crate Echo, and not Travel.

 

She mostly eats poop while we are gone. The worst part, is she brings it in the house. Yesterday she brought in fresh poop, and she smeared it into the carpet. Usually she brings in little nuggets of poop, and that's easy to clean - just pick it up and toss. The poop in my carpet is horrible, and I had to scrub it yesterday to get the area clean.

 

She does this if we are gone for 30 min, or 3 hours. Doesn't matter to her, as soon as we are gone, its a poop fest for her. (EW)

 

Ok, so we are thinking SA. She's generally NOT destructive in the house- not chewing furniture, not destroying anything, except for a couple if small items we have wither left out accidentally within her reach. The house is essentially Echo-proofed. When we come home, we can hear her barking, and she goes berserk- barking with desperation, and so excited when we come home she is absolutely crazy - barking, jumping, running. (We are currently working to curb that behavior, and we are having some success in calming her down.)

 

I have tried Rescue Remedy, DAP diffusers, cleaning up all poop before we leave, and nothing is successful. (If she or Travel poops while we are gone, Echo eats it.) We walk her as much as we can, or we have big play sessions in the backyard to get some of that energy out. She is 3 years old.

 

She came to us as a fearful, insecure little girl, who would bite when threatened. People, other dogs, didn't matter, she'd go on the attack. She's full of scars from dog bites- her lasing out at other dogs, and getting bit in returned. She was in a home for a year before she came to us, and was bounced. We do not know why. We adopted her in August, and we have worked with her, so she is not fearful, and we have come a long way. (No more biting, and has learned out to deal with people and dogs approaching her without lashing out.) She has come a long way socially.

 

Generally, she's a great dog, goofy and crazy and full of love. We love her so much! It's the poop eating that makes me nuts.

 

I know this sounds like an impossible situation. But, does anyone have any advice?

[Batmom]

Eating poop probably isn't related to anything else. Sometimes a dog will start doing it out of boredom, but once it becomes a habit, it's very difficult to break, especially if you can't clean up all poop as it occurs.

 

Are you sure the poop isn't getting in the house by someone *doing* it in the house? Except in very cold weather (poopsicles, yum!) or puppies (under a year) playing with it, I've never had one carry it around. They tend to eat it where they find it.

 

You could try Forbid or similar; some people have reported success with pineapple juice, which is a lot cheaper.

[Tallgreydogmom]

Get a muzzle cup for her muzzle. If you don't have one put duct tape over the front of her muzzle. Some dogs just like to eat poop. They don't see a problem with it as they are a dog.

 

I believe GEM sells them in their online store.

Edited February 3, 2011 by Tallgreydogmom

[Guest june]

Some greys do just like poop. I have my second "poop-eater" (I owned her mother who also was a poop-eater). Every time she goes out she has a muzzle with a stool-guard attached put on. She has gotten used to it as did her mother. I've tried some of the products on the market the problem with those is it needs to be added to all the dog's food. If her problem is when you are not home I'd muzzle her with a stool guard while you are not home.

 

Besides making a mess in your house it really isn't healthy for them to eat poop. When my girls would eat poop later they would throw up the nastiest, smelliest stuff! Much harder to clean up than the poop itself!

 

Good Luck,

june

[GeorgeofNE]

I'm sorry, but why don't you just close the dog door when you're not home?

[rascalsmom]

I don't fully understand your husband's work-from-home situation, but why can't he just give her scheduled potty breaks, and if she poops, pick it up? Keep the dog door shut. If he's home, a couple of potty breaks during the day won't take him that long....again, I know nothing of his work situation, so this is just a suggestion. She might even enjoy the five minute 'attention' break, and be calmer in the long run, who knows?

[Guest momofevie]

I agree with those suggesting a stool guard and/or supervised trips outdoors if manageable.

 

Also, is it possible that she is sometimes tracking it in on her paws?

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

In a dogs world there is no such thing as "FAIR". Hence the term "ALPHA" dog. In my house, my foster hounds are crated any time we are not at home. They don't care at all. I have three of my own hounds roaming free, but the fosters, crated when we are gone, just the way it is.

 

If you are unwilling to crate, unwilling to muzzle, and unable to block their access to outside, then really I don't see any solution for you, other than food supplements.

 

There are people that believe if you put pineapple in your hounds food the stool will taste bad, and other additives to food that claim the same thing. I would think in your situation that is your only option really. Good luck.

 

Chad

[IndyandHollyluv]

Yuck. No fun. But I agree - sounds like you and your husband will have to re-think your approach and strategy. Echo is only a dog afterall.

 

I adopted an older male last March (former racer and pet blood bank resident, not very worldly, very sensitive, wounds easily). Anyway, in time I gave him free run of the house and he proceeded to pee all over the house. I was angry and frustrated. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and wanted to trust him but finally realized he could not be captain of his own ship. He didn't understand life on the "outside" as he had spent most of his life in a kennel environment.

