Most new owners are delighted by puppy antics, but a puppy that eats poop prompts anything but smiles. It could be any animal's feces, too. From its stool to your cat's litter box deposits to a neighboring horse's or cow's manure, some puppies don't discriminate when it comes to poo they're willing to eat. Although many puppies grow out of this phase at least to some extent, there are steps you can take to discourage and even stop the behavior.

1:19 Watch Now: Why Do Some Puppies Eat Poop?

Why Do Puppies Eat Poop?

Dogs often eat their own or another animal’s droppings, no matter what species of animal does it. There's even a technical term for it: coprophagia.

This behavior typically is normal for very young puppies, possibly to colonize the gastrointestinal tract with normal bacteria, and for their mothers to keep the "den" clean. The good news is that most pups outgrow the habit. The bad news is that some dogs hang on to the nasty practice throughout their lives.

There are a variety of reasons why your puppy eats poop:

When you wave your hands, shout with disgust, and chase the puppy all over the yard, that’s great puppy entertainment. Chasing can reward the behavior and encourage your puppy to play poopy-keep-away.

Poor quality diets may lead to puppies snacking on their waste. For instance, if the dog's food is not being digested fully, the dog may look to its feces as a supplement because it's nearly the same as when it was eaten.

Some health issues may cause coprophagia as well. Diseases in the small intestine or pancreas may cause malabsorption or maldigestion. Also, conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disease often increase a dog's appetite and, if its regular diet isn't filling, it may resort to whatever's available.

It's also possible that a dog is simply not eating enough and its daily food intake needs to be increased.

Eating other animals’ waste may have to do with taste. Cow and horse manure may contain undigested grains or other ingredients that are appealing to your pup.

The cat’s litter box may as well be a puppy snack bar! Not only is this unsanitary, but it also puts kitty's tail in a twist to have a dog messing with its personal toilet. A cat that's pestered in its bathroom may look for another place to "go," such as behind the sofa.

Other times, poop eating stems from boredom. If a pup left out in the yard alone has little to occupy its time, it may turn to the one available thing.

Stress can also lead a dog to eat their feces, especially major stressors like coming to a new home after being adopted.

The Spruce / Melissa Ling

How to Stop Poop Eating

It's best to put a stop to this behavior before it gets out of hand. Parasites are often transmitted through feces, so having a dog that sees it as a treat puts the pup's health at risk. There are several things you can do to put an end to this nauseating habit: