Stool eating, also known as coprophagy, is actually quite normal behaviour for a puppy.
Here are several of the reasons that are typically associated with coprophagy:
- Poor digestion : This may be because the food is low in digestible nutrients and is coming out basically the same way it went in, or because the puppy has a problem with his digestive system. To the puppy, his stool tastes pretty much like the food he just ate.
- Boredom : Boredom is another cause for stool eating. If a puppy is left alone for a long time, he may find relief from boredom by playing with his own stool. This also occurs more often during cold weather, because they are fascinated by their frozen stool.
- Stress : Stress will often make puppies and dogs to eat their own stool. This may be stress from being brought into a new home, or from any of a number of reasons.
- Hunger : Parasites and worms can leach nutrients from the puppy’s system, causing him to be hungrier than normal. He will respond to his hunger by eating whatever is available. On the same note, your puppy may simply not be getting enough to eat during the day.
- Attention : All the puppy knows is that he is getting extra attention from you. Conversely, your puppy may eat his stool to avoid negative attention. If you have been responding angrily to “accidents,” his response may be to effectively “hide” the evidence by eating it.
- Finally : Some puppies and dogs will eat their own stool just because they like to do it.
