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How do I stop my dog from eating his own poop? Solutions needed!

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 6 years and 2 months old | 20 lbs

How do stop a dog from eating poop? My dog is a 20lb mix (Australian Shepard/Beagle) 2rs old.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 25th, 2018

This is such a common question for a gross, but unfortunately common, issue. Unfortunately, there isn't a great way to get them to stop. Adding excessive MSG (food seasoning) can make some dogs stop because their stool no longer tastes good (such as "For-Bid"). However, we don't know if there are negative effects for our dogs eating a lot of MSG. Trying to walk him for his bowl movement so you can pick up the stool right away is another way to manage it - you may need to have a treat ready to give him right away after he defects so that you have a moment to get to the stool. Good luck and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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    Answered By Stacey Anstaett, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 7th, 2018

    There are a number of products available to put on a dog’s food that make their feces taste bad and deter this behavior. Many are available at PetCo. Just ask a helpful associate to show you. Here is an article you may find useful: https://www.petcoach.co/article/proper-pups-don-t-eat-poo-or-do-they/ I hope that is helpful! Thank you for using PetCoach!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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