Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?

Sep 7, 2026

Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?

One in four dogs eats poop at some point in their lives — and one in six does it regularly enough to be considered a habitual behaviour, according to a study cited by the American Kennel Club. The technical term is coprophagia, and despite being deeply unpleasant from a human perspective, it is rarely a sign of a serious problem. That said, it is worth understanding why it happens — because the cause determines how to address it, and sometimes it does signal something that needs a vet’s attention.

Normal Reasons Dogs Eat Poop

For puppies especially, coprophagia is often entirely normal — and rooted in instincts that go back millions of years.

Maternal behaviour copied in puppyhood

Mother dogs routinely lick and clean their newborn puppies, consuming their waste in the process — a behaviour that keeps the nest clean and reduces scent that might attract predators. Puppies observe and copy this, and many carry the habit into early puppyhood as a normal part of exploring their world. Dr. Haley Georges, medical director of Veterinary Emergency Group, describes early coprophagia in puppies as a learned behaviour that the vast majority outgrow naturally by adulthood without any intervention needed.

Scavenging instinct

Dogs evolved as opportunistic scavengers — their ancestors ate whatever was available, including the faeces of other animals, which often contain partially digested nutrients. This is why dogs are so drawn to cat faeces in particular: cat food is high in protein, and cat faeces retains more nutritional value than dog faeces. A dog that raids the litter box is not behaving abnormally — it is behaving exactly as its scavenging instinct dictates. The disgust is entirely human.

Curiosity and exploration

Dogs investigate the world primarily through smell and taste. Faeces contains a rich chemical profile — information about the animal that produced it, what it ate, its health status and more. For a young or curious dog, tasting faeces is partly information-gathering. This is especially common in puppies under one year old, who mouth and eat a wide range of things that adults ignore.

Medical Causes That Need a Vet

When coprophagia starts suddenly in an adult dog that has not done it before, or is accompanied by other symptoms, a medical cause should be ruled out first.

• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI): the pancreas fails to produce enough digestive enzymes, meaning food passes through largely undigested — the dog eats faeces in an attempt to recover nutrients it is not absorbing; EPI causes weight loss despite a large appetite, greasy stools and chronic hunger
• Intestinal parasites: worms compete for nutrients in the gut, leaving the dog in a state of relative nutritional deficiency that drives increased food-seeking behaviour including coprophagia
• Malabsorption disorders: any condition that reduces nutrient absorption can trigger the same response as EPI; inflammatory bowel disease and certain infections fall into this category
• Nutritional deficiency: a poor-quality diet lacking key nutrients can cause a dog to seek supplementation through faeces; this is a reason to review the diet, not just the behaviour
• Polyphagia: conditions that cause excessive hunger — including diabetes, Cushing’s disease and some medications like steroids — can lead dogs to eat faeces as an extension of their increased drive to consume anything available
• Canine cognitive dysfunction: elderly dogs with dementia sometimes eat faeces as one of a cluster of disoriented behaviours; if an older dog develops coprophagia alongside other changes in behaviour or sleep, a vet assessment is warranted

Behavioural Causes

Once medical causes are ruled out, these psychological and environmental factors are the most common drivers in adult dogs.

• Attention-seeking: dogs that have learned their owner reacts strongly to poop-eating — even with negative attention like shouting — may repeat the behaviour because any reaction is rewarding; this is particularly common in dogs that are bored or undertimulated
• Hiding evidence of accidents: dogs that have been harshly punished for toileting indoors sometimes eat the evidence to avoid future punishment; this creates a cycle where the punishment causes the very behaviour the owner is trying to prevent
• Confinement and isolation: dogs left alone for very long periods in small spaces sometimes eat their own faeces — partly out of boredom, partly as a stress response and partly because the environment is unstimulating enough that faeces becomes interesting
• Anxiety: chronic anxiety produces compulsive or displaced behaviours in dogs, and coprophagia is among them; if a dog eats poop mainly in high-stress situations or when left alone, anxiety is likely involved
• Proximity of food to toileting areas: dogs whose feeding station is very close to where they defecate may develop an associative link between the two; moving food and toilet areas further apart often helps

How to Stop the Behaviour

The approach depends entirely on the cause — which is why identifying the driver first is more important than reaching for a deterrent spray.

The single most effective practical step for any type of coprophagia is removing the opportunity — picking up faeces immediately after the dog defecates eliminates access before the dog can eat it. This breaks the habit loop while other interventions take effect.

Further reading on dog behaviour:

• AKC – Why Do Dogs Eat Poop? — vet-reviewed overview of causes, risk factors and what to do
• VCA Animal Hospitals – Coprophagia in Dogs — comprehensive clinical guide including diagnostic approach and treatment options

FAQ

Is it dangerous for my dog to eat poop?

In most cases, no — coprophagia is unpleasant but not typically dangerous for the dog. The main genuine risk is parasite transmission: a dog that eats the faeces of an infected animal can acquire intestinal worms and other parasites. Keeping deworming up to date reduces this risk. There is also a small risk of bacterial transmission to humans through subsequent licking — washing hands after contact and not allowing face licking if coprophagia is occurring are reasonable precautions.

Why does my dog eat cat poop specifically?

Cat food is typically higher in protein and fat than dog food, and cat faeces retains more of this nutritional value after digestion. To a dog’s scavenging instinct, cat faeces is a rich resource. This is one of the most common forms of coprophagia and one of the easiest to solve — simply making the litter box inaccessible to the dog removes the opportunity entirely.

Will food additives stop my dog eating poop?

Products that make faeces taste unpleasant (typically containing ingredients like monosodium glutamate, yucca or certain herbs) have inconsistent results in the research. They work for some dogs and not at all for others. They also only address the dog’s own faeces — they cannot affect the faeces of other animals the dog may encounter. Removing the opportunity is more reliable than trying to change the taste.

My puppy ate poop. Should I be worried?

Probably not — coprophagia is common in puppies and the majority stop the behaviour naturally as they mature. Keep their parasite prevention up to date, pick up faeces promptly and redirect the puppy with a command or toy when you catch them in the act. If the behaviour is very frequent, your puppy seems unwell, or it continues well into adulthood, mention it to your vet.

This guide is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice from a qualified veterinarian. If your pet seems unwell or if coprophagia is a new behaviour in an adult dog, contact your vet.

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