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Dog Training - How to Cure Or Prevent Coprophagia in Your New Older Dog

Dog Training - How to Cure Or Prevent Coprophagia in Your New Older Dog
By Bob Hunsicker

Consuming animal feces by your dog could be one of the more nauseating activities you can witness.At least it has always been for me.It's called coprophagia. And, contrary to popularly held beliefs, it is not normally due to a dietary insufficiency.Nor is it often a symptom of poor health.So, the good news - it may not be your fault.The bad news is - fault or not, you have to do whatever you can to eliminate this habit or you'll never know if the next time your dog gives you a lick, he won't have real potty breath.Plus, while it may not be caused by a health issue, it may very well cause a health issue.Like the contraction of internal parasites.

Even though the habit is likely behavioral, it would still be wise to eliminate any possibility of a health or diet problem. So, your first tactic should be a visit to your vet.If your vet identifies a dietary deficiency, you're in luck.Once you adjust his diet, the habit should disappear.But, if your dog gets a clean bill of health, your road ahead is a little more complicated.Don't despair. There are ways to nip this habit in the bud.But first it would be helpful to determine why your dog is doing it.So, why do dogs have the propensity to partake in this stomach churning pursuit?I found a lot of theories in my research on this topic.

The followingreasons will require Preventive Measures, whichare explained below:

They like it, as simple as that

Your dog's ancestors were scavengers, and this is the ultimate scavenging activity

If your dog was in a litter for an extended time, he may have learned the behavior from his mom (mother dogs often eat the pup's excrement to keep the "den" clean and less odorous, which would attract predators in the wild)

Your dog may have picked up the habit later in life mimicking other dogs

It may be an attention-seeking habit

If your dog is exhibiting coprophagia due to any of the followingreasons, you must first treat the underlying cause and thenemploy one or more ofthe Preventive Measures:

Could be a reaction to anxiety (cure the anxiety - refer to my article Dog Training - Curing Separation Anxiety in Your New Older Dog With Desensitization and Crate Training)

Maybe its done simply out of boredom (you need to exercise your dog more, and play and bond with him more -- you'll benefit as well)

He could simply be hungry (gasp!), so make sure your dog's food portions are appropriate for his size and breed (check with your vet for proper feeding portions)

If your dog is often crated for long periods of time, he may have found it necessary to clean up after accidents and it became an acquired taste (if your lifestyle prevents you from shortening your dog's crate time, give very serious consideration to "puppy day care")

Preventive Measures

If coprophagia has become an ingrained habit, you are better off concentrating on preventive measures rather than a cure.Why?Because it is obvious your dog likes it.And, getting a dog to stop doing something they enjoy is a real uphill battle.The obvious solution - punishment - has proven effective only in the early phases of your dog's fece-consuming habit.So, us rescue dog owners can forget about punishment techniques.

Another approach that also has yielded limited success is to give the dog's feces a bad taste.(How one can make the taste any less desirable than the natural taste is beyond me).I've read in my sources that feeding your dog monosodium glutamate (MSG) or pumpkin can make your dog's excrement have a "bad" taste (compared to what?).A similar approach is to add bad tasting substances directly to the feces, like Tabasco sauce.But, sources say that dogs can easily distinguish between treated feces and untreated feces.They will simply move on to excrement of other dogs or wildlife.Be forewarned that I haven't tried most of these "cures", so I can't endorse them.I am simply providing you all the treatments I have found in published sources.Who knows, one may be the charm for you.

One purportedly effective preventive measure is to introduce distractions into your dog's world.Especially if your dog is doing it out of boredom or to seek attention. Simply make your dog's life more interesting and diverse.Place lots of your dog's favorite type of toy around the house and in the yard.Make sure he gets plenty of interaction time with other dogs.Get him outside more often under your supervision.This increased stimulation will certainly minimize boredom and get your dog interested in other activities besides that nasty one.

The most sensible method of prevention is to simply remove the source of the temptation.Pick up excrement after every venture into the backyard by your dog.Not a big deal really.This will also reduce the amount of bacteria and parasite larvae your dog will be exposed to while in his yard.And, you'll get more quality time with your dog. If this isn't feasible (though I can't imagine such circumstances), you can muzzle your dog each time you let him out to do his business.

Conditioning training can also help the situation.On all of your walks, be sure to have your dog on a leash so you have control.At every opportunity, whenever your dog begins to approach excrement, use a firm "No" or some other command (but be consistent).Then cause a distraction - give the "come" command or use a clicker - to gain your dog's attention.Once you have his attention, give the "sit" command, provide praise and offer a treat.The idea is to show your dog it is much more rewarding to attend to you than sniff feces.Like any kind of conditioning, patience and persistence will be required.

