Tricks to Stop Your Dachshund from Eating Poop!

Updated 04/17/2025 by Ava Jaine

Picture this: You’re out for a nice walk with your Dachshund, soaking in the sunshine and fresh air, when suddenly, they chomp down on another animal’s poop – yuk! We’ve all been there. But why? Why do Dachshunds eat poop?

Let’s dig deeper into this mystery and explore Tricks to Stop Your Dachshund from Eating Poop!

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Gretta’s a Poop Eater!

My mini-Dachshund, Gretta, is a bundle of sweetness, but she’s got a stinky habit that’s less than delightful. We live near a wooded area with many neighboring deer that pass through every night to drop their load all over our yard.

Despite my best efforts to keep her away from those little landmines, her super doxie senses always seem to lead her straight to them, quicker than I can blink.

Unfortunately, Gretta ends up getting sick with pesky parasites after her poo snacking escapades, which leads to a trip to the vet for treatment.

Thankfully, we found some handy tricks that really help curb her poop-eating habit. After trying out a bunch of different recommended strategies, the ones listed below made the biggest difference for us.

Why Do Dachshunds Eat Poop?

Understanding Your Dachshund’s Poop-Eating Habit is the first step towards a solution. Here’s the scoop on why your Dachshund eats poop:

Female dogs in multi-dog households are more likely to indulge in this poo-eating habit (also known as Coprophagia).
You may catch your Dachshund eating feces if their diet lacks certain essential nutrients. They may explore other resources, including poop, to make up for it.
Dogs may eat poop if they are bored, hyperactive, or seeking attention – this literally spells ‘Dachshund’ doesn’t it?
Dogs who are “greedy eaters” are more likely to be poop eaters! You know, the pups that tend to steal food off of the table…Sound familiar?

Dachshund Parents Unite: This poop eating behavior is a common quirk among the Dachshund dog breed. If you ever need advice, support, or just want to show off your doxie, join our Facebook group called Team Dachshund.

hungry wire haired dachshund licking his chops

How to Stop Your Dachshund from Eating Poop

The first step is to get your Dachshund checked out at the vet. It’s important to rule out medical issues like Diabetes, Thyroid, and Cushing’s Disease before moving on to behavioral reasons your Dachshund is eating feces.

Here are some tricks to help curb your Dachshund’s gross poop-eating habit for good!

B1 Vitamins: Give your Dachshund a well-balanced diet and add in a canine supplement that includes the B1 vitamin (Thiamine) to curb those crappy cravings. Ask your vet for B1 supplement suggestions.
Digestive Enzymes: Adding digestive enzyme supplements that contain Lipase and Amylase to your pup’s diet helps break down foods and improves nutrient absorption.

When they can break down food more effectively, they absorb nutrients better. When your Dachshund gets all the nutrients their body needs, they won’t feel the urge to seek them out in poop.

I recommend trying Digest All from Wholistic Pet Organics. It’s highly rated online and includes probiotics to improve your doxie’s gut health.
Make it Taste Bad: If your doxie has developed a taste for their own or their canine sibling’s poop, there are two things that will deter them from poop-eating:For-Bid and Pineapple Juice!

For-Bid: Ask your vet about a product called For-Bid. It’s designed to discourage poop-eating. All you have to do is sprinkle this on their food and it will make the poop taste nasty to your Dachshund.

Pineapple Juice: Another option is to incorporate Fresh pineapple juice into your dog’s food. Pineapple contains enzymes that makes poo smell and taste yucky to your little long dog. This suggestion is from Dr. Lera. Check out his YouTube video called “Why is my Dog eating feces?”

More Ways to End Your Dachshund’s Poop-Eating Habit

Just in case you need some more ideas, here are some really helpful ways to solve that poop eating problem.

Clean It Up: Wherever your Dachshund may roam, keep it tidy. Regularly scooping up the poop will help minimize the temptation.

Exercise: A tired-out Dachshund is a Happy Dachshund. Regular exercise not only keeps them fit and trim, but it also reduces boredom, minimizing the desire for poo snacks.

If you would like to learn some simple, yet effective ways to keep your Dachshund out of trouble, read our post, “5 Simp le Way s to Keep Your Dachshund Busy.”

Teach the Leave it Command: Teaching your Dachshund to “leave it” through command training can help stop poop eating too! Here’s an excellent training video from It’s Me or the Dog on YouTube called “How to Stop Dogs from Eating Poop.“

Dachshund Friends, how do you stop your Dachshund from eating poop? We are always looking for more helpful tricks to share with our doxie parents. Leave your comment below.

Up Next: Why Is My Dachshund Eating Dirt?

5 Simple Ways to Keep your Dachshund Busy

2 Comments

Sharon July 23, 2026 at 6:27 PM - Reply

My now 9 year old female Doxie was a breeder dog. I adopted her from the breeder and she is, of course, fixed. I was wondering if her interest in eating her poop is related to always keeping her pups clean. What can I do to stop her from doing this, as we can’t clean up her poop fast enough. She has an open screen in area in our lanai so she can go in between walks. Is there any way to make her avoid eating her poop?
- Ava Jaine July 24, 2026 at 4:10 PM - Reply
  
  It’s definitely possible. Some mother dogs develop the habit of eating poop while caring for puppies because they naturally clean the nesting area. Even after they’re spayed and no longer have puppies, the behavior can stick around. The good news is that it’s usually a habit rather than a health problem, especially if your vet has ruled out any medical issues.
  
  A few things that can help:
  -Pick up poop as quickly as you can when you’re home.
  -Keep her on a leash during potty breaks so you can redirect her right after she goes.
  -Reward her with a high-value treat the moment she finishes going potty outdoors and comes to you.
  -Some owners have success with products designed to make stool taste unpleasant, but results are mixed.
  
  Since she’s 9 and has likely been doing this for years, it may take patience to break the habit. The important thing is to avoid scolding her—positive redirection tends to work much better.