Puppy wants belly rubs ALL the time!

Ms.Sunshine

Hello,

my 3 month old puppy constantly rolls on its back for belly rubs of myself and complete strangers walking on the street!

How can I teach him not to do this ! It is a bit of a silly question but he is just overly friendly I think.. Also when ever I walk him on his leash he stops at everyone passing by and has his nose constantly to the ground to eat something.....he has even been known to eat his own poop

Is this all normal puppy behavour?


Thanks in advance.

ABajaninCork

Dogs eating their own poop is not normal. What are you feeding the dog?

Some obedience classes should also sort out the belly rub requests!

Ms.Sunshine

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Dogs eating their own poop is not normal. What are you feeding the dog?

Some obedience classes should also sort out the belly rub requests!

We are starting dog training this week so hopefully it helps. We are feeding him Barking heads. He doesn't eat poop all the time though. He also drinks a lot of water but the vet said its normal for pups as they are growing fast.

ABajaninCork

Hmmm - I'll have a scout round to find the causes of poop eating. But I've also heard that adding pineapple to the dog food cures them of the habit PDQ! Apparently there's something in pineapple that puts the dog off eating it. How true that is, I don't know though!

Ms.Sunshine

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Hmmm - I'll have a scout round to find the causes of poop eating. But I've also heard that adding pineapple to the dog food cures them of the habit PDQ! Apparently there's something in pineapple that puts the dog off eating it. How true that is, I don't know though!

Oh really!!? That's handy to know! never would have thought of giving him fruit. He started letting of bad gas recently and he had stopped after we changed his food as we thought that that could have been part of the issue but he started again today .. I am thinking it is down to the odd bits he gets into his mouth on our walks,!!

ABajaninCork

That could also be it. It's hard to pin down. It's also possible that the Barking Heads doesn't suit him either. Give it a few more days, and if the gas situation doesn't improve you might like to try another food.

Un Croissant

My pup always used to turn over. I read somewhere about it being a sign of submission. She did it all the time, to whoever or whatever showed interest in her. That could be it, aka a defense mechanism.

Whispered

Puppies eating poo can be common enough, although not desirable. I heard that it can be from when they were with their mother, if the area isn't kept clean enough she eats the poo to keep the place clean and the puppies can copy.

I've also seen on a few occasions dogs who never ate poo, start, and it turns out they have a digestive disorder or occasionally are being treated for something linked to their digestive system. In fact one dog I know had surgery for an obstruction and afterwards he was a poo fiend!

I've also seen dogs who don't usually eat poo copy dogs who do. It's a habit they can easily get into from what I've seen. Places like dog parks and daycare centres can make it worse.

Apparently pineapple works but only prevents them eating their own pineappley poo. If he's eating other poo when out and about it won't help.

The only thing I can think of is to make sure he can't access it to eat, teach him a good "leave it" and try to stop him before he gets a chance when you're out with him.

Rolling over, I'm not sure why he's doing it. Does he enjoy being petted? if it's something you don't want, I'd suggest teaching him a new way to great people, maybe a sit. Ask people not to react when he flips over but when he sits to make a fuss of him (assuming that he likes being made a fuss of).

tk123

Ms.Sunshine wrote: »

We are feeding him Barking heads.

That's possibly the cause of the problem - Barking Heads is a really crappy food so I doubt the pup is getting the nutrients it needs. In fact it's the only food to have ever received a 0 star rating on one of the dog food review sites because it's that rubbish.

For the belly rubs - is the pup throwing himself down on the ground and rolling on his back? I wonder if he's a bit nervous of people?

EDIT - Apologies - for some reason I read the food Bakers instead of Barking Heads. Barking Heads is a good food... although I found the puppy kibbles waaaaaay to small for my retriever pup. She was over for her shots in the vets and the vet was pulling pieces of it out of her mouth that she was storing like a hamster!

DBB

tk123 wrote: »

That's possibly the cause of the problem - Barking Heads is a really crappy food so I doubt the pup is getting the nutrients it needs. In fact it's the only food to have ever received a 0 star rating on one of the dog food review sites because it's that rubbish.

