2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

chewing her feet and tail. they all get gross, wet and slimey. When I tell her no to stop, she goes in another room to "Closet chew" She also will not stop eating her poop or my other dogs poop. I have tried meat tenderizer on her food as well as a pill by my vet...
This bad behavior has GOT to end! Is it too late for her to learn good beahvior? I really need to look into a good trainer that won't cost me an arm and a leg. Any Recs? I would appreciate it!

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

My shih tzu used to lick her feet and tail all the time, and according to my vet, it meant that she had allergies. As far as eating the poop goes, if the meat tenderizer doesnt work, I think there is something you can get in the pet store to put in the food. Good luck!

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

I agree on getting your dog to the vet first. You can't really train a dog not to respond to a skin allergy, and you wouldn't want to anyway since it's a sign they need treatment.

There is a lot of information online about how to train a dog. If you're diligent and consistent, there's no reason you have to hire a trainer. There's another thread on dog trainers on the board too, if you want to go that way.

We have a poop eater too. It's an instinctual thing that isn't going to change no matter how much we want it to, so we limit his exposure to it. We just don't leave poop on our lawn and watch him when we're on walks and steer him away from it.

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

I have 2 shih tzu's. One that has allergies and one that eats poop (used to).

Sadler licks his paws and and chews right above his tail. I usually give him a dose of benadryl and that satisfies him. Most likely it is a food allergy. I stoped giving him treats all together and I noticed the itching/licking stopped and began to introduce them to him again (we have 4 different treats we give him) and I was able to determine which one he should no longer get (Waggin Tail Chicken Jerky Treats). He loves them soooo much tho, so I give him only 1 every other day.

Kasey we nicknamed the "Terd Burguler" (sp?) The vet gave me Forbid which I put on their food and it didn't keep him away. We were forced to watch every move he made outside and make sure that the yard was poop free. After a few weeks, it was like he forgot all about it b/c he would go scowel the yard looking for poop to eat but, out of sight out of mind. Sometimes we think he is still tempted to b/c when we take them to the park he will be lured to it but we just say Kasey 'NO"! and he walks away.

Sadler will be 5 this year and I'm retraining him. It can be done. He has a fear of stairs that we are currently working on.

Good Luck!

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

I am at work during the day so therefore, I have to leave wee wee pads on the floor. They have been trained to go on them. The problem is, with my fe,ale dog eating her poop I sometimes don't have a chance to pick it up until I come home for a quick break and by then she already got to the poop...

As far as this allergy most of you brought up, my male dog eats the same food (Science Diet Sensitve Stomach) and he has NO problems with licking or chewing on his feet or tail. So, not sure it's the food.. or could it be that just like no two people are the same no two dogs are the same, make up wise.. maybe my female dog is just more sensitive to the food?

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

Vic, Rocky, my last dog , he usta do that all the time , I tried everything meat tenderizer, bitter apple. etc,, Finally I poured hot tabasco on his poop after he went on the paper, & he ate it, but was the last time he did it..

Now meatball , my lil fresh monster is doing the same, i will be trying this again,,

they say that the reason dogs do this is because they have no scent when they are young & its a iron defency,m
who know's but its nasty

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

So you have two dogs? I agree with the OP they are not the same when it comes to eating. My 2 Shih Tzus only have a few things in common and they are all "traits". I would def. try forbid for the pop eating and benadryl for the allergies.

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

Posted by ToriaRae

Posted by KimberlyScott

So you have two dogs? I agree with the OP they are not the same when it comes to eating. My 2 Shih Tzus only have a few things in common and they are all "traits". I would def. try forbid for the pop eating and benadryl for the allergies.

Yes, I have two. My boy is 5 years old. Is a very well behaved dog and has never given me a problem with anything really. The only problem he has is hiding in the tub when it thunders and going under the bed when I vacuum.

My girl is 2 years old. I have tried cornographia - don't quote me on the spelling.. it's a pill given to her at every meal, which is twic a day and it has not helped.. I am going to have to try the hot sauce. She also goes for my boy dogs poop too! It's so nasty. What are they frikkin tootsie rolls to her?

As far as benedryl. Do I cut the tablet in half or into quarters?

Message edited 2/25/2010 3:01:25 PM.

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

Why Dogs Eat Poop: 20 Reasons

1. Your dog might be hungry. If your dog doesn't have access to food, he might eat poop.

2. Some dogs will eat poop to clean up an area like a housekeeper. This is most likely if your dog is confined to a crate or kennel, or when he's chained up or otherwise restricted. He's taking care of his space.

3. If your dog likes to carry poop, and then eat it, it could be genetics. Some dogs have instincts to carry stuff in their mouths.

4. Your dog might be eating poop because of parasites or worms. They can suck nutrients out of your dog, driving him to eat poop. It might also leave him extra hungry because of the lack of proper fuel.

5. Your dog might be eating cat poop or other animal poop to get key nutrients and minerals not available in his own food.

6. Some dogs will simply eat poop to pass the time. Dogs will eat poop because they are bored or lonely. It can be a sign of neglect.

7. Your dog might eat poop because he's anxious, nervous or otherwise upset. Stress will drive animals to do odd things.

8. Some dogs will eat poop to hide the evidence. If you punish your dog for pooping, he might eat it to stop you from getting angry.

9. If your dog has puppies, she might eat puppy poop. This is an instinct to hide the poop from predators. Poop is evidence. Getting ride of it keeps her puppies safe.

10. Some young dogs and puppies will eat poop as a novelty. That is, they'll eat poop as an experiment. They don't know better.

11. If your dog watches you pick up poop, he might learn to do the same. This is called allelomimetic behavior. Your dog observes you and learns from you, by putting the poop in his mouth you put poop in a bag.

12. Your dog might see others dogs eating poop. From this, they learn to eat poop too.

13. Many dogs simply like the taste of poop. This obviously doesn't make sense to dog owners but that's irrelevant. Some dog like to eat it and that's that. It's warm, moist, and very much like what your dog was given as a very young puppy.



14. If your dog food lacks key nutrients, he might eat poop. Your dog is trying to get "food" with nutrients any way possible, even from his own poop.

15. Sometimes dog poop seems like dog food. This can happen when dog food is low quality and includes materials that are easily passed and not absorbed by your dog. When the dog poops, it seems to be very much like the food he just consumed!

16. In some cases, dogs will eat poop if they are given too much food. This is especially true if your dog's diet is high in fat.

17. Some dogs will eat poop to gain attention. Many dog owners get very upset when their dog eats poop, which means the dog gets attention. This is a wonderful opportunity for your dog to interact with you, although it is because of negative attention.

18. It is possible that some dogs will eat the poop of other, more dominant dogs. Your dog might be more submissive than other dogs, resulting in strange poop eating behavior. This seems to occur more in households with multiple dogs where dominance and submission is a factor. Obviously this doesn't explain much about dogs eating cat poop or other animal poop.

19. It is possible that your dog wants to eat more than one time per day. If you only feed your dog once per day, and your dog eats poop, it could be an indication they want to eat more frequently.

20. In some cases, your dog will eat poop by accident. Dogs are curious and will try to eat almost anything, including poop. Dogs explore the world through taste and smell, much more than humans.

Re: 2 yr old shih tzu who will not stop

The chewing/licking sounds like allergies as the other posters said

As far as the poop eating....I have a poop eater too. We've tried EVERYTHING and nothing seems to work. We even tried that Forbid stuff that a trainer swore would work....just made his farts smellier and his poop looser. I'm praying he grows out of it. Hope you're does the same too!!