Does your puppy display a tendecny of eating its own feces? Have you ever tried to correct this awful behavior? It is absolutely imperative that you control this dirty problem as the earliest. Many dog owners complain that their puppies eat their own feces soon after elimination. This behavior is also called Coprophagia and this definition means the consumption of feces by an animal, and this is a common complaint that is faced by both pet owners and veterinarians.

The available information on this curious topic is very scanty. You may not get the required information, even after a consultation with a qualified veterinarian or an animal therapist. Here are some details on why dogs eat their own feces and how this problem could be controlled.

Possible causes:
This unique problem might arise as a result of several problems and causes that are medical in nature. Primary among them are:
· Pancreatic insufficiency,
· Digestive diseases and disorders,
· Mal-absorption of food particles,
· Over feeding,
· Under feeding
· Fatty foods that rich in saturated oils,
· Compulsive disorders

However, many advanced research studies indicate a combination of many behavioral theories that contribute to this unusual problem. It is almost difficult to pin point the exact cause of this malady and it may take a while to find out the real cause of this strange problem. As of now, you may wish to control this behavior by introducing some behavioral adjustments.

Stool Eating and Urination
There are several types of coprophagia that exists in the animal world. Here are some common types of cophrophagia as seen in animals:

· Autocoprophagia: This type indicates an animal eating its own feces
· Intraspecific coprophagia: This type indicates animals eating feces of another animal within their own species.
· Interspecific coprophagia deals with animals eating feces from another species.

There are several explanations that provide clues as to why dogs resort to eating feces:

Dogs that are keen to seek attention: Some dog breeds may eat their own feces to draw their master’s attention. As you start reprimanding your dog for this bad behavior, the puppy may continue this habit just to demand your attention. Allelomimetic type of behavior: Here the puppy observes its master collecting its feces for disposal outside the house. Later, puppies start to imitate this process by eating their own feces.

Learned behavior: Sometimes, dogs may pick this habit as a learned behavior; your puppy may keenly observe other dogs eating their own feces and start mimicking the habit

Maternal instincts: A bitch that has just given birth to puppies may eat its own feces to keep the area clean of dirt, and also to avoid pests and insects near the area.

Dominant instincts: Submissive natured dogs may eat feces of more dominant dogs within the same household. This may arise as a result of pack characteristics and inherent wild genetic traits

Reinforcement instinct; Dogs tend to reinforce their behavior by eating their own feces. Taste of feces might one of the important factors for reinforcement instinct.

Feeding instinct: Dogs may get an urge to eat more number of meals everyday. Most of the owners feed just one meal a day and dogs may feel that this is just insufficient to maintain their health.

Treating for stool eating:

Finding a good treatment for this unusual problem is actually very difficult and tedious. However, you may add several strategies that help your puppy to correct its behavior. Here are some of the suggested methods that could help you reduce the intensity of the problem:

Punishment: Though this method is frequently used by dog owners, this can be used only as a last resort. If nothing works, you can start punishing your puppy. If you punish your puppy beyond a certain limit, you may even aggravate the problem.

Ignore and Forget: Many dog owners simply ignore their dogs eating their feces. By doing this you may indicate to your dog that you’re not caring for its behavior, no matter how good or bad it is.

Cleaning-up feces: By picking up the feces, you can avoid your puppy coming near the feces and eating it. But, you may need to pick up the feces immediately after the elimination.

Chemicals and additives: There are several chemicals and additives that claim to cure this problem. Some supplements which have been suggested include pumpkin seeds, mints, papaya, anise seed, and pineapple.

Using muzzle: Using a muzzle will offer a practical solution to deter dogs from eating their own feces. Muzzle is well tolerated by the dog and may prove very successful in preventing the problem.

Wait and watch: This method is the safest of all and you may just have to wait and pray that the problem will be eventually solved.

Positive Reinforcement: By introducing another good behavior, you can force the puppy to forget about eating feces. You can also use several verbal commands like “leave it”, “no” or “stop”. You will need to distract your puppy from going near its own feces so that it will stop eating soon after elimination.

Combination methods: When nothing works and if any of the above methods are not working properly, then you can use a combination of several methods to mitigate the problem.

Stopping coprophagia in your puppy needs tremendous effort from your side and at the most you can divert the attention of the dog away from the feces. However, some dog breeds may not eat feces as a result of extended behavioral correction sessions.

