Q: Our 3-year-old Havanese is a great leash puller and sniffer, a mostly wonderful dog except for her absolute certainty that the poop of other animals makes a terrific snack. Since her legs are close to the ground, she’s fast and very good at lunging suddenly when she wants to grab some “delicacy.” We — not the youngest kids on the block — are outwitted at every turn. Bunny poop, goose poop, dog poop — she is not particular. A trainer we consulted thought we might try using a device that issues a high-pitched sound to make negative associations for her at those moments. But I’m not sure I have enough hands to carry the device on a walk, much less mobilize it in a timely fashion. And I’m not sure it’s a good approach. I’d appreciate any advice you can offer.
Janna Smith
Milton, Massachusetts
Dear Ms. Smith,
A: We can understand why you don’t want your dog eating poop. It’s disgusting. The thing is, it’s disgusting only to us. Some dogs find other animals’ excrement both tasty and interesting. It’s also not bad for their health, despite fears about harmful bacteria and other pathogens in stools. It won’t make your pet sick.
Most dogs grow out of the habit, known as coprophagia, once they reach the end of puppyhood, but since your dog is already three, this habit may be here to stay. Effective remedies are hard to come by. Some people recommend adding meat tenderizer or breath freshener to a dog’s diet to curb the behavior, but it won’t help.
We’re not fans of the high-pitched-sound route. That’s negative reinforcement — not good for your bond with your pet. From what you describe, it probably wouldn’t help, anyway.
Try not to react when she does it. That might serve to make the whole sequence of events more interesting to her. “Oh, I get a rise out of Mom when I do this — fun!” And take comfort in the fact that at least she doesn’t like to roll around in the stuff.
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Because of the volume of mail, we regret we can’t answer all queries. Answers usually will be devoted to problems of widest interest. If your dog has a pressing health problem, please seek immediate veterinary care.