Since coprophagia is a self-gratifying habit for dogs, it can be difficult to stop.But, do not be discouraged.Try to determine the reason your dog practices this habit.Then implement the most appropriate preventive measures described above.Regardless of the reason you suspect, be sure to first eliminate a diet or healthreason by a visit to your vet.Keep your yard clean, don't over extend your dog's crate time, and apply conditioning training during every walk.Keep your dog's life stimulating and active.Do all of this religiously and your dog will eventually realize there are much more fun things to do than recycling excrement. Best of luck to you.

Author Bob Hunsicker has been an avid dog lover since his days as a vet assistant while working his way through college. He's a strong advocate for the adoption of rescue dogs. "These are dogs that have been neglected and oftentimes abused. They are truly deserving of a second chance to do what dogs do best - bring enjoyment and unconditional love and devotion to a home."

Adopting an older dog, especially a rescue dog, is a very noble gesture. One that can yield tremendous rewards for both owner and dog. But an older dog with an unknown history can present special challenges that require patience, persistence and knowledge. If you provide the persistence and patience, I can assure you, from personal experience, that Do-It-Yourself Dog Training Manual will provide that last requirement - the knowledge.

To learn how this comprehensive compendium of dog training techniques will help you deal with any challenge your new older dog presents, visit my Rescue Dog Blog - DogsRpeople2 at http://butdogsrpeople2.blogspot.com/2009/05/easy-dyi-dog-training-for-well-behaved.html. The Gold Membership is currently being offered at a 58% discount for a limited time. So act now before regular pricing goes into effect. Simply click on the link provided on my blog and follow the ordering instructions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Hunsicker
http://EzineArticles.com/?Dog-Training---How-to-Cure-Or-Prevent-Coprophagia-in-Your-New-Older-Dog&id=2496803

OMG My Great Dane Ate His Poop

OMG My Great Dane Ate His Poop
By Amy Birley

I could not believe it when I saw him do it. But sure enough there he was with a mouthful of his own poop, how disgusting it was! So I did what I always do, I Googled it and here is what I discovered. The act of eating poop has a technical word; coprophagia and means simply that dogs eat poop and that it is a natural thing too.

Why dogs eat poop

They do not have the social considerations that people do, this means that they do not look at poop as something bad. To them it is just another taste sensation.

Mom dogs eat it to keep the den clean from their puppies waste.

Puppies may see their mom doing it and so they do it too

Puppies eat it because it has the same texture of the food they eat

Your dog may not be getting the right vitamins and minerals in his diet and is eating to get them.

Some dogs eat poop to hide something they feel they should not have done, this is especially true for the dog that has been disciplined poorly for any pooping mistakes he has made in the past.

Boredom is a good way for dogs to start playing and then eating their poop

Dog may have worms and simply feel hungry all the time

Dog may be seeking attention. Like children any attention is better than no attention

Dog may be lonely and feel stressed or anxious. If you dog is locked up alone for long periods of time poop eating can become a habit and a way they de-stress.

Dogs are notorious scavengers and will eat

Some foods do not break down in poop and so they eat it again.

Dogs will eat cat poop because it is more nutritious. Cat food contains many higher nutrients and more protein that the dog is missing.

Now that we have discovered that eating poop can be done for a variety of reasons, it can also indicate a health issue, such as starvation, pancreas problems, nutritional deficiencies and lack of certain enzymes in the digestive system. It is true that a dog can starve even while consuming great amounts of food if he cant digest the right nutrients so do not just chalk up poop eating to boredom, see a veterinarian if you have any concerns.

So as natural and even common as this little habit may be, it is not a good thing to allow it to continue. No one wants poopy breath kisses. Besides that the act of eating poop can expose your dog to wormy parasites, bacterial infection, tonsillitis, stomach upsets and a higher risk for parvo and distemper.

A little side note, while researching this lovely topic, my neighbor told me that her pug had surgery because he had been eating cat poop. She went on to explain that it was not the poop but the kitty litter that was the culprit. Dogs can not digest kitty litter and their bellies will swell and they will vomit and have masses of diarrhea. In my next article we will be discussing ways to get your dog to stop this most disgusting habit.

Amy Birley is a life long lover of Great Danes. She offers help and tips for every aspect of your Great Danes life which will make them healthier and happier pets! She invites you to learn more of this fantastic breed and to visit her informational site

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Birley
http://EzineArticles.com/?OMG-My-Great-Dane-Ate-His-Poop&id=2413134

My Dog Won't Eat - Help For Owners of Older Dogs

My Dog Won't Eat - Help For Owners of Older Dogs
By Bob Hunsicker

Any dog owner who is seeking an answer to the question - "How do I get my dog to eat?" is experiencing one of two scenarios: One, they have a sick dog on their hands, or two, they have been trained very well by their dog.

