How can I get my dog to stop eating poop

[billypayton]

We have a 9 month old American Bully. We adopted her at 5 months old, and she showed no interest in ever eating feces until we left her with a sitter for a week in December. Since we’ve returned, she is absolutely obsessed with finding any and all poop and eating it. It’s all she does when she’s outside now. My guess is while she was at the sitter’s she got a lot of yard time with minimal supervision, and she discovered the new hobby. I read that pineapple and pumpkin helps to deter them from their own poop, so I have started feeding her and our other dog those, and it does seems to help. However, if we are on a walk or at the dog park, that’s all she wants to do to the point where it’s become obsessive. I’ve tried deterring her with treats, using bitter apple spray, and we are working on leave it, but nothing seems to stick. Any and all advice would be appreciated!
She was also recently diagnosed with Giardia which I’m positive is from this new hobby, so I really need to way to make her uninterested in poop!

Update: we just found out our dog has tapeworms after extensive testing at the vet for a variety of symptoms she was having.
This could explain her poop obsession that seemed to pop up out of nowhere! I’m hopeful that after treatment she will have less of a desire!

 

[lukeyg7]

@billypayton Supervise or muzzle in the yard when not supervised.

 

[marco4444]

@billypayton Basket muzzle (safest)

https://muzzleupproject.com/muzzle-training/

It's a very difficult habit to break. It is normal dog behavior as much as we find it gross. But dogs like this take it a step too far. It's also possible your dog learned it from the sitter's dog, it is socially transmitted sometimes.

People don't like the muzzle because it makes their dog look mean. But it's about your dogs safety and it's a fairly common reason people use muzzles.

 

[regwely]

@billypayton I gave our little shit eater a powder from pet store for about a month and she learned. She lived 16 years and had to go back on it three times in her life. Horrifying the first time. Precious puppy doing what????

 

[marco4444]

@regwely Yeah it's a normal dog behavior but humans think it's gross.

 

[iustusetpeccator]

@billypayton What worked for me was catching her in the act a few times and some firm “No’s.” However, I usually have to repeat the process a couple of times each year once the temperature drops below 0°C because the temptation of digging for frozen poopsicles can be irresistible.

 

[jamesishappy]

@iustusetpeccator Poop-sicles

 

[iustusetpeccator]

@jamesishappy LOL,Not you correcting my grammar for poopcicles.

 

[rosieprettypaws]

@billypayton My breeder told me to give dog pineapple to stop eating poop. Worked for one not the other so it’s a daily race to get rid of it before he does

 

[barbrak]

@rosieprettypaws How did that work? Just cause they hate pineapple?