Why?

[curious chris]

We have got this 11 week shih tzu. Hes doing really well on potty training but we will just be playing and he will just stop and pee. And when we do take him out he trys to eat cat poop. And I was just wondering why he eats the cat poop? I know the he just gets really excited and he pees but I dont understand why in the world he would want to eat cat poop?!?! So I was just wondering if you guys had any answers for us.

[tigereize]

for you it's cat poop, to him they are delicious tootsie rolls. when I take my pup to my dads, he wonders around trying to eat goat poop. (hershy kisses!) lol

[Canni]

I can tell you it's mostly normal behaviour (though my dog much prefers possum poop haha)!

There can be a number of causes (behavioural) but some vets also have a theory it can be because of diet (vitamin imbalance).

There are a few ways to go about it.. either make sure you do a check and scoop of the yard before letting the puppy out, coating the poop in hot sauce or some other taste deterrant, distract the puppy with something else when you notice him eating it. A lot of puppies also just outgrow this behaviour on their own :)

[Norman]

At least he is eating other's poop my Charlie used to eat her own! She would eat it to hide the evidence that she had an accident while we were out. It is natural.

[FemaleCheetah]

When I asked my vet why Zoe would eat cat poop or even her own poop (when she was a pup that is she doesnt do it anymore), she said that its because they are lacking certain minerals in their diet and so they eat the poop for those minerals.

[IwuvBunBuns72]

My shihtzu and my cat both eat my rabbits doo doo. My cat will stick it in his mouth before eating it and throw it around a couple times.