# Zach loves sheep poo :(



## Guest (Sep 3, 2008)

We live near dartmoor and before we got the pup I had lovely images of long walks out on the moors together at weekends... but it hasn't gone quite to plan!! We've taken him out there twice since we've had him and he gets fixated on the sheep poo! Not even throwing his beloved ball will tempt him away from it. Hes like a kid in a sweet shop, he cant stop munching it. We have tried telling him a firm "no" and keeping him on the lead but hes very stubborn when he wants to be and so we've ended up coming home as we are afraid it will make him poorly. Anyone else had this problem? If so any ideas on how to solve it?! We are taking him for a Recall lesson with the trainer tomorrow night, which happens to be held on the moors and I must say I'm a little apprehensive lol


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## sullivan (Aug 29, 2008)

Working on your recall with the trainer will help but im afraid we had the same with our spaniel he was like it as a pup with the guinuea pigs droppings,horse pooh, and rabbit droppings, Puppy are fasinated by pooh and i think your find its really common. Some dogs even eat there own pooh which can be a sigh of some thing missing in there diet. I wouldnt worry its just a puppy thing. Some times if im not on the ball my dog will still try it on with horse dropping. It may be worth mentioning your problem with the dog trainer to ask her advice. T he only problem i have some times now is that my dog loves to roll in foxes scat and its really hums, they are lovely arent they bless.


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## Sgurr (Aug 24, 2008)

Have a word with your trainer but basically you are doing the right things to stop it.
One option is the Leave it command. You use this with anything you don't want him to touch or go near (just makes a change from No) but you can practise it in the house.

Have a little treat in your hand ( you need two treats for this). Have the pup on a short lead and put a little treat on the floor just beyond his reach and say Leave it in a very sharp tone of voice. He will probably be surprised by the sharp tone and move back a fraction or stop pulling towards the treat, give a little tug if you have too. Immediately call him to you and give the treat in your hand with lots of praise. Pick up the treat on the floor while he's eating the first one. This is not the same as Wait which some people do before the dog eats. You don't want him waiting to eat sheep poo, you want him to leave it alone. Do three to five repetitions per day, he'll soon get the hang of it.
Then on a short lead walk use Leave it for sheep poo and have a treat for him. And later use it when he takes an interest in sheep.

I have sheep coming right up to my gate and garden fence depositing their presents. I've never been able to stop it altogether as fresh sheep poo seems irresistable to dogs, but I can generally keep them off the older stuff.

Do worm at least every three months if he's snacking on sheep poo or any other animal droppings.

Sgurr


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2008)

FOr dogs sake , not another eating poo thread?!!!

Sheeps poo is very tasty to a dog - it is recycled grass basically. Won't do ya dog any harm - let him enjoy.


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

My two hoover up the garden when I move the Guinea pig run - it keeps the garden free of guinea pig poo


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2008)

Sgurr said:


> Have a word with your trainer but basically you are doing the right things to stop it.
> One option is the Leave it command. You use this with anything you don't want him to touch or go near (just makes a change from No) but you can practise it in the house.
> 
> Have a little treat in your hand ( you need two treats for this). Have the pup on a short lead and put a little treat on the floor just beyond his reach and say Leave it in a very sharp tone of voice. He will probably be surprised by the sharp tone and move back a fraction or stop pulling towards the treat, give a little tug if you have too. Immediately call him to you and give the treat in your hand with lots of praise. Pick up the treat on the floor while he's eating the first one. This is not the same as Wait which some people do before the dog eats. You don't want him waiting to eat sheep poo, you want him to leave it alone. Do three to five repetitions per day, he'll soon get the hang of it.
> ...


Thanks thats really helpful and I'm sure I'll be able to make use of "leave it" for loads of others things. Not sure why we havent trained him with that already but will get right on it today before class  `


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2008)

mrsdusty said:


> FOr dogs sake , not another eating poo thread?!!!


lol...  sorry dude


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## jeanie (Nov 11, 2007)

We take mine over Exmoor and Dartmoor sometimes and they always go for the sheeps poo, thats all they seem interested in , but its not done them any harm yet , i thought because its just grass it wouldnt hurt them though we do try to stop them eating it, though even kept on leads the manage to get it.


