I clearly saw that my puppy had just finished shit, but I just found a tissue, but when I turned around, the shit that should have been in place disappeared out of thin air, leaving only traces on the ground and the dog's suspected chewing movements.

You will spread your dog's mouth with skepticism, and a foul stinking to your face.

Even if you want to deny it, you have to believe that your dog is eating shit.

What dogs love to eat shit

The dirty and disgusting excrement in human eyes, but dogs regard it as treasures. The dog's love for shit can be said to be unable to stop.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, based on the frequency of dogs eating shit, called dogs that were found to have been eaten more than 6 times by their owners, and were non-congested dogs less than 6 times. They surveyed more than 1,000 dog-raising families in Canada and the United States [1].

They found that of all domestic dogs, about 23% of dogs have eaten shit at least once. Among feces, dogs eat shit more often, and 80% of dog owners say their dogs eat shit more than 10 times [1].

If you happen to want to raise a dog, you should be mentally prepared for the dog to eat shit, after all, this is really a common phenomenon.

But even if dogs have the desire to eat shit, different breeds of dogs love shit vary.

UC Davis researchers found that terriers and hounds are more likely to become feces that eat more than 6 times [1].

Terrier is good-looking and lively, and is deeply loved by dog ​​owners.

Terrier is aggressive and energetic. In the early days, people used to hunt and guard the house. Those cute and cute dogs, such as Schnauzer, Yorkshire and Teddy, are all terriers. Hounds are good at using their keen sense of smell to track the traces of prey and are experts in hunting. In addition to Afghan hounds and beagle hounds, Labradors and Golden Retrievers, commonly found in life, are also hunting dogs.

Specifically for breeds, the dog that hates poop is the poodle. Whether it is a standard poop, mini poop or toy poop, there is almost no poop; while the dog that likes poop is the Shetland Shepherd, and 41% of them are pooped dogs [1].

Faced with these puppies who treat shit as food and eat with relish, the heads of dog owners are bigger than those of the other. In order to correct their behavior of eating shit, they have tried their best to reward dogs who can resist eating shit, order dogs not to eat shit, punish dogs with electric shock collars, take away shit and prevent dogs from eating...

Better to train dogs to stay away from shit, it is better to deal with shit directly, so that they can't eat it even if they want to / Unsplash

However, the survey shows that the success rate of these interventions is only 1% to 2%. On the contrary, the success rate of the master's letting go was higher, reaching 4%[1].

From this point of view, the saying "Dogs can't change their food" is indeed scientifically based.

Why do dogs love to eat shit? What are the benefits of dogs? It is worth taking such a risk to try it even under the strict discipline of their owners?

Dogs' shit-eating behavior has nothing to do with their tutoring or sterilization, and has no necessary connection with their compulsive behavior: chasing their tails, biting flies, and self-harm, etc. [1][2]. The real motivation for dogs to eat shit comes from the canine's instinct for self-protection.

In a multi-dog family (two or more), dogs may imitate each other and eat shit together[1] / Unsplash

Henan Agricultural University conducted a microscopic examination of 1,393 shit samples in Henan Province and found that more than 30% of dogs had parasites in their intestines. Among them, the intestinal parasite infection rate of puppies less than 6 months old is the highest, exceeding 40%; the infection rate of stray dogs also reaches 37.8% [3].

Intestinal parasite infection may affect the growth and development of dogs, resulting in slow growth or even stagnation, and may also cause anemia and digestive tract symptoms to the dog, and in severe cases, it may even lead to death of the dog [3]. Therefore, preventing intestinal parasite infection is the top priority for dogs' survival.

In order to prevent other dogs from passing on intestinal parasites to themselves, and to prevent themselves from repeatedly infecting intestinal parasites, eating shit is the most convenient and fast choice for dogs.

Because intestinal parasites will reproduce and thrive in the dog's intestines, their eggs will be pulled out by the dog along with the shit. The parasite species and ambient temperature are different, and the time for eggs to hatch into larvae is also different. Among them, hookworms take 2 to 9 days, and whipworms take 10 to 25 days [1].

The newborn cub has almost no mobility, so the bitch will eat the cub's feces to prevent it from being infected by intestinal parasites / Unsplash

If the dog lets the shit not be cleaned, not only will the shit accumulate more and more, but the infectious larvae will continue to hatch. But if dogs eat shit within two days while these eggs are not yet developed, their risk of infecting intestinal parasites will be much lower [1].

Although this method is not the best way, the eggs you eat may still "take roots and sprout" in the dog's stomach and intestines, this is their only choice for dogs who cannot deworm themselves and cannot bury their shit.

Another reason why dogs eat shit comes from the territorial consciousness of wild dogs.

In the wild, dogs usually use shit to mark their territory. So when some dogs try to occupy other dogs’ territory, they will leave their shit along the way. This is absolutely unbearable for the owner of the territory. To protect their territorial integrity, they will eat the "invaders" shit in one bite and replace it with their own shit [4].

In nature, the territory not only provides food for wild dogs, but also a place for them to raise their offspring / Timeng Creativity

Although many dogs have been domesticated by humans and no territory needs them to protect them, the behavior of eating shit as a remnant of wildness has been passed down from generation to generation.

In addition, eating shit is also a survival strategy. After all, in nature, if you can't catch prey, you will have to starve. Faced with hunger, dogs obviously have no capital to be picky about food. What's more, there are some undiluted proteins and fats in the shit, which can be used as a special food source [5][6].

