ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How to Stop Dogs from Eating Cat Poop

Updated on September 6, 2009

Among the list of  behaviors in dogs that may leave us a bit disgusted, perhaps observing a dog enjoying a few ''tootsie rolls'' from Fluffy's litter box may make it up to the top three. What  perhaps makes things even worse, is  the fact that Fido's choice is more likely than not deliberate, so there are really not many excuses such as ''Rover must have a  nutritional deficiency'' especially when the dog is well fed and well nourished.  Indeed, a cat's feces may make a delectable treat for dogs in scavenging mode because of the high levels of proteins found in the cat's food.

So know that you have discovered of your furry friend's bad habit, what can you do to discourage this annoying behavior? Following are some effective strategies that hopefully will discourage the most persistent cat poop ''connoisseur''.

-Teach the ''Off command''

All dogs should be acquainted with the ''off'' command. This vital command basically keeps dogs out of trouble. In order to work however, your dog should respect your leadership skills and apply your commands even when out of your sight. This may however be easier said than done. Many dogs engage in sneaky behaviors when their owners are out of sight. Sometimes it is worth it to hide somewhere and watch from a distance to catch the dog red handed. This will teach the dog that  you are quite an ''ubiquitous'' being  and will learn that even when he feels ''safe'' he is not!

-Keep Litter Box Immaculate

In other words, get practical and try to clean the litter box as often as you can making sure no ''tootsie rolls'' are left behind. Generally, the less goodies in the litter box, the less the dog will feel compelled to visit it. This may  appear as a tedious but your tidy cat will surely appreciate it!

-Turn a Delicacy into Something Distasteful

Basically, when you can, try to spray some cat poop in the litter box with some bitter apple spray. This product can be found in some pet stores or at the vet's office.  As an alternative, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or a bit of Tabasco sauce may do the trick. The unpleasant taste, will teach the dog that kitty must have  taken a stroll and eaten at that famous hot Mexican restaurant around the corner...Make sure your dog has access to water!

-Elevate the litter Box

Of course, this is the most obvious solution and one of the easiest to accomplish. Simply take advantage of the fact that cats are great climbers and dogs are not. Placing the litter box on a tall table may do the trick but make sure your dog is unable to knock the litter box off of it with the end result of creating a big mess.

-Think Small

Cats are much more petite than most dogs so it may help to place the litter box in a way that the opening to get there may be tight enough to allow the cat to get past through it but not the dog. A baby gate may work wonders since most cats may fit through it while the dog will most likely remain behind.

-Litter Boxes with Flaps

There are litter boxes that are covered in order to prevent odors and that have a flap as an entrance. In order for the cat to enter he or she must push with its head through it. Most dogs may be discouraged by the presence of this flap, however, some very persistent ones may decide to still stick their head through and enjoy the smells and all.

As seen, there are several ways to keep Fido out of Fluffy's private restroom, Just keep a watchful eye on the dog and if regardless of all you do, your dog is still capable of  getting into the litter box, just make sure he does not get anywhere near you to give you one of his affectionate''kisses''!

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)