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## sullivan (Aug 29, 2008)

Mine too hoovers after the G pigs...I think some times he thinks its a treat.... yuck


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## staflove (Sep 4, 2008)

My Tess eats poo if she gets chance, dog poo cat poo horse poo, she also rolls in it the mucky pup.


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## cav (May 23, 2008)

staflove said:


> My Tess eats poo if she gets chance, dog poo cat poo horse poo, she also rolls in it the mucky pup.


oow and i bet she gives you a big sloppy kiss after lol


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## 6660carrie (Jul 28, 2008)

Max loves eating poo , but its only sheep poo that upsets his stomach. Had 2 or three trips to the vet because of sheep poo. If I take him anywhere where there is sheep poo I just make him wear a muzzle mainly because I can't afford to keep paying out vet bills and cleaning up recycled sheep poo from the kitchen floor!!!! Yuck


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## staflove (Sep 4, 2008)

cavrooney said:


> oow and i bet she gives you a big sloppy kiss after lol


Well of course she dose hehe


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2008)

6660carrie said:


> Max loves eating poo , but its only sheep poo that upsets his stomach. Had 2 or three trips to the vet because of sheep poo. If I take him anywhere where there is sheep poo I just make him wear a muzzle mainly because I can't afford to keep paying out vet bills and cleaning up recycled sheep poo from the kitchen floor!!!! Yuck


Thats what I was worried about (my partner says not to let him eat it as hes afraid it will upset his stomach). I will keep a close eye on him.


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## 6660carrie (Jul 28, 2008)

Seems OK with horse or rabit poo though!!! lol Jokes aside , he doesn't do it very much anymore so I guess they just grow out of it eventually.


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## Perfect Pooch2 (Sep 8, 2008)

Our puppy has an obsession with poo! We have 2 cats as well and they use the garden as their toilet. Any chance Bailey has he's digging it up and having a right old munch. If he was any normal pup we wouldn't mind too much but he has a gluten intolerance and we have to monitor what he eats all the time. The slighest change in his diet can cause major diarrhoea and a messy bed at night. 

The other problem is his breath! It stinks and he gets bits of poo on his gums - it's disgusting. Any tips on how to get his breath smelling of roses(!!!) again??


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2008)

Perfect Pooch2 said:


> The other problem is his breath! It stinks and he gets bits of poo on his gums - it's disgusting. Any tips on how to get his breath smelling of roses(!!!) again??


Raw meaty bones! 

I let mine eat sheep poo, never done them any harm. They follow the rabbit round and clear up after him and the guiena pigs when they've been out too. Presume they clear the cat poo out the flower beds too because there's never any around.  Only poo I stop them eating is horse poo because it really does stink!!!


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## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

Any poo that is from a grass eating animal is perfectly ok for them to eat ( not nice but ok ) .
That includes sheep , horses ( comes back out looking the same as it does going in lol ) cows, rabbits , deer , anything thats eaten a veg diet . As long as you worm on a regular basis .


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2008)

Thanks  just for an update, we went to the puppy class and he was so distracted by all the hard work and other puppies to play with he didnt even look at the poo! Maybe hes just grown out of it already


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## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

Dont hold your breath lol , mine do it when you least expect it .


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2008)

Yeah I dont think they ever grow out of it. Must be like smoking. Even though you have given up you still have the craving...and I guess for a dog that is hooked on poos then if a nice shiny freshly laid sheep heap is steaming then you just gotta have a chomp.


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## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

PMSL you have a way with words .


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2008)

andrea 35 said:


> PMSL you have a way with words .


Well its a bit like waving a choccy bar underneath the nose of someone on a diet aint it? lol


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2008)

mrsdusty said:


> Well its a bit like waving a choccy bar underneath the nose of someone on a diet aint it? lol


lmao yum yum, chocolate surprise


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## Weezie (Jul 31, 2008)

Got my beginner obedience grading on saturday... in a field that sheep frequent.
I need sympathy and luck, buckets of it!!


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