The Dog Training Review

Kids (and adults too) know that Popeye the Sailor Man eats spinach to recharge his legendary human strength. One of the most common concerns of dog owners is the pet’s loathsome habit of eating feces. Do dogs consider poop as their power food?

Whatever reasons dogs have for eating poop, it is certainly not because for lack of food. Dogs are well loved pets and dog owners would not think twice to pay for pricey dog food as long as the health of the pet is ensured. Dogs are well fed. Dog owners care for the pet so much so that dog behaviorist’s recommendation to feed the dog only after the family has eaten is often ignored. Dogs therefore do not eat feces because they are hungry.

The tendency to eat feces is believed to be a trait that was handed down to modern day dogs by their ancestors that live in the wild. The habit of eating feces has something to do with the dog’s self preservation instinct. In the wild, dogs need to conceal their presence from their predators. The smell of feces will unerringly point the location of the dog to its predators. Eating the feces will remove all the traces of the dog’s location. Generally, modern day dogs live safe and secure inside the homes thus there is no need to hide from predators. The self preservation instinct though is deeply ingrained so that dogs would still eat feces from time to time.

Dogs have this uncanny ability to know what is wrong with their system. By eating grass and leaves, dogs can induce vomiting so that anything eaten not accepted by the system will be vomited. Coprophagia or the habit of eating feces is associated with the dog’s need to fill up a nutrient deficiency that results from eating less nutritious dog food.

Dog owners are aware that their pets are social animals thus they would set aside some time to bond with the pet. Some dog owners don’t have time for the pet and others simply do not care. The habit of eating poop can be the dog’s way of getting the masters attention. An owner of a poop eating dog will be annoyed at the pet’s disgusting behavior but a dog would appreciate being reprimanded rather than be ignored.

Find out more about why dogs eat feces and first aid for dogs at Sarah’s Dogs .