Puppy eating poop

[TwnklToes80]

My girlfriend and her DH just got a puppy recently. He is about 13 weeks and just the cutest thing. THey are doing pretty well with the potty training. He has learned pretty quickly and knows that outside time is potty time before play. He has a great temperment and is all around a good dog. They are having a problem, however, with poop accidents in the house. They happen, it's not a big deal, but the puppy begins to eat his poop everytime he does it inside. Her DH thinks he is trying to "hide" it because he knows he will get in trouble if he goes in the house.

Any ideas?? I have no clue what to tell her and she is worried that he might get sick. They have a vet appt coming up so i told her to mention it. TIA

[jnettie]

Well, I don't have experience with training puppies, but this is not uncommon. Dogs will eat their own poop. It's gross, but it's normal.

I have a disgusting story about a friend's kid and a dog. The baby was running around naked in the house (for various reasons...it was just easier at the moment to let her be happy and naked). Apparently she went poop but nobody noticed...until the dog started eating the baby's poop! It was the single most gross thing I've ever experienced!

[mjfish]

Yes, this is common, and self-rewarding (as gross as that sounds :p), so the more he's "allowed" to do this, the more he will do this.

Until he's potty-trained, you can have them leash the pup to them at all times. This way, they should be alerted when he has to go and/or stop him from eating it before he starts. They should be taking him out to poop 15-30mins after he eats, and then on a regular schedule (every hour or two) thereafter. They need to watch him outside as well because he may try eating it out there too.

No, the dog is not trying to hide it because he "knows" he will get in trouble...their brains just don't work that way! :)