[Sandy]

Ben, our castrated male lab, some times eats his own poo, this time it seems to co inside with pups around, I think it could be an emotional thing as he is a very needy dog, when he sees me inside he crys and also often chooses to sit at the back door, we got him from some one who could not cope with him when he was 9 mths old, he had been castrated not long before.
He is never aggressive and his recall is good, providing you are a way from the car!!!! He has a good diet and at the moment looks a  bit fat (so do I!!)
Although Ben is a Labrador he is more of a townie dog than a country dog mind you he is partial to any animal droppings, he is very clever but in the wrong way, he hate being told off and will stare at you if told off and thats what I thinks wrong, since we have had pups he has been told off rather a lot!!!!

I gave him some pineapple last nigh and his poo was left for a while until I cleaned it up!!! Ben is no easy dog to handle so, ANY advice please.......

[Brucklay]

Hi Sandy - when I was taking Zip to puppy classes I asked the trainer about that (as Zip is partial to sheep and goat poo - saying that it did look identical to his puppy food) The trainer said it was quite natural and very common as poo actually contains some goodness!! So sorry no solution but lots of dogs do it - the 2 BC's we lost last year were the same - loves goatie sweeties

[Sandy]

Oh they all like a bit of poo, Ben is partial to horse poo but not all only some!!! Its his own that I do worry about, I went to clear up his morning one and only found a shadow where it had been!!!!!! I think it may be something to do with his status in the pack!!!

[Sylvia]

This has been on another thread. I found that giving my dogs plenty of fresh fruit, especially tomatoes, bananas, apples, mango stopped mine from poo eating. I think that Labs. and Whippets are particularly prone to this.
Natural it may be --nice it is not!!!!!!!

[Sandy]

I just started to post and my mouse disapeard, the little pup we are keeping until the weekend is a bit of a handful  until he settles!!!!

I have been reading up a bit bit still feel its to do with pack status or trying to clear up his smell!! Ben is different when me and my hubby take him out than when I take him alone, he protects me more and tonight, I was not too good walking so stayed in the car and Ben kept running back to me, there are paw prints all over the car now.....

[knightquest]

You often find that dogs 'sense' any goodness that might have gone through them and been left in the poo. That's where the goodness statement from an earlier post comes from. This can be one reason why they eat it.

You mentioned puppies too. Bitches certainly clean up after their puppies and eat their poo. Puppies can sometimes watch this and start to copy mum. Once they get this habit, the only way to stop it is to get it up as soon as they do it.
Perhaps your boy thinks that he needs to clean up with the puppies around?

Quick draw on the poop scoop is the only thing that I can suggest.

Ian

[Sandy]

He has not cleaned up for a few days....he is very sensitive!!