Dogs often eat other dogs’ poop for a mix of instinct, diet, and behavior reasons, and it’s usually gross but not abnormal. In most cases it can be managed with training, environmental control, and a vet check if it’s frequent or sudden.

Quick Scoop

Many dogs go through a “poop-eating phase,” especially when young, and owners swap horror stories about it on forums every week. This behavior even has a clinical name: coprophagia.

Main reasons this happens

  • Leftover nutrients: If poop has undigested food in it, some dogs treat it like a second snack, especially with low‑quality diets or underfeeding. Medical issues like malabsorption, parasite infections, or enzyme deficiencies can also make them seek extra nutrients this way.
  • Instinct from wild canines: In wolf and wild‑dog groups, eating fresh feces helps keep dens clean and reduces parasite risk for the pack. That instinct can carry over, so some domestic dogs “clean up” by eating poop around where they live.
  • Stress, boredom, or attention‑seeking: Dogs under‑stimulated or anxious may lick and chew anything, including poop, as a self‑soothing or boredom behavior. If owners react dramatically, some dogs learn that eating poop is a fast way to get big reactions and attention.

When it’s another dog’s poop

  • Diet or health differences: A dog may target another dog’s poop because that dog’s food or health leaves more undigested material, making the stools more appealing. Dogs on high‑fat diets, steroids, or with conditions like exocrine pancreatic insufficiency are more likely to produce “interesting” stools.
  • Pack and social behavior: In multi‑dog homes, some dogs act like “clean‑up crew,” especially around puppies or submissive dogs, mimicking den‑cleaning behavior from wild ancestors. Curious breeds like terriers and scent hounds may follow smells and sample droppings just because their noses lead them there.

Should you worry?

  • Health risks: Poop can carry parasites, bacteria, and viruses, so there is a real infection risk, especially when the source dog isn’t regularly dewormed or vaccinated. Sudden new poop‑eating in an adult dog can signal medical issues like parasites, diabetes, or digestive disease that a vet should check.
  • Behavior vs. illness: Most cases are simple habit, boredom, or instinct and not a sign your dog is “broken” or aggressive. Only a minority are caused directly by serious disease or major nutritional gaps.

How to help them stop

  • Clean fast, manage access: Pick up poop in the yard immediately and keep walks short‑leash so you can steer away from droppings. In busy city areas where there’s trash or feces on sidewalks, many owners now use basket‑style muzzles or “leave it” work to prevent snacking.
  • Vet check and better diet: If this is frequent, new, or aggressive, have a vet run fecal tests, check bloodwork, and discuss diet quality and quantity. Adjusting to a more balanced, easily digestible food or treating parasites can reduce the drive to seek nutrients in poop.
  • Training and enrichment: Teach strong “leave it” and “come” cues and reward heavily when your dog ignores poop. More walks, sniff games, puzzle feeders, and chewing outlets reduce boredom so poop is less interesting.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.

If you share your dog’s age, diet, and how often this happens, it’s possible to narrow down whether it’s more likely medical, habit, or just an icky phase.