 

I moved his crate to a room with a better view, made it comfy, and throw in a few treats whenever I leave. He is doing great and seems much calmer (previously, he barked up a very loud storm when I crated him). He will be 10 in March but emotionally is a puppy. I realized he was anxious without structure in his world as he was never properly housebroken or socialized. When I am home, he is free to roam (although I do keep a close eye on him).

 

That being said -- a few months ago he started to eat poop. Sigh. I do have an older female who has been a lifelong poo eater (and I could yell at her until I'm blue in the face and she wouldn't care! fa la la, she says as she flips me off!). So I conceded defeat years ago and simply clean up the yard immediately after poopage. But the male likes to eat poop hot out of the oven and will turn around and promptly partake. I intially muzzled and recently had to add the Hannibal Lecter stool cup as my boy was eating poo through the muzzle. Last night he also attempted to indulge through the stool cup but could only smear a bit on the muzzle.

 

I appreciate your frustration but I think the situation could improve if you limit doggy door access. Sounds likes Echo would benefit from a more structured environment and routine. I finally realized (after my boy ruined some of my furniture and carpet) that some of these hounds simply cannot be left to their own devices.

 

Good luck to you. I sure hope you find a solution that works for everyone.

Edited February 3, 2011 by IndyandHollyluv

[TheFullHouse]

I'm not sure why a muzzle isn't an option. There are dogs all over the place who are muzzled all day while their owners are at work. It's no big deal and the dogs get used to it. If that's not an option then like someone else suggested, maybe DH can schedule a couple of potty breaks during the day and keep the dog door closed the rest of the time. I put muzzles with stool guards on my pups after Emmy came down with HGE after eating poop. Better a muzzle than a 3 day stay at the vets.

[Remolacha]

If she is just doing it while you are gone, I would just close the dog door when you are not at home. They aren't puppies, so they really don't need to go out that frequently.

 

Fletcher is a poop eater, but putting him on a raw diet solved the problem for me. I put him on raw for his IBD, the end of poop eating was a happy side effect I guess those hard, dry little nuggets aren't as appetizing

[Guest WarmheartedPups]

My one dog needed a muzzle while I was at work...so...both had to wear their muzzles whenI was gone....only fair!!

[greysmom]

I'm also going to join the less-freedom, more-supervision group. Unless there's a medical reason, an adult dog should not need free access to the outside all the time. And she needs to wear a muzzle with a stool guard. Since she's young, make sure she gets PLENTY of exercise in the mornin before you leave. That might mean you (or your BF) gets up earlier to give her a good, long, brisk walk - an hour of really moving, not just a potty stroll. Sucks in the winter, but you have to make some choices. Long walkies in the morning or poop on the carpet.

 

I don't completely understand your home situation, but I would also ask if there isn't some way your DH could build a couple potty breaks into his work day. He doesn't need to supervise her all day, but again, some choices need to be made. You need to take some time and re-do her alone training. And keep her on a schedule every day - most GHs do better with structure.

 

If you try the pineapple addition, they say you need to use fresh pineapple and not canned. Just some of the juice, or a couple chunks in their food every meal.

[Guest Shermanator]

Muzzles are not an option - she barks, and carries on and generally rubs her face on everything relentlessly. Muzzles need to be an absolute last resort. DH cannot have her freaking out during the day.

 

DH works in a technology service-based environment. The requirements for working at home is that he must have his own office, and absolutely no noise can come over the line. He works a lot on conference calls. His office needs to be quiet, like it would be in a normal office setting. He cannot have barking or whining. Period. This is a policy for everyone. He cannot go into an office, since there is not an office near us. Working from home is the only way to go. He cannot adhere to a strict scheduled environment, since he doesn't have a schedule during the day. I've seen him on calls for hours at a time, I've seen him miss lunch. I've seen him not being able to get a shower until 6 at night. Its a very busy, fast paced position. Even when I am home and he's working, I have to be very quiet.

 

Normally, the girls are great. They sleep all day. I cannot walk them in the morning, since I am out the door by 5 am, and I do not feel safe walking them @ 3:30-4 am by myself. I walk them and get some major plays sessions on when I get home in the afternoon, to get some of the energy out. The problem with Echo, is that her front right leg is a little crooked and weak. She was born with a birth defect, and her front paw is twisted outwards, causing her to limp. The farther we walk, the worse the limp and the pain is for her. We try to walk in short spurts, but she cannot go very far, for very long. I still walk her to strengthen her bad leg, but improvement is very slight. So, she's a short distance - fast moving kind of girl. Short bursts of energy (playing with toys, bouncing around the house) in short spurts a couple of times a day.

 

We do not want to close the dog door. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the dog door? The dog door gives them the freedom to go out when they need to or want to. It makes everyone in the house happy. We keep it open at all times, the girls never wake us up in the middle of the night, and we are not slaves to opening the back door all night long. (Our yard is completely closed off- 6 ft concrete privacy fences are around everyone's back yards here- its how the homes were built.)