And domestic dogs that eat dog food every day and "living in peace" will not encounter the crisis of food shortage. If they suddenly start eating shit, it may be due to atopic dermatitis (cAD). This is an allergic skin disease similar to eczema, which can cause dogs to itch, reduce their quality of life, increase their stress, and thus cause feces to eat [7].

Dogs with atopic dermatitis also have characteristics such as stealing food, hyperactivity, and overexcitation / Picture Bug Creative

It can be seen that the reasons behind dogs eating shit are quite complicated, and dogs eating shit are not "bad kids" as many people think. But if you happen to have a dog that loves to eat shit, you can't let it eat it casually.

In Melbourne, Australia, 15 dogs have symptoms of cannabis poisoning such as runny nose, hyperactivity, and urinary incontinence due to accidental ingestion of human feces containing tetrahydrocannabinol (the main psychoactive substance in cannabis).

And, some stupid dogs can't tell the difference between the freshness of shit and eat it whenever they are shit. If they accidentally eat shit containing parasites, they may need to take it to the hospital for a check-up, which is both costly and laborious.

Why don't people eat shit

In fact, in addition to dogs, many mammals will also eat their own shit or their similar shit. For example, rabbits will eat their own shit to help them digest cellulose[9]. But why do people who are both mammals don’t eat shit?

Compared with dogs, although humans also face the threat of parasites, the ancestor of humans, monkeys, had their own unique secret method.

American scientists have discovered that the red roar monkeys in the Amazon Basin never sit directly on the branches to defecate. Instead, they will consciously choose their toilet location. Among them, the most popular one is the place where there is no vegetation in the forest, which avoids rest, foraging and their active areas, which naturally reduces the possibility of parasite pollution [10].

Even monkey babies over two months old, they will fall off their mother's back when defecate [10] / Tuchuang Creativity

In addition, compared to parasites, humans are more afraid of pathogens. Although they are small, they have extremely strong reproductive ability and can reproduce once every few dozen minutes. If you are unfortunately infected with a pathogen, then in no time, there will be hundreds of thousands of offspring of pathogens in your body [11].

In order to prevent the invasion of this "normal" microorganism, humans have gradually evolved a set of psychological defense mechanisms. Just imagine, when you first see shit, will it associate them with dirty and disgusting?

This is human aversion.

Visually, humans will link pathogens to excrement, such as shit, vomit, mucus, etc.; in smell, compounds with volatile odors, such as thiol, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gas, will also keep people away. An object like shit that looks disgusting and smells foul-smelling is hard to get close to, let alone treat it as food [11].

The smelly and tide trash can makes people feel that "the air is full of bacteria" / Tuchuang Creative

Even if someone who is not afraid of being disgusted really wants to try the smell of shit, you have to consider the ingredients of shit first. For dogs, shit may not be too bad, but for people who eat various foods every day, shit is about a garbage dump, mixed with various harmful substances.

Researchers from Peking Union Medical College tested the feces of children with diarrhea and found that they included a variety of viruses such as norovirus, rotavirus, human Boca virus type 2, adenovirus and astrocytes [12]. Eating such feces may be no different than taking poison directly.

In short, it is natural for dogs to eat shit, and it is also natural for people not to eat shit. For dogs, shit is food, for people, shit is excrement. But if you are a dog's shit picker and happen to have a stupid dog that eats everything, for the sake of its health, it's better to help it solve all the shit!

References:

[1]Hart, B. L., Hart, L. A., Thigpen, A. P., Tran, A., & Bain, M. J. (2018). The paradox of canine consensus coprophagy. Veterinary medicine and science, 4(2), 106-114.

[2]Frank, D. (2013). Repetitive behaviors in cats and dogs: are they really a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD)?. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 54(2), 129.

[3]Bian Xiaokun, Yuan Jing, Zhang Yafang, Sun Lulu, Sun Yuzhen, Fu Yin & Wang Rongjun.(2023). Investigation on parasite infection in dog intestinal intestinal in Henan Province. Chinese Journal of Prevention and Veterinary Medicine (05), 480-487.

[4]Davis, C. WHY DO DOGS EAT POOP?.

[5] Mao Aiguo, Zhang Yao, Xu Tao.(2021). Discussion on dog feces eating behavior. Veterinary Guide, (10), 216.

[6]AKC Staff.(2023). Why Dogs Eat Poop and How to Stop It.American Kennel Club.

[7]Harvey, N. D., Craigon, P. J., Shaw, S. C., Blott, S. C., & England, G. C. (2019). Behavioural differences in dogs with atopic dermatitis suggest stress could be a significant problem associated with chronic pruritus. Animals, 9(10), 813.

[8]Lauinger, C. A., & Peacock, R. (2022). Marijuana toxicosis in dogs in Melbourne, Australia, following suspected ingestion of human faeces: 15 cases (2011–2020). Australian vegetable journal, 100(3), 90-97.

[9]Ada McVean B.Sc.(2018).Rabbits Eat Their Own Poop.Office for Science and Society of McGill University.

[10]Gilbert, K. A. (1997). Red howling monkey use of Specific defecation sites as a parasite avoidance strategy. Animal Behaviour, 54(2), 451-455.

[11]Lieberman, D., Billingsley, J., & Patrick, C. (2018). Consultation, contact and cooperation: how pathogens have shaped human psychological adaptations. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 373(1751), 20170203.

[12]Deji, Liu Liying, Qian Yuan, Jia Liping, Dong Huijin, Zhu Runan, ... & Zhao Linqing. (2018). Correlation between type 2 human Boca virus in children in Beijing and acute diarrhea. Chinese Journal of Pediatrics, 56(12), 945-949.