As with most negative behaviors exhibited by your dog - and being a picky eater is one of them - you need to first rule out any health issue by a trip to your vet. Assuming your dog gets a clean bill of health, you will need to retrain your dog.

If you buy into this one truism - and you should - that a healthy dog will not starve himself to death, your job at hand is quite simple. Just wait him out. Put his food down at his established feeding time. Give him fifteen to thirty minutes to eat. If he hasn't touched his food, remove it until the next feeding time. This means NO food - including treats - until next feeding time rolls around. There you have it. If I stopped here, I'm confident I would have helped 95% of the households that have a dog that is a finicky eater. But, that wouldn't make much of an article; and, I do feel obligated to address the other 5% out there who cannot bear the thought of deliberately "starving" their beloved dog to death.

Like most other conditioning dog training, working with a puppy is a bit easier than with an older dog, who has established behaviors, negative or otherwise, as a result of his past life. A rescue dog with an unknown history may have been fed table scraps, or not fed often enough for his breed and size; or fed on a very irregular schedule. All of which will make your job a little more difficult because he may really test your fortitude. Personally, this is advice that has proven easier for me to give than to follow. In the not too distant past I often caved in and fed my rescue dogs a concoction of dog food with a portion of people food. But, that's in the past for me, and I hope you can avoid or break this behavior in yourself.

Another avoidance during this "test of wills" is to refrain from trying every tasty looking dog food on the supermarket shelves. Stick to the one food your vet recommends for your dog or you'll find yourself in the same pickle not too far down the road. Should your dog tire of his food he may very well resort to turning up his nose again until he's retrained you to try another brand. Too much variety encourages finicky eating and also can cause digestion problems. Keep in mind the adage that finicky eaters are made, and not born. And more importantly, they can all be unmade. Wait him out!

Be sure not to reinforce your dog's negative behavior by hovering over him, cajoling him, pleading or begging him to eat. Such attention feeds right into his intention to break you down. Once you remove the untouched food, ignore the whole situation like it didn't even exist.

Another bad habit to avoid -- do not talk yourself into solving the problem by allowing your dog to become a grazer. That is, simply leaving your dog's bowl on the floor until the food disappears. Really, this serves neither you nor your dog well. Dogs like schedules and thrive on routines. If you don't establish one, he'll do it for you, and in the process begin to assume other alpha dog traits. Your job is to remind him how nice schedules are, especially when it's yours. Wait him out!

Several Cautions

Be on the look out for family members who may not have the same intentions as you, and fall to temptation to sneak your dog treats. All your hard work will be for naught. So make sure everyone is on board with the conditioning training. On a similar note, make sure your family hasn't gotten into the habit of substituting food and treats for love. Giving a treat every time your dog does something cute can certainly create finicky eating habits. Treats should not exceed 10% of your dog's total food intake.

Don't give your dog the opportunity to become a "garbage marauder" during this training period. Be sure the trash is secured and there is no food left within reach on tables, TV trays, or laps. Hopefully this goes without saying, but do not allow your dog to roam the neighborhood. No doubt he will find some food or some similar facsimile during his rounds.

Some breeds are more prone to finicky eating then others. German Shepherds probably are at the top of this list followed by several of the smaller breeds such as Chihuahuas, Yorkies, Bichon Frise, Pomeranians, Toy Poodles and Maltese. Own any of these and your road ahead may be just a tad more difficult. But not impossible by any stretch.

To sum up:

Make sure your dog is healthy

This becomes a simple test of wills

Don't fall prey to those sad eyes

Avoid between meal treats

Stick with one variety of nutritional food

Secure all trash and make sure no food is within reach

Keep your dog at home and not free to roam and scavenge

Put the food out at feeding time, give him 15 to 30 minutes to eat, if its not eaten, remove it and wait until next feeding time

And, above all, wait him out!

Best of luck to you.

Author Bob Hunsicker has been an avid dog lover since his days as a vet assistant working his way through college. He's a strong advocate for the adoption of rescue dogs. "These are dogs that have been neglected and oftentimes abused. They are truly deserving of a second chance to do what dogs do best - bring enjoyment and unconditional love and devotion to a home."

To learn how this comprehensive compendium of dog training techniques will help you deal with any challenge your new older dog presents, visit my Rescue Dog Blog - DogsRpeople2 at http://butdogsrpeople2.blogspot.com/2009/05/easy-dyi-dog-training-for-well-behaved.html The Gold Membership is currently being offered at a 58% discount for a limited time. So act now before regular pricing goes into effect. Simply click on the link provided on my blog and follow the ordering instructions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Hunsicker
http://EzineArticles.com/?My-Dog-Wont-Eat---Help-For-Owners-of-Older-Dogs&id=2537134

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