Obsessive rabbit and bird poo eating problem

My corgi Barkley is almost 4 months old and he loves eating rabbit and bird poo. I try scolding him, scaring him, pushing him away, squirting him with water and even tapping him on the nose but he is obsessive about eating this poo. He does not ever eat his own poo only that of other animals. He likes all kinds of poo, especially rabbit poo and bird poo! I know there are health risks associated with the eating of animal poo so I've been really trying to work on this habbit but I feel like its completely in vain. I can even call him away from his regular dog food but when it comes to eating rabbit poo there is nothing I can do to distract him from it besides physically removing him from the poo, which can be challenging. I've been working on ridding my property of rabbits but this will be a constant battle and not one I'd like to continue for long. Barkley has a real knack for finding poo that I am unable to see until he has gotten a mouth full. I would like to be able to spend time with Barkley in the yard playing fetch and just running about but if I can't resolve this issue I'll need to have him on a leash any time he is in the yard. Someone please help me with this issue!

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on June 12, 2009 at 2:35pm

Look, folks, we