Quick answer: Eating poop, called coprophagia, is common and often behavioral. Puppies explore with their mouths, mother dogs clean up after their litters and some dogs do it out of boredom, hunger, stress, attention-seeking or simply because they like the taste. Medical causes include digestive problems that reduce nutrient absorption, parasites, diabetes and medications that increase appetite. To stop it, pick up waste right away, supervise in the yard, teach "leave it" and "come," give more exercise and enrichment and talk to your vet to rule out health problems. Never punish your dog, which can make it worse.

How common is it?

More common than you might think. A widely cited 2018 study from the University of California, Davis surveyed more than 1,500 dog owners and found that about 16 percent of dogs were described as frequent poop eaters, and around a quarter had been seen eating poop at least once. The study also found that many poop eaters preferred fresh stool, usually less than two days old.

Coprophagia was seen in dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds. Some dogs eat only their own poop, others prefer other dogs' poop and many are fascinated by cat litter boxes or wildlife droppings.

In other words, if your dog does it, you're definitely not alone.

9 reasons dogs eat poop

Here are the most common explanations:

• Puppy curiosity. Puppies explore everything with their mouths.
• Maternal instinct. Mother dogs clean up after puppies to keep the den clean.
• Boredom. Under-stimulated dogs may find poop interesting.
• Attention-seeking. A big reaction from you can make the behavior more rewarding.
• Stress or anxiety. Some dogs eat poop when stressed or confined.
• Hunger. Dogs on restricted diets or who feel hungry may scavenge.
• Learned behavior. Dogs may copy other dogs.
• Hiding evidence. Dogs punished for accidents may eat poop to avoid trouble.
• Medical causes. Poor nutrient absorption, parasites or conditions that increase appetite.

Puppies and poop eating

Puppies are the most likely age group to eat poop. They explore with their mouths, and they may have watched their mother clean up after the litter. Many puppies grow out of the habit by around a year of age, especially with good management and training.

Keep your puppy's area clean, take them out on a leash for potty breaks and pick up immediately. Reward your puppy for coming to you after they go. Our guides to crate training a new puppy and puppy teething survival guide have more puppy tips.

Mother dogs

Eating puppies' feces is completely normal for nursing mother dogs. It keeps the den clean and helps protect the litter from predators that might be attracted by the smell. This behavior usually stops once puppies are weaned.

Boredom and lack of exercise

Dogs who spend long periods alone in a yard or crate, or don't get enough mental and physical stimulation, may eat poop simply to pass the time. Poop is interesting to a bored nose.

More exercise, play, training and enrichment often reduces the habit. Our guides to brain games for dogs and building a daily routine for your dog have practical ideas.

Attention-seeking and punishment

If eating poop gets a big reaction, some dogs learn it's a good way to get attention, even if that attention is negative. Chasing your dog around the yard can also turn it into a game.

Punishing dogs for house soiling can backfire too. Dogs who are scolded for accidents may learn to eat poop to hide the evidence. Instead, stay calm, use positive training and clean up quickly. The ASPCA recommends avoiding punishment and focusing on prevention and rewards.

Stress and anxiety

Some dogs eat poop when stressed, anxious or confined for long periods. Shelter dogs, dogs with separation anxiety and dogs in kennels may be more likely to do it. Reducing stress, increasing exercise and building positive routines can help. Our guide to helping a dog with separation anxiety has more.

Hunger and diet

Dogs who feel hungry, are on a weight-loss diet or eat a diet that doesn't fully meet their needs may be more likely to scavenge, including poop. Feeding once a day can leave some dogs very hungry by the next meal.

Make sure your dog's food is complete and balanced for their life stage, and ask your vet whether the portion size is right. Splitting the daily amount into two or three meals and using puzzle feeders can help dogs feel more satisfied.

Some owners find that switching to a food with higher fiber or better digestibility reduces poop eating, but results vary. Always change food gradually over about a week and talk to your vet before major diet changes. Our guide to how to choose the right dog food explains what to look for.

Learned behavior and multi-dog homes

Dogs often learn from each other. In homes with several dogs, one poop eater can inspire others to try it. Puppies may copy older dogs, and dogs from kennels or shelters may have picked up the habit there.

In multi-dog homes, take dogs out one at a time or supervise all potty breaks closely and clean up immediately. Reward each dog for coming to you after they go. Breaking the cycle for one dog often helps the others.

Our guide to should you get a second dog covers other considerations for multi-dog households.