I know this sounds like a lot of excuses, but it is what it is.

 

We have started picking up poop 2x a day, and so far, we have not caught her eating it. If its not accessible to her, she cannot get it. I know we cannot catch it all the time, and keep the backyard poop free at all times, but by picking it up multiple times during the day, we can limit her poop eating. Also, she only does it when we are gone, not while at home. Thanks for all the advice!

[Guest KennelMom]

Eating poop probably isn't related to anything else. Sometimes a dog will start doing it out of boredom, but once it becomes a habit, it's very difficult to break, especially if you can't clean up all poop as it occurs.

 

Are you sure the poop isn't getting in the house by someone *doing* it in the house? Except in very cold weather (poopsicles, yum!) or puppies (under a year) playing with it, I've never had one carry it around. They tend to eat it where they find it.

 

You could try Forbid or similar; some people have reported success with pineapple juice, which is a lot cheaper.

 

this.

[Guest PiagetsMom]

Also, she only does it when we are gone, not while at home

 

Sorry, coming to this late.....it seems this is what others were referring to. If it only happens when you're gone, why not close the doggie door when you leave, and then go back to the normal always open doggie door when you return? Surely if you took care of business before leaving, they would be okay until you got back home. Or if the doggie door is non-negotiable, than again, if this only happens when you're gone, why not muzzle when you leave? If DH isn't home working, her protests aren't really an issue,

 

I don't have a poop eater, thank goodness, but it seems that all the advice given would be good solutions.

[Guest hlpnhounds]

I don't fully understand your husband's work-from-home situation, but why can't he just give her scheduled potty breaks, and if she poops, pick it up? Keep the dog door shut. If he's home, a couple of potty breaks during the day won't take him that long....again, I know nothing of his work situation, so this is just a suggestion. She might even enjoy the five minute 'attention' break, and be calmer in the long run, who knows?

 

 

I was thinking the same thing....

 

I have 4 hounds in my home. 3 greys and a beagle. Of the 4, 3 of them are poop eaters. Those 3 go outside with muzzles and poop guards. No problems as long as those are in place.

You certainly do seem to have a difficult situation because of your husband's work "schedule". Without utilizing the muzzles with poop guards and/or regular supervised potty breaks, I don't see how this problem will be solved for you. Yes, there are products like "forbid" that allegedly will help...I have not had good luck with that. The best "bad taste" deterrent I have found over the years is hot sauce sprinkled onto the feces in the yard--then I realized that if I had the time to sprinkle the piles with hot sauce then I had time to remove the poop from the yard

Edited February 7, 2011 by hlpnhounds

[Trudy]

I get the muzzle part... Ryan would just push his muzzle into the poop to see if there was some way he could still get the poop. EVERY TIME. So if I wasn't at the door to remove the poopy muzzle, he'd have just gotten the poop from the muzzle around the house. I'll pass on that, thanks.

 

Pick up as often as you can. Close the door when you are not home if needed, and deal with that she eats poop when she finds it.

[Guest BrianRke]

Adding pineapple to the dogs food will make the poop taste really bad. I tried this and it worked like a charm.

Edited March 5, 2011 by BrianRke

[macoduck]

Adding pineapple to the dogs food will make the poop taste really bad. I tried this and it worked like a charm.

Yup. I just buy the little cans of juice and split one between all the dog bowls. That way everybody's poop is tainted.

[gracegirl]

I see a couple of easy solutions here.

 

1. Make both dogs go out before you leave, then shut dog door while you are gone. Open dog door again when you return home.

 

2 if you will be gone longer and don't feel like you can close the dog door, make both dogs go out before you go...and clean up all poop in the yard at that time. Maybe couple with a muzzle as well.

 

If she is only eating poop while you are gone, the first solution should solve the problem. The second solution should minimize it.

 

There are also ways to train her to accept the muzzle. My Grace hates her muzzle too...but I'm the boss and sometimes she has to wear it. Tough noogies for her.

Edited March 11, 2011 by gracegirl

[Guest davidsl88]

My two poop-eaters are not discouraged by anything. I did try meat tenderizer sprinkled on kibble and it worked for a while, but they just worked beyond the foul taste and kept on going... It may work for other dogs though, maybe even yours, and it's really inexpensive. The one thing that does work is constant clean up. Of course when the snow is chest deep it's a little tougher... When the poop is on top the drifts or easily accessible on the sidewalk, I wait at the door to watch then immediately distract and bring them in if it looks they're going for it. It takes more time from my day but well worth it. We've had significant melt and as more poop is revealed I pick it up. And it's so much easier right now to keep up on fresh droppings. As to your doggie, I agree - try locking the door while you're out, food additive(s) and then just keep your eye on her while she's out. Or get an industrial-strength carpet steamer/cleaner. Good luck.