Puppies are curious; they explore the world through their noses, paws, and tongues. Everything is waiting to be discovered, and sometimes they engage in behaviors that may seem a little strange and even somewhat striking. In fact, many situations, such as eating inappropriate objects or even feces, may sound familiar to you.
puppy with toy
Some of these behaviors are expected and could even be said to be normal, but others are definitely not. And whether or not this behavior is normal depends greatly, in some cases, on the animal’s age.

Puppies have a whole world to discover, that’s the reality, and in general, especially during their socialization stage, which lasts until approximately 3 months of age in canines and approximately 2 months in felines, it’s expected that they will want to explore everything, learn new things, and explore. This can lead to them eating things they “shouldn’t” and even stealing objects in play. For this reason, among other things, it’s extremely important to be firm in setting limits and teaching them what they can and can’t do. After that age, these activities may not be normal.

However, if your mini pooch eats feces, there are several situations to rule out. First and foremost, if they’re from another species (for example, when our dog eats cat feces), this is, although quite unpleasant for everyone, normal behavior. However, if they try to eat their own waste, we should pay a little more attention, as this can lead to behavioral changes.

It often happens, especially with dogs, that if we lift fecal matter in front of them when we bend down, the visual image we give them is the typical play position, which is why they interpret it as a game and may start doing it based on that… and other times, they do it to “eliminate the evidence” in cases where they have had a previous negative experience, which could be due to excessive challenge or if something happened that frightened them while they were defecating, for example.

Although at first glance it may seem normal, it is very important that, if any of these behaviors occur, you consult your trusted veterinarian so they can give you some tips that can eradicate these types of habits in your pet.