06/12/2025
🐾 Will My Puppy Eat Poo After Going to a New Home?
This is one of the most common concerns for new puppy owners, and the honest answer is:
👉 Most puppies DO NOT develop a true habit of eating stool,
but some may lick, sniff, or briefly investigate it during the transition period — and this is completely normal.
Let’s explain this from both a physiological and psychological training perspective:
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🧠 Psychological (Behavioural) Reasons:
When a puppy moves to a new home, everything changes:
• new smells
• new people
• new routine
• new pressure
Stress and uncertainty can temporarily trigger:
• over-investigation
• anxiety-based behaviours
• environment-checking with the mouth
👉 Puppies explore with their mouth the same way babies do. This does NOT mean it will become a habit.
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🩺 Physiological (Body-Based) Reasons:
Occasional interest in stool can be linked to:
• sudden diet changes
• digestion adjusting
• intestinal bacteria resetting
• hunger timing disruptions
Once feeding routine and digestion stabilise, this behaviour usually disappears naturally.
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✅ The REAL Solution (What Actually Works):
This is NOT a “bad dog problem” — it is an environment & management problem, and it is very easy to fix:
✔️ Clean up immediately after toileting
✔️ Set up a clear, designated toilet area
✔️ Mark the correct behaviour with instant reward after they move away from the toilet spot
✔️ Keep feeding times consistent
✔️ Avoid free roaming until toilet habits are fully solid
👉 This is exactly how we build toilet foundations with our puppies before they go to their new homes:
Group toilet training, toileting in the correct area, leaving the spot, and being rewarded — building a clean, correct habit from the start.
💬 If your puppy shows interest in their stool during the first few days after going home — don’t panic. With proper structure, routine, and clean management, this phase usually passes very quickly.
Strong foundations build clean habits.
Clean habits build stable dogs. 🐕✨