# Charlie



## Amy M. (May 15, 2012)

Hi All!

I am the owner of a Havanese puppy "Charlie". He is 11.5lbs and is 6 months old. Charlie won't stop eating rabbit poop. (Instead of letting him roam free in the yard, I have been putting him on the leash to stop the habit, but that is getting old.)

Any suggestions would be great!

Amy


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Amy M. said:


> Hi All!
> 
> I am the owner of a Havanese puppy "Charlie". He is 11.5lbs and is 6 months old. Charlie won't stop eating rabbit poop. (Instead of letting him roam free in the yard, I have been putting him on the leash to stop the habit, but that is getting old.)
> 
> ...


Ha!!! Welcome to the world of dog ownership. This is what dogs do. If they find something smelly and they don't eat it, they'll roll in it. This includes rabbit poop, deer poop, turkey poop, chicken poop, dead fish... anything! And if you have a cat box, make sure that's out of reach or, Mmmm! Tootsie Rolls!uke:

Really the only way to completely avoid it is to keep them away. Since we live on 5 acres bordering the woods, we end up doing lots f baths, and tooth brushing for bad breath!ound:


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

My guys love rabbit poop! Early in the morning and as the sun goes down our yard is filled with baby bunnies, my vet laughed and said it won't hurt them (racoon scat is a whole different thing), my guys love to roll in it and their noises are to the ground as if the bunny fairy left them something very special.


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## shimpli (Mar 24, 2010)

gosh Ache loves rabbit poop too. ewww And the cute bunnies think our yard is their home.


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## AckTivity (Mar 28, 2012)

My little chihuahua used to eat goat poop. She loved that stuff! I couldn't get her to stop for anything.

Sorry, no help here.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

My boys love the stuff too!


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## Kalico (Jan 11, 2012)

My dog growing up loved rabbit poop. We had a rabbit we let run around the family room sometimes and he would "clean up" after her : ). Gross, yes, helpful, yes!


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

My Bella is the most finicky eater but loves rabbit poop! Go figure....

Welcome!!


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Just wanted to welcome Amy and Charlie.
(do not know anything about rabbit poop sorry)


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## Jplatthy (Jan 16, 2011)

My dogs love it too! Yuck!


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## Tuss (Apr 22, 2012)

Gross! You could try putting some hot sauce or bitter apple spray on some rabbit poops and see if he will develop a taste aversion to it.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

I think you are doomed. Jack eats bunny poop, too.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

How about some photos of Charlie? We love to see pix of each other's babies.


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

Mig is another bunny poop eater. He knows I'm on to him and he tries to sneak it when we're out in the yard.


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## gertchie (Jan 28, 2012)

I can hardly get Ozzie to eat his dog food but he gobbles up duck poop! Gross!


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## leg71 (Mar 20, 2012)

I saw an episode on TV about this subject. The dogs eat the animal poop because they crave potassium which the poop is loaded with. The trainer used bananas to train them away from eating and rolling in the poop. He said spraying the stuff with a negative agent like hot sauce and bitter apple spray would only deter them and not train them in a positive way to stop the behavor. This way, the banana gives them both the potassium that they are looking for and a positive treat as well. Sounds like a plan but it does take consistent monitoring.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

leg71 said:


> I saw an episode on TV about this subject. The dogs eat the animal poop because they crave potassium which the poop is loaded with. The trainer used bananas to train them away from eating and rolling in the poop. He said spraying the stuff with a negative agent like hot sauce and bitter apple spray would only deter them and not train them in a positive way to stop the behavor. This way, the banana gives them both the potassium that they are looking for and a positive treat as well. Sounds like a plan but it does take consistent monitoring.


I don't buy it. Dogs in general love to eat (and roll in!) ANYTHING stinky. They don't roll in (then eat) dead fish and smelly garbage because of a craving for potassium! Rolling in something because they have a deficiency just doesn't make sense. They aren't going to absorb it through their hair.

I'm also not sure that you can make the generalization that all animal poop is loaded with potassium. If this were the case, all animals would need to have the same (potassium heavy) diet, which they don't, and then the dog, itself, would be passing potassium. Our bodies mostly pass things we don't need (which is why it is "waste") so if animals have large amounts of potassium in their poop, it would be because they have TOO MUCH in their diet.

...And I'm sure Kodi doesn't have a potassium deficiency. Not only is he on a good quality, balanced diet, but he also gets bananas (and other fruit...he's a fruit hound!) regularly.


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## BennyBoy (Apr 25, 2012)

Benny loves him some good rabbit poo! I always go out with him, so when I see him eating the poop, I move him. I don't go too crazy over it since the rabbits are pretty much just eating all of my landscaping, and that can't be too unhealthy.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

BennyBoy said:


> Benny loves him some good rabbit poo! I always go out with him, so when I see him eating the poop, I move him. I don't go too crazy over it since the rabbits are pretty much just eating all of my landscaping, and that can't be too unhealthy.


You can do that when they are still babies... Pretty soon, he'll be much faster than you, and will learn to grab a bite and eat on the run!ound:


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

I'm with you Karen and my Vet laughed and said most dogs love it, it can't hurt them. We have so many babies (maybe thats why the snakes are coming in to the yard), Misty had a bay bunny last night for about half a second they suprised each other, she did not know what to do, of course it got away! The seem to like the grass I grow around brick pavers at the foot of my deck stairs, my dogs like it too.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

I agree with Karen, too! Dogs just seem to love stinky gross stuff! Mine don't like bananas, either! We have a small fenced yard outside the back door so I don't think the bunnies can get in. The squirrels pretty much stay out, too. They don't have access to the pond area otherwise they would definitely be eating duck poop!

Welcome to the forum, Amy! We need to see pictures of your little Charlie!


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