Medical causes

Sometimes coprophagia has a medical cause. Talk to your vet if your dog suddenly starts eating poop, especially if they're older, losing weight or have other symptoms. Possible causes include:

• Malabsorption. Conditions like exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) prevent proper digestion of food.
• Intestinal parasites. Worms can steal nutrients and increase appetite.
• Diabetes, thyroid or Cushing's disease. Can increase hunger.
• Medications. Steroids and some other drugs increase appetite.
• Underfeeding or poor-quality diet. Dogs who are hungry may scavenge.
• Cognitive decline. Older dogs may develop new, unusual habits.

Your vet may recommend a physical exam, stool tests and blood work to check for these conditions.

Is eating poop dangerous?

Eating their own fresh poop is usually not harmful for a healthy, parasite-free dog, but it's still unpleasant and can spread germs. Eating poop from other dogs, cats or wildlife carries more risks.

Poop can contain parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms and giardia, as well as bacteria like salmonella and viruses such as parvovirus. Dogs who eat poop can also pass germs to people through licking. The CDC recommends regular vet care and washing hands after handling pets and their waste.

Eating cat poop can expose dogs to parasites and clumping litter, which can cause blockages if eaten in large amounts. Poop from animals given deworming medication or other drugs may also carry residues.

How to stop your dog eating poop

There's no single fix, but combining these steps works for many dogs:

• Pick up immediately. The simplest and most effective step. No poop, no snack.
• Supervise potty breaks. Walk your dog on a leash in the yard until the habit fades.
• Teach "leave it." A solid leave it lets you redirect your dog quickly.
• Teach a strong recall. Call your dog to you right after they poop and reward with a high-value treat.
• Increase exercise and enrichment. Reduce boredom with walks, play and puzzles.
• Feed a balanced diet. Make sure your dog's food meets their needs. Ask your vet about portion sizes.
• Block the litter box. Use a baby gate, a covered box or place it where your dog can't reach.
• Stay calm. Don't punish or chase your dog.

The AKC's leave it guide breaks the cue into simple steps.

The combination that works best for most dogs is simple: pick up quickly, supervise closely and reward your dog every time they turn away from poop and look at you instead.

A simple training plan

Here's a step-by-step approach many owners find helpful. Week one: manage completely. Take your dog out on a leash, wait for them to go, then immediately call them to you and reward with a high-value treat while you pick up. This builds a new habit: poop happens, run to my person for a treat.

Weeks two and three: practice leave it. At home, start with treats on the floor, then toys, then scented items. Gradually use leave it during walks past other dogs' poop or wildlife droppings. Reward generously every time your dog looks away.

Week four and beyond: gradually increase freedom. Let your dog off leash in your yard while you supervise, ready to call them. Keep picking up promptly. If they slip back into old habits, go back a step. Our 30-day dog training plan includes recall and leave it practice.

Bad breath, licking and hygiene

Dogs who eat poop often have noticeably bad breath, and they may spread germs when they lick you or your family. It's a good idea to avoid letting a poop-eating dog lick faces, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems.

Wash your hands after handling your dog's mouth, toys and bowls, and clean bowls daily. Regular dental care helps too. Our guide to dog dental care at home explains how to brush your dog's teeth.

Keep up with deworming and parasite prevention as your vet recommends, especially if your dog eats other animals' waste.

Do taste deterrents work?

Many products claim to make poop taste bad when added to your dog's food. Results are mixed. The UC Davis study found these products had limited success for most dogs. They may help some dogs, but they work best combined with prompt cleanup and training.

Never add anything to your dog's food without checking with your vet first. Avoid home remedies like hot sauce or meat tenderizer, which can upset your dog's stomach or cause other problems.

Dogs and cat litter boxes

Many dogs find cat poop irresistible, probably because cat food is high in protein and fat. Place the litter box somewhere your dog can't reach, such as behind a baby gate with a cat-sized opening, inside a covered box with a dog-proof entrance or on a high surface your cat can access.

Scoop the box often to remove temptation. If your dog eats clumping litter, watch for vomiting, constipation or loss of appetite, and call your vet if you're concerned.

Poop on walks and in parks

Dog parks and trails can be full of other dogs' poop and wildlife droppings. Keep your dog on a leash in areas with a lot of waste, practice leave it and reward your dog for walking past.

Carry high-value treats to redirect your dog's attention. Pick up after your own dog, and encourage others to do the same. Our guides to dog park etiquette and winter dog park etiquette and safety explain good park habits.

A 14-day plan to break the poop-eating habit

Most dogs improve when you combine management, training and a quick health check. Try this two-week plan.