Paper Training your Dog: Paper training is an important aspect of housetraining procedure and this method works very well with many dog breeds. Here is a simple method that works well with your puppy as well:

· Choose a room where you will keep your puppy and cover the entire floor area with paper sheets,
· Your puppy will soon learn to eliminate on these paper sheets,
· After a week or so, remove a small area of the paper to uncover some floor space,
· If your puppy eliminates on this uncovered floor area, then cover the entire area again for some more days,
· If the puppy doesn’t do it over the uncovered area, then you can uncover some more areas of the floor,
· Slowly uncover larger areas of the floor and test the dog for its endurance,
· Your exercise must aim at making then puppy hold on for at least six hours till he can be taken out for elimination,
· The entire training process may take up to six months and you may wish to carry on this till you’re completely satisfied.

Topics: Dog Training Tips | Give Your Two Cents »

Puppies could get very nuisance with their high pitched barking and whining. Teaching your puppy appropriate barking behavior beginning from its puppy stages is always better than trying to control incessant barking during their adult stages. If not controlled properly, barking could be become a pestering problem that is too difficult to control and regulate at later stages.

The first few days after bringing your puppy home will be the most difficult ones. During this critical time, you may wish to provide enough security and love so that the puppy will not feel lonely and deserted. You may also provide a good crate to make him comfortable, cozy and warm. The basic aspect is to drive away the separation anxiety factor from your puppy so that he will feel himself assured and secure.

Caution: If you find that your dog is whining, you may wish to ignore it, as showing excessive affection may make your puppy more determined and casual.

Your basic aim should focus around controlling problem behavior from the start so that you’ll not face any problem as the puppy enters its adult stage. By providing obedience training, you can greatly reduce the chances of your puppy growing into a compulsive barker.

Tips: You may wish to learn commanding your puppy to stop barking. The most commonly used command word is “enough” and this word must be uttered with sense of deep conviction and a deep voice.

Puppies are generally very apprehensive of those situations that generate deep anxiety in them. Make your puppy bold enough to face all problematic situations by slowly introducing them to these situations. For example, taking your puppy for a walk down the busy road or introducing harsh sounds that are emanated by vacuum cleaner or a hair dryer. A gradual introduction of anxiety causing situations will make your puppy bold and relaxed.

A perfectly trained dog will always look at you for verbal or visual commands. Barking becomes a pure necessity for these dogs and they will bark only when there is a real need or a strong cause. Puppy clubs and forums are the best place to meet other people and different breeds of dogs.

You can interact with them to discuss about the barking problems. You can also meet a trainer to get invaluable tips on controlling excessive barking. It is always a pleasure to see a puppy wagging his tail and looking at you for a clear verbal and oral instruction, than a dog that is unruly in behavior and bad tempered in his manners.

Topics: Puppy Training Tips | Give Your Two Cents »

There are several mechanical tools that act as barking inhibitors. These tools produce an electrical stimulation which is usually an irritating ultrasonic sound or in some collars, an offensive looking smell. When dogs start barking, this special collar will emit a high pitched sound or emit a smell that is recognizable only by dog.

Collars alone may not really help you control barking behavior in dogs. Many hard core barkers may simply ignore these collars and still bark as usual. These dogs are happy to undergo punishments rather than stop barking altogether. These collars may make dogs more anxious and cause a situation called “anxious barking”.

Commercially available “citronella” collars may help your dog control its barking behavior. These collars give off highly pronounced smell of citronella grass when dogs start barking. This smell can alert you to the fact that there was incidence of barking while you were away, since the scent of citronella still dominates the surrounding air.

Whatever the type of dog collar you use, ensure that you’re using them for controlling the barking behavior, and you still need to praise your dog for a good behavior. An anti-barking collar may be used when you go out of your home for daytime work or when you wish to avoid your dog disturbing your neighbors with its uncontrolled barking.

A halter collar may also be used to control excessive barking in dogs. More like a typical horse halter, this unusual collar works fine in some dogs. When you tug at its leash, a portion of the collar becomes tight around the dog’s muzzle portion. By pulling on the leash and with a stern line of command, you can instruct the dog to stop barking.

Topics: Basic Obedience Commands | Give Your Two Cents »