Why Dogs Eat Poop (And How to Stop It) | Bartow County Dog Trainer Explains

At Alan’s K9 Academy here in Bartow County, GA, this is one of the most common concerns we hear from dog owners in Cartersville, Acworth, Dallas, Rome, Marietta, Woodstock, and surrounding areas.

Most people assume it’s behavioral. They try to correct it, stop it, or punish it.

But in reality, this issue is often coming from your dog’s body—not their behavior.

Let’s break down what’s actually going on.

Why Dogs Eat Poop (It’s Not What You Think)

This behavior, called coprophagia, is usually your dog’s way of trying to recover something their body didn’t get the first time.

1. Poor Nutrient Absorption

When a dog’s digestive system isn’t working efficiently, they can’t fully break down their food.

That means nutrients pass through their body undigested—and end up in their stool.

Their body recognizes that and says: “Go get that back.”

So your dog does.

This isn’t disobedience—it’s a biological response.

2. Gut Health Is Out of Balance

Your dog’s gut microbiome is responsible for processing food and absorbing nutrients.

When that balance is off (which we see a lot with dogs in our training programs across Bartow County), digestion becomes inefficient.

Even good food won’t fully absorb without healthy gut bacteria.

So the body looks for a backup plan—and that can show up as stool eating.

3. Most Kibble Diets Make It Worse

Here’s something most owners don’t realize:

Many commercial dog foods are heavily processed at high temperatures, which destroys:

• Natural enzymes
• Beneficial bacteria
• Nutritional integrity

Over time, dogs relying only on kibble can struggle more and more with digestion.

This creates a cycle:

• Poor digestion
• Nutrient loss
• Increased poop-eating behavior

Why Training Alone Won’t Fix It

At Alan’s K9 Academy, we specialize in behavior—but this is one situation where behavior correction alone often falls short.

You can interrupt it. You can manage it.

But if the root cause is internal, the urge will keep coming back.

That’s why the most successful dog owners we work with don’t just focus on stopping the behavior…

They fix what’s causing it.

The Real Solution: Fix the Bowl

When your dog’s digestion improves, this behavior often fades naturally.

That means:

• Supporting gut health
• Rebuilding beneficial bacteria
• Helping your dog actually absorb nutrients

This is something we guide clients through every day with dogs across Cartersville, Bartow County, Rome, Marietta, Dallas, Woodstock, North Atlanta Metro

What I Personally Use

One of the simplest ways to support your dog’s digestion is by adding the right supplement to their diet.

The one I personally use daily is a greens-based supplement that supports:

• Gut health with probiotics
• Detox support with chlorella
• Long-term organ health with natural anti-inflammatory ingredients

If you want to check out the exact one I use, you can find it here:

https://a.co/d/02QK1PMk

Final Thoughts

If your dog is eating poop, don’t assume they’re being stubborn or gross.

In many cases, their body is telling you something isn’t right internally.

This is something we regularly help owners fix at Alan’s K9 Academy, working with dogs all across Bartow, Floyd, Cherokee, Cobb County, GA and surrounding areas.

When you support your dog’s digestion and give their body what it actually needs, the behavior often resolves on its own—no punishment required.