For some reason in the last 7 days our Beagle has started eating shit. Pretty much her own as far as I can tell. Nothing has changed so I am not quite sure what has caused this. She doesn't eat it immediately but only after it "ages" Any ideas besides she's whacked in the head and a Beagle?
Bitches (females) are FAR FAR more prone to it than Dogs (males) but both can become poop eaters....
They can start doing it as puppies are start doing it as older dogs.....
As to why they do it.... Is one of the great mysteries of life.... There are tons of theories... But I doubt anyone knows the exact answer.....
And frankly.... I think different dogs do it for different reasons.....
And here is why I believe females are worse than males..... Going back to wolves.... Females with litters of pups keep the den area pretty clean...
Instinctive and there are different theories as to why they to it..... Keep scent down to avoid predators looking to dine on the pups, keep disease down, etc.
Domestic dogs do the same thing... Though some breeds and some individuals are much better and keeping a clean den (whelping box) than others....
The Bitch I co owned that produced Griz's (may he rest in peace) Dog Rowdy... Betty, Kept a VERY clean bedding area for her pups... And she did that from the time
they were born, until they got sold or were taken away from her... She ate the placentas, the poop, everything... Her Mother, Jane was the same way.... As are/were
most females of her line.... She was never a poop eater when she did not have pups... But damn you never saw a single baby poop in her bedding area when she had pups.... She also licked their backsides, where they went pee, etc... She was a great mom....
Most pet female dogs never have a litter... And Most are spayed..... As an observation...over a lifetime... I have seen some things in female dogs that I believe
are displaced maternal instincts... Poop eating is one of those things.... Our Labrador Keely, has never eaten poop that I have seen... Well if she can get to the litter
box she will dang sure eat cat poop. Most dogs will... Cat Poop is like dog crack... But Keely will occasionally find a baby animal... baby possum, rabbit, baby bird... She has
sneaked or tried to sneak several of each into the house in her mouth... And she will always go straight to her crate with it.... She kind of will hide it... and keep it up close
to her body.. And I have seen her nudge baby animals that she has brought in towards her nipples. to nurse.... Even though she has no milk.... It looks exactly like a mother
dog nudging newborn pups to her nipples to nurse.... It is just another maternal instinct that something triggers the dog to do...
Just a thought here... but you said nothing has changed.... But is it possible one of your neighbors or someone nearby has a bitch with a litter of pups? I have seen
females without pups be triggered into maternal behaviors because there is a female with a litter around...
Oh... And there are products to discourage dogs from eating their own poop....
I have recommended this one in the past with good results.