• Days 1 to 2. Book a vet visit to rule out parasites, diet problems or medical causes. Start a simple log of when and where it happens.
• Days 3 to 5. Pick up poop immediately on every walk and in the yard. Keep your dog on leash in the yard if needed.
• Days 6 to 8. Start leave it training with treats indoors, then on walks. See our training glossary.
• Days 9 to 11. Teach a come-and-get-a-treat routine right after your dog poops, so turning to you becomes the habit.
• Days 12 to 14. Add more enrichment, like sniff walks and puzzle feeders, to reduce boredom. Review your log for patterns.

Habits can take weeks to fade fully. Stay consistent, and celebrate progress rather than perfection.

Health risks of eating poop

Eating their own fresh poop is gross but often low risk for healthy, parasite-free dogs. Eating other animals' poop carries more risk.

• Parasites. Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and giardia can spread through feces.
• Bacteria and viruses. Including parvovirus from infected dogs' stool.
• Medications. Dogs who eat the poop of animals on dewormers or other drugs may be exposed to them.
• Cat litter. Clumping litter can cause digestive upset or blockages.

Ask your vet about regular fecal tests and deworming if your dog is a frequent snacker.

Poop-eating myths

A few common beliefs:

• It always means a nutrient deficiency. Sometimes, but usually it's habit, boredom or curiosity.
• Punishment stops it. Punishment can make dogs eat poop faster to hide it.
• Pineapple always works. Some dogs respond to food additives, many don't.
• Puppies never grow out of it. Many puppies do outgrow it with management and training.

Set up your yard to make it easier

If your dog eats poop in the yard, a few changes reduce the temptation. Clean up after every potty trip, not once a day. Keep a scooper and bags by the back door so it's quick.

Go out with your dog on leash for a while, so you can reward them for coming back to you after they finish. A designated potty area that's easy to clean, like gravel or mulch, makes daily pickup simpler. Fence off areas where wildlife or neighborhood cats leave droppings, and secure compost bins.

When one dog eats another dog's poop

In multi-dog homes, some dogs eat their housemate's poop rather than their own. Supervise potty breaks, take dogs out on leash separately for a while and pick up immediately.

Make sure both dogs have a vet check, since a dog with parasites can pass them to the poop eater. Keep feeding times separate and calm, since mealtime stress can sometimes play a role. Our guide to introducing two dogs covers more about keeping a multi-dog home relaxed.

When to call the vet

Talk to your vet if your dog:

• Suddenly starts eating poop, especially as an adult or senior
• Is losing weight or seems hungry all the time
• Has diarrhea, vomiting or changes in stool
• Is drinking or urinating more than usual
• Has visible worms in stool
• Eats a lot of cat litter or seems unwell after eating poop

Senior dogs who start eating poop

If an older dog who never ate poop suddenly starts, it's worth a vet visit. New appetite changes can be linked to conditions such as diabetes, thyroid problems, Cushing's disease, digestive disorders or medications. Cognitive decline can also cause new and unusual behaviors.

Your vet may recommend blood tests and a stool test to look for underlying causes. Our guide to caring for a senior dog covers common age-related changes.

• It's common. Many dogs eat poop at some point, especially puppies.
• Often behavioral. Boredom, attention, stress and instinct are common reasons.
• Sometimes medical. Malabsorption, parasites or increased appetite can play a role.
• Prompt cleanup works best. Pick up right away and supervise potty breaks.
• Never punish. Stay calm and use positive training instead.

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Why does my dog eat poop?

Reasons include curiosity, boredom, attention-seeking, stress, hunger, learned behavior and sometimes medical problems.

Is it normal for dogs to eat poop?

It's common, especially in puppies and mother dogs, but it's worth addressing.

Is eating poop bad for my dog?

Eating other animals' poop can spread parasites and germs. A vet check is a good idea if it's frequent.

How do I stop my dog eating poop?

Pick up waste right away, supervise potty breaks, teach leave it and recall and increase exercise and enrichment.

Do poop-eating deterrents work?

Results are mixed. They work best combined with cleanup and training. Ask your vet first.

Why does my dog eat cat poop?

Cat food is high in protein and fat, which makes cat poop appealing. Block access to the litter box.

Will my puppy grow out of eating poop?

Many puppies do by around a year old, especially with good management.

Can eating poop make my dog sick?

Yes. It can spread parasites, bacteria and viruses.

Could my dog be eating poop because of a medical problem?

Possibly. Malabsorption, parasites and conditions that increase appetite can play a role. Talk to your vet.

Should I punish my dog for eating poop?

No. Punishment can make it worse. Use prevention and positive training.