DogBoston Interactive Forums » Ask Jo - Dog Behaviorist

1. Anonymous
   Unregistered

   I have a wonderful dog that loves to eat cat poop. I've tried Deter but that only stops her from eating her own dog poop. Does anyone know what I can do? I've talked to people and some suggested blocking the cat box but then the cats can't get in to poop. There's nothing I can give her to stop this, I've called all the pet supply stores and they only have the stuff to stop her from eating her own poop. If anyone knows what I can try I'd really appreciate it.

   Posted: 2006-06-25 09:19:36 #

2. snickdog
   Member

   Hi,
   
   There are a multitude of reasons WHY dogs eat poop -- sometimes, it's due to the type of food that they themselves eat. Many popular dog foods have ingredients that dogs can't metabolize (such as corn), so they may eat poop in order to try to get the nutrients that they need. Unfortunately, this will be circular unless the dog's food is changed to a more bioavailable brand.
   
   However, when it comes to cat poop, that's a different story! The foods that cats eat tastes great to a dog, I'm sure you've noticed. That's because cats have different nutritional needs than a dog, so most cat food companies can't really get away with too many fillers -- cats just won't touch it, or if they do eat it, they don't thrive. So, what comes out must taste just ducky to dogs!
   
   That said, to let you know my experiences, I have 3 dogs and 4 cats. Only one of mine got the cat poop habit, and it took a long time to break him of it (of course, he's also the only one of my dogs that's a confirmed chow-hound for ANYTHING edible!).
   
   As one of the people you have talked to mentioned, the first step is management of the situation in such a way that the dog cannot get to the litterbox but the cats CAN. Successful management will extinguish the behavior but it will take a long time -- the big issue is the fact that it's so intrinsically rewarding for the dog to go to the box -- so, unless you clean it immediately after the cat uses it (you could invest in one of the motorized litter boxes, but they are very expensive!) you are left with managing the environment in order to remove any chance of his getting to it.
   
   Without knowing your living situation (rent or own, basement or not) or the size of your dogs or cats, I will make a bunch of suggestions for appropriate that you should be able to adapt. Baby gates are usually the least expensive option, and can be installed quite easily whether or not you own your home. Plus, now they make them so that they are installed in the doorway with a pressure frame, and have latched, swinging doors to make it easier for humans to access the room.
   
   As well, you may want to look at your dog's diet -- if there are a lot of fillers, chemical preservatives or additives in it, you should look into one of the more bioavailable foods available. While initially a little more expensive, the dog eats less of them because he's getting all the nutrients that he needs in natural forms, so in the long run you may actually SAVE money.
   
   Management suggestions:
   
   1) Have the box in a closed room, but install a 'cat door' -- either one small enough for the dog not to be able to use it, or one with a magnetic release that's only triggered by a 'key' on the cat's collar.
   2) Put litter boxes in cellar, and install a baby gate at the top of the stairs. When installing it, don't screw in the bottom part of the frame and install a wooden 'stop' at the mid-point, so that the gate will swing from the top hinges just enough for the cats to push it and go under to get to the litter box.
   3) same as number two, only in a regular doorway. This, of course, is dependant on the size of your dog and it's ability to jump baby-gates if not previously trained not to!
   4)If your cats are younger, and can jump over the gate, just install it in the regular way.
   5) if your dog is larger, you can install the gate so that there is room underneath for the cats to get in, but not enough for the dog to sneak under.

   Posted: 2006-06-25 11:35:04 #

3. rharris63
   Member

   Hi,

   You can also check with your vet. They sell a product called For-Bid. It is the same as deter. but for your cats food. It is a powder you sprinkle on every time yoru cats eat and it makes the poop come out not so appealing on the other end. It is not garanteed that it will work, but it did for my dog.
   Best of Luck

   Posted: 2007-03-27 11:46:14 #

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