Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

At wits end....

Options
  • 25-09-2009 12:19pm
    #1
    Emay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭


    Hi there...

    Please can anyone help me. I have a 2 yr old boxer, shes typically hyper but get loads of attention and is walked everyday. This is going to sound digusting but she eats and rolls in crap! It is horrible and my mam is seriously going mad.

    On top of this the last 4 nights she has crapped in the house. She is 100% not sick as when I come down shes all over me, eating and running around.

    My Mam is really disgusted with this behaviour and if it continues I think my Mam will get rid of her!

    How can I stop this behaviour? Especially the crapping the crapping in the house?!?!

    Thanks a mil :)


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    jen_23
    Registered Users Posts: 789 ✭✭✭jen_23


    First off is it unusual for her to poo in the house?

    Is it her own poo or other poo she's eating? Some dogs will eat their own poo depending on the food they are being fed. I think in some cases when the food is not highly digestable it bascically comes out smelling like it went in so they still think it's their food.

    Saying that my dog really likes to eat horsepoo! I take him to obedience which is carried out in a horse arena and he thinks it's christmas in there!

    As for the rolling in poo.
    It's really common in dogs to roll in poop! They do it to mask their scent. It's especially common just after you wash then (go figure :rolleyes:)
    What you can do is
    1.keep her on a lead out doors so she doesn't roll
    2. pick up straight after she goes so she has nothing to roll in.
    3. Associate her rolling in poo with something she dislikes for instance - get a spray bottle and give her a squirt every time she rolls. It may take some patience!


  • Options
    #3
    nearly_there
    Closed Accounts Posts: 39 ✭nearly_there


    I bring my boxer to training classes in a horse arena too and she goes mad for horse poo. Its very embarassing...

    But she was much worse when she was younger. I know theres actually a name for dogs eating their own poo but I cant think of it now. Its usually more common in young dogs and puppies but they say they grow out of it.


  • Options
    #4
    YOURFACE!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭YOURFACE!


    Try putting a bit of pineapple / chili flakes in her food. This will stop her eating it. One of our dogs eats both of their poos but so far the chili flakes have put an end to it!
    As for the rolling in the poo, its a natural thing to mask their scent and yes it is gross but I would just keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't do it.

    If she is having accidents in the house, I would keep a close eye on her after she has eaten and had a drink and maybe half an hour after she has finished a meal bring her out to the garden to do her business. Once she has I would make a big fuss over her and give her a treat. She will soon learn that outside is the bathroom!

    Good luck with it all!


  • Options
    #5
    Emay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭Emay


    Its really unusual for her to poop inside! Maybe a sign of something else..

    I dont know if I should be punishing her or what! She knows its wrong cause she hid when I came down and acts all guilty. I am so worried cause my mam really is fed up and I couldn't bear giving her away....


  • Options
    #6
    Blueprint
    Closed Accounts Posts: 476 ✭✭Blueprint


    If she's pooing overnight, it's probably because she can't hold it in until morning, has she had any change in her diet lately or an upset tum? Try taking her out really late before you go to bed and make sure she'd fed by six or so to give her lots of time to digest. Does she have a command for going to the toilet? Because my fellow is pretty unwilling to go out last thing if it's raining etc. and I literally have to order him to go and do his business as he'll just try and hold it in until later. You could try and set the alarm and take her out halfway through the night until she settles down again too, but I'd only do this if she does have an upset tummy as you don't want to get her used to it!

    I'm afraid I have no answers to the rolling in poo problem, but the eating might be a sign of something missing in her diet, might be worth investigating.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    YOURFACE!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭YOURFACE!


    Dont punish her....if she cant hold it in there must be something causing her to have the accidents. I would work really hard to make sure she knows that the loo is outside for her. It may be worth while taking her to the vets for a check up anyway? It wouldnt do any harm.


  • Options
    #8
    star-pants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,429 ✭✭✭✭star-pants


    If she normally doesn't poo in the house and she'd done it 4 nights in a row now?
    Has she gotten anything to eat she normally doesn't?
    What is her poo like? (not being gross but if it's not her usual consistancy that might be an indicator)

    Regarding rolling in/ eating it, it seems it's not uncommon with dogs - one of the ways to stop them eating it is obviously keeping very close eye, picking up the poo as soon as you can. Putting pineapple bits or chilli flakes (I'd not heard that one :) ) in their food and they won't like it much when it comes out the other end.
    Praise when she goes outside is good too.

    If she's not eaten anything that you think might be causing this - I'd go to the vets just to get her a once over, no harm and you can rule out certain things that way.


Advertisement