You sure about that? I think it's one of the better dry foods, and performs well in analysis reviews! As you know, I'm pretty fussy about what my dogs eat, and I've one here who goes through spells of only eating dry food, during which I'm pretty content to feed her Barking Heads!

andreac

Tk you sure you are thinking of the right food?? I thought Barking Heads was quite good. One of the pups i bred is being fed on it and is in great condition. Im looking at the ingredients here on their website and its quite good.

One example is the Lamb Food

Boneless Lamb*, Dried Lamb*, Brown Rice, Oats, Barley, (High Omega 3) Trout, Pea Protein, Lamb Fat, Natural Flavours, Lucerne, Seaweed, Hip & Joint Care Pack+ (Glucosamine 450mg/kg, MSM 450mg/kg, Chondroitin 240mg/kg) *Total 45% Lamb

Heres the Chicken one too. Looks very good to me.
Boneless Chicken*, Dried Chicken*, Brown Rice, Dried Potato, Pea Starch, Oats, Boneless Salmon*, High Omega 3 Trout, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat, Dried Egg, Natural Flavours, Salmon Oil, Lucerne, Seaweed, Hip & Joint Care Pack+ (Glucosamine 410mg/kg, MSM 410mg/kg, Chondroitin 290mg/kg), Carrot, MOS, FOS (*total 50% chicken)

ZiabR

I am going to hazzard a guess that he is a Labrador or Retriever?

Can be common enough in Labs, I know my bitch did it for 6 months until I got a food that worked for her and the problem is gone now. It is disgusting to she her do it. I used to go to the garden with her at all times and pick it up as soon as she pooped to try and help break the habit.

DBB

As for the pup rolling over for tummy rubs, it's entirely natural puppy behaviour, and perhaps suggestive that your pup is going to be an unpushy, friendly, friend-making dog!
Puppies do it in order to send out a clear signal which says "I'm just a big gobsh!te, there's no need to be mean to me", and they can learn to continue doing it as long as their experiences with it are positive. But remember that when adult dogs do it, whilst they might enjoy it at first, some start to feel a little vulnerable after a minute or two and can growl to get you to back off... Especially if the dog doesn't know or trust the person completely.
Whilst he may grow out of it, I would be inclined to go down the route that Whispered suggested, and teach pup an alternative behaviour in order to greet people (sit is perfect), whilst ignoring pup for rolling over. Of course, you will also need to ask strangers not to reinforce the rolling over either.
Poo eating (coprophagia) is absolutely normal, but not very nice. Chances are your pup does it purely as another thing to investigate (pups investigate the world through their mouths), but may possibly do it because he saw his mum do it. Try to intervene before pup reaches the poop, but do not punish if you catch him in the act... It'll make him learn to devour it quicker. He should also grow out of it as he gets older if you keep distracting him at this early stage. But be aware that a huge amount of dogs do it to some degree.. if not their own, then cat poo (which seems irresistible to many dogs), cow and horse poo, rabbit poo are all fair game!

Un Croissant

Reminds me of my terrier who used to eat litter covered cat poop. Can't remember why now but there was a reason

DBB

Un Croissant wrote: »

Reminds me of my terrier who used to eat litter covered cat poop. Can't remember why now but there was a reason

Sort of like breaded goujons! :-D

tk123

Sorry my brain isn't working and for some reason I read Barking Heads as Bakers......?! Apologies. See this is why I need a holiday

andreac

Ha ha, thats funny.

verywell

DBB wrote: »

Sort of like breaded goujons! :-D

sorry I have nothing to add to this but ^^ that is brilliant (albeit disgusting )

Made me LOL in work.

anniehoo

verywell wrote: »

Made me LOL in work.

Me too :pac::pac::pac:.....:eek:

tk123

I used to like goujons as a treat until I ready that

Un Croissant

tk123 wrote: »

I used to like goujons as a treat until I ready that

I read somewhere about acceptable levels of fecal matter allowed in food. So when you think about it, nothings really changed.

Ms.Sunshine

Thanks for all the great responses! He is not a Lab but a collie! I like the idea of asking him to sit when seeing new people instead of allowing the belly rubs all the time!

As for the eating poop I might try the pineapple trick and see if it works! How much would you give as I know fruit is not the best for dogs??

ABajaninCork

I'd mix a teaspoon in with his food and see how you get on...

Susie564

I have a collie X and a springer. The collie is mad to eat any dog poo but not her own - we just tell her no and she knows now that she's not to do it. When she comes across it now she sniffs it and looks at me. I tell her no and she moves on. The springer very occasionally will go to eat dog poo but he is MAD for horse poo. I take the collie training at the DSPCA and I asked one of the trainers about it - she said it was nothing to worry about - full of nutrients apparently!

DBB

Susie564 wrote: »

I asked one of the trainers about it - she said it was nothing to worry about - full of nutrients apparently!

With herbivore/ungulate poop I wouldn't be overly concerned as long as the dog doesn't gorge on it. I'm not 100% sure about the transfer of parasites via this route, but owners should bear in mind that the animals depositing the poop may have been treated with antibiotics or medications that our dogs would be better off without. On the other side of the coin, there are probably bacteria in the poop that are quite good for the dog's digestive health!

Susie564

DBB wrote: »

With herbivore/ungulate poop I wouldn't be overly concerned as long as the dog doesn't gorge on it. I'm not 100% sure about the transfer of parasites via this route, but owners should bear in mind that the animals depositing the poop may have been treated with antibiotics or medications that our dogs would be better off without. On the other side of the coin, there are probably bacteria in the poop that are quite good for the dog's digestive health!

I'm sure you're correct plus it's just gross! I actively discourage it with both. The collie's pretty obedient with it but the springer is fast and he knows where that poo is long before I see it! He is so well behaved mostly but when it comes to horse poo all bets are off! He does get a mouthful sometimes before I can pull him away. Plus he rolls in it too if I'm not watching him/fast enough - and then he stinks!

tk123

Ms.Sunshine wrote: »

Thanks for all the great responses! He is not a Lab but a collie! I like the idea of asking him to sit when seeing new people instead of allowing the belly rubs all the time!

Be forceful with people if you have to on how they greet the pup. I have people who actively encourage my two to jump up on them or get belly rubs. :mad: Bailey kicks his legs when he gets belly rubs so will take your shins off! The thing is the dogs end up thinking they can do that to anyone and have done it a few times leaving me very embarrassed!

DBB

tk123 wrote: »

Be forceful with people if you have to on how they greet the pup. I have people who actively encourage my two to jump up on them or get belly rubs. :mad: Bailey kicks his legs when he gets belly rubs so will take your shins off! The thing is the dogs end up thinking they can do that to anyone and have done it a few times leaving me very embarrassed!

You can proof the dog against this sort of thing. If the owner teaches a good, steady sit as a greeting response, they can gradually build excitement into the greeting, so that eventually puppy plonks his bum down even if the person in front of him is doing the riverdance.
Once pup can do it for owners, then friends are added to the mix, then strangers.
But the emphasis is on gradual step-by-step building the pup up to the desired behaviour. My own GSD will stay in position no matter what I do... I can jump over her, make a threatening run at her, run in circles around her making funny noises... And no, she's not the only one looking at me funny when I do!
Similarly, here's a challenge for you tk, you can teach Bailey and Lucy that the things other people do to encourage them to jump up, are actually cues to park their butts. So, start off with calm slapping of your legs, gradually building in the verbal "encouragement" and so on.
Gwan! I dare ya!

jimf

Susie564 wrote: »

I'm sure you're correct plus it's just gross! I actively discourage it with both. The collie's pretty obedient with it but the springer is fast and he knows where that poo is long before I see it! He is so well behaved mostly but when it comes to horse poo all bets are off! He does get a mouthful sometimes before I can pull him away. Plus he rolls in it too if I'm not watching him/fast enough - and then he stinks!

its one thing they eating it but when they decide to wear it that's another issue

SingItOut

My terrier is extremely people friendly and always rolls over for a belly rub even now at 4 years old, however she'll only roll over in the company of dogs she knows and wont when shes around other dogs, she tends to ignore them. She used to eat dog poo but stopped when i added "stool-UM" tablets to her food and it stopped her doing it for a long time. I also add pineapple juice to her and my collieXSpringers food every few weeks, they love eating the pineapple juice but it makes their poos taste and smell awful so their more inclined not to eat each others poos

Ms.Sunshine

I tried adding a tiny bit of pineapple juice to his food and it gave him bad diarrhea so I might try the tablets instead!!