Need a little help with Jaws...

[Patricia]

Hi everybody.

I have a few problems with Jaws. He's stopped chewing and has calmed down a lot since had him neutered. Very happy about that. My flat and my toes are safe now.

But now, his new habit is to eat... poo whenever he finds some! It's horrible! I yell "Off!" whenever I catch him, but I don't always see him eating it. Is he lacking something? I feed him Burns dry food twice a day. Is it enough?

My other problem is that he is sick in the car. He used to love the car when he was a young puppy, but now he just hates it. He started being sick in the car shortly after he got surgery to fix his broken paw. Is it related? Is there anything I can do to make him feel more comfortable in the car? I tried to give him some travel pills I found at the pet shop, but it doesn't really work...

Thank you for your help!
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Patricia

[marcella]

Hi Patricia,

the poo eating thing - There are many theories but there's no real rhyme nor reason to it, some dogs just do it simply because they like the taste!!!!! What I would recommend is trying him on a long line ............ let him wander around doing his stuff and keep a close eye. When he's about to scoff something unpleasant give him a sharp correction. It's difficult to watch them all the time but by persevering with this it should hopefully stop it.

As for the car sickness, it is possible that he is linking it to his broken paw and getting stressed. What to try is this.
Walk him to the car and open the boot. Don't put him in just stand there and make him sit. When he sits praise him and give him a little treat. Close the boot and take him back into the house. Next time same again but place him in the car for a minute or two, again praise and a treat then take him back inside.
From there step it up to closing the boot and starting the engine but not moving. If everything is still fine then the next step is a very short journey just around the block.
Each time he does a very small bit praise him and make the whole car thing a positive experience for him so that in his mind he can detach the car with the injury and the vet

[Patricia]

Hi Marcella.

I'll try the long line, but what do you mean with sharp correction? I don't want to do something wrong...

I'll try to get him used to the car from today on. I never thought stress could cause him to be sick!

Thank you very much for your help.
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Patricia

[Emma*]

Hi Patricia don't know if this helps



Poo that is obtained from cats and dogs that have been fed grain - based artificial food- is rich in enzymes and teeming with micro-organisms.
The more microbial enzymes consumed - the more it contributes to its digestive efficiency. In fact, this may be the only source of micronutrients for an artificially fed pet.

Upon observation, you will notice that a dog finds very little value in feces from naturally fed carnivores. It is without nutrient value because it has been completely utilized and all that remains is ash and fiber predominetly as powdered bone. The solution to coprophagia would be simple-feed a raw meat diet or whole carcass meal.



Basically one of the main causes of poo eating is their diet.
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Happiness is being loved by 2 Great Danes

[Fiona]

Jake eats his own poo and he is on a raw diet so don't think that's the cause. You will probably find that he will grow out of it. I have three dogs and they all used to do it but now only my pup still does it.
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Dogs are like Chocolate, you just can't have one!

[Emma*]

Perhaps he just likes the taste then.....

Other reasons for eating faeces are behavioural based. Your dog may simply do it because it is an instinct or is even a pleasurable activity. In this case, your disapproval will have little effect since the pleasure gained from eating the poop probably outweighs any displeasure from an unhappy owner.

If your dog gobbles up his own poo or the poo of other dogs in the household, some suggest feeding small amounts of pineapple in with their usual meal. This can apparently put them off eating the end product. Courgette is also said to make stools taste unpleasant.

Another solution for a dog who eats their own poo is simply to clean it up as soon as they have toileted. You can hope to break
the habit but it may take some time. Also, if you clean up poop quickly you risk the poop becoming an item of perceived value to your dog, which is the opposite of what you wish to achieve. Instead, call your dog in for a treat after they have toileted, close the door and with your dog inside go out afterwards to pick up the poo.

A more long term solution is to train your dog not to eat faeces. If you make a big fuss when your dog eats poop and try to stop your dog mid-scoff, your dog is likely to simply attempt to be quicker next time. Your dog may even think you are in competition and trying to reach the poop first because you desire to have it. The eating of poo has then become a significant event and could easily escalate into a habit. Distraction and reward is therefore preferable. Teaching the leave command can help. Start with something of low value before you graduate to using the leave command on something as rewarding as poo eating.
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Happiness is being loved by 2 Great Danes

[Patricia]

Thanks a lot for your help guys. I'll let you know how we get on. Just now, it's a bit easier to restrain Jaws of eating poo. I have to have him on the lead all the time, because he cut his paw on Wednesday. My problem for the moment is making sure he doesn't rip his bandage off ! Lol ! Hopefully the vet will give him the all clear tomorrow...
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Patricia

[Emma*]

I am with you Patricia, one of my Danes has a bandage on her paw and keeps ripping it off!
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Happiness is being loved by 2 Great Danes

[Patricia]

Lol !!! They just don't understand it's for their own good ! Lol ! I sprayed a little bit of deluted dog repellent on his bandage yesterday, as he made an attempt to rip it of. Seems to be working so far... The bandage was still intact this morning.
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Patricia

[Suzanne H]

Mix up some pineapple or courgette in his feed - goes right through them, but they don't like the taste once it comes out the other end.

[marcella]

well .......... my pineapple yoghurt I was just about to tuck into doesn't seem so appealing right now.......

[Suzanne H]

does work...Otto did it when he had colitis, in his head he was hungry, it was there, course I'm going to eat it.

But I put wee bits of courgette in his feed and he sniffed the poo and walked away.

[Robert Baskerville]

We bought Ralph a travel box and keep it in the boot of our jeep. They come in a range of sizes, ours is made from a strong material (not metal). Add a bit of vet bed in there and its comfortable for him too, some of these cases have flaps to stop your dog from seeing out.

[Emma*]

Patricia tried that but i think my 2 are getting used to the 2.
Just put another make shift bandage on Skye, we are on the triangular bandages now
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Happiness is being loved by 2 Great Danes

[Laura]

One of mine is terrible for eating poo and if she doesnt feel like eating it she rolls in it, only horses/cow/sheep that kind of thing. She has been on a raw diet for a few years now and still does it, and also did it when on a complete diet. She's just a diry so and so, she also rolls in dead animals or any kind of old food/drink we come accross outside (old beer cans, food etc).

I was told adding rock sulphur (which we have always done) to the diet can help with this habit - or if its their own poo the pineapple thing, I believe you can also buy stuff in pet shops to add to their diet (if its their own poo they are eating).