Have come across this very occasionally over the years and always nip it in the bud before it becomes a habit. It does seem to be an inherited tendency and whether that is due to an inherited need for certain nutrients or roughage in the diet or whether it is an inherited behavioral quirk is unknown. Other dogs seeing this behavior may also be tempted to give it a try and in this case it can develop into a learned behavior.
Coprophagia and soil eating are not normal IMO, (apart from the taste every dog has for gourmet food such as cat crunchies or kangaroo/sheep maltesers) but are coping methods used by the dog when the diet is lacking in specific requirements.
If encountering either problem, this has worked for me:
Poo Eating - (1)Tins of crushed pineapple. A heaped tablespoon mixed in the meal would suit a dog from 10-20kg. The dogs love it and will not touch their droppings, however you must treat all dogs or make sure the treated dog has no access to non-pine-appled poopies.
Poo Eating - (2) For some reason Rabbit food pellets mixed in the food also work well. If the pineapple seems less effective, try rabbit food pellets.
Poo Eating - (3) Make sure it is not just boredom. Sometimes a bored pup will invent the "playing marbles' game and then elevate the skill level to partaking of a nibble. Have lots of alternative toys available, things that smell interesting and roll such as kongs and balls with interesting stuffing. Those big, tendon-hinged marrow bone joints which the supermarkets sell make interesting playthings once all the easily eaten bits have been consumed.
Maybe a bit OT but thought it worth mentioning..
Soil/grass root eating - Buy a heap of fresh veges. Carrot/sweet potato/carrot/celery/potato/pumpkin/ beans/broccoli/cauliflower using stems and leaves etc etc and virtually anything but onion, cabbage and garlic. Wash any sand off and chop/dice it all up, tops, roots and all the other roughage. (Discard any green bits of skin on carrots or potatoes.) Pop in a big pot and bring to the boil then turn off and allow to cool. The par-boiled veges are slightly tender but not cooked through. Stored under refrigeration they will keep for about a week. Allow about half a cup of the vege mixture to each cup of dog biscuits. I'm not sure if its the nutrients or the roughage, but this seems to stop the unwanted soil eating behavior.
Supplementing with pineapple or rabbit feed is only short term as once the habit is broken the problem should soon disappear in a normal, healthy dog . This routine has worked well for me but no guarantees. Worth a try?
Trehilyn
