Skip to content

Pumpkin and the bunny poop

Behavioral Issues
  • Sounds like a children's book, but its for real. We have tons of wild bunnies here, and while I believe she has scared them all to pack suitcases and find other suitable residences, they have left behind sizeable amounts of bunny poop in our mulch (coincidentally the same color as the poop). We cannot keep her from eating the poop. My son will play with her with outside, but Pumpkin is easily distracted and back in the mulch, having a little "snack" and not interested in playing with him. Since she has already been playing, when we try and redirect, she thinks it is a game, and plays "catch me if you can". By the time I catch, she has no idea what I'm so agitated about, and I just end up putting her on her lead to have outside time. She is not getting ill by this, and other than me being grossed out, I'm wondering if I just need to get over it, she is just doing what any dog would do, and eventually the earth will take care of this problem.

  • All dogs will, but they can pick up stuff from rabbit feces. It isn't that common. Can you hose down the area to wash it into the ground?

    http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/dog-diseases-caused-by-bird-rabbit-feces_1233.html

  • Eating poop is not uncommon, nor is it unnatural for dogs: poop contains many ingredients that dogs need, fibers, vitamins etc. Binti used to eat a lot of poop (from rabbits, dogs, geese) and I found out it is a complex issue: poop eating can taste good, it can be nutritious, it can be an emotional issue (getting the human's attention, anxiety, boredom). For Binti it was a combination of some extra vitamins (B, D), peet water when the seasons change (especially from winter to spring and from summer to autumn) and giving her the right amount and right type of attention during walks. She is much better now. Good luck!

  • My Basenjis would head right for the horse poop and the only question was whether it would be eating or rolling in it. Usually eating......they preferred to roll in more disgusting things. My niece's GSD was attracted to goose poop. Hard to do a tracking test across a field where geese had been. It can be very difficult or impossible to keep a loose dog out of poop. As Debra says, perhaps you can hose it away. Good luck!

    (BTW, this is one of the reasons.....and there are many.....why flex leads are not a good idea. Most owners have no idea what their dogs may be consuming at the end of a long lead.)

Suggested Topics

  • Pooping in the wrong place

    Behavioral Issues
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    3k Views
    D
    Our Lacey, will not even poop in the yard. She prefers to go to the wooded area in our backyard or a ditch in the front. When we were visiting relatives on a farm for a week she would walk out into the cornfield to poop. In fact she was visibly disturbed when the other dogs would poop in the yard. She would look at them as if she was thinking, "But why are you pooping in the playground?". Even if we picked it up she would avoid running over the spots while playing.
  • Pooping in the Bush

    Behavioral Issues
    11
    1 Votes
    11 Posts
    5k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    Redial I've had 3 bitches and have fostered both males and females. Absolutely zero wanted bushes or high grass. I wonder if it's your environment? Our Samoyed male, however, WANTS to use bushes. As we have a serious snake issue, we just don't let him. He eventually gives in.
  • Poop eating

    Behavioral Issues
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    K
    Forgot to mention that a potassium deficit might be involved. You can check by feeding banana or cucumber, both high on potassium. Cucumber is better, because less sugar and calories. Binti loves it.
  • Poop problem

    Behavioral Issues
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    4k Views
    S
    My 2 dogs don't use our backyard unless its an emergency. We walk them to "do" their business away from their yard…
  • Poop Patrol

    Behavioral Issues
    14
    0 Votes
    14 Posts
    4k Views
    wizardW
    My first two had no issues with the back yard. But Gossy, being the princess chick that she is, can't be bothered with pooping in her yard and insisted on walks. I didn't catch on until recently and now I'm making a big effort to train her to the back yard at least for the morning (it's getting too dark to go for walks before work). A lot of patience on my part and special treats just for pooping are beginnning to show results. This morning I tried the match trick someone mentioned the other day and within about 10 minutes she pooped - yay! (I can't believe I'm excited about dog poop :D:D)
  • Eating Poop

    Behavioral Issues
    13
    0 Votes
    13 Posts
    7k Views
    luzmery928L
    Me too Funny.