6 Weird Things Your Dog’s Poop Can Tell You About Their Health first appeared on Parade Pets on Jul 12, 2025 This story was ...

If your dog is eating poop, you may find it disturbing. But it’s not that uncommon. Find out what may be behind this habit, what you can do about it, and when to call a vet.

Some dogs will eat other animals' poop – such as horses' – since the feces contain nutrients. But this behavior should be discouraged as there can also be harmful bacteria in the poop, PetMD says.

Some dogs will eat other animals' poop – such as horses' – since the feces contain nutrients. But this behavior should be discouraged as there can also be harmful bacteria in the poop, PetMD says.

Ultimately, though, when it comes to stopping your dog from eating poop, there’s only so much a trainer can do for you. “This requires a preventative approach each day,” Murdock says.

Catching your dog eating poop is gross and can cause concern. However, the reason why your pup is doing so may not be, such as having anxiety. Fox Hollow Farm docuseries follows Herb Baumeister case.

First off, Dr. Antin wants to assure owners that it is normal for dogs to eat poop. Their wild relatives do it too, which is likely why domestic dogs picked it up.

As for why dogs eat the poop of other animals, like cats and rabbits … it's just tasty, Melissa Bain, a veterinary behaviorist at UC Davis Veterinary Medicine and co-author of the 2018 study, ...

It’s the moment every dog owner instantly regrets ever letting their dog kiss them on the mouth: Watching that very same beloved, seemingly well-trained and civilized pup eagerly devour a stinky ...

Dogs also eat things to cure boredom, so there’s a slight chance we could chalk up the poop eating to that. Watching your reaction to them eating the cat poo probably is quite entertaining to them.

In other cases, your pup may even eat their own poop, or worse, the poop of another dog or animal. To any pet owner, this would be considered disgusting and cause concern. But why do dogs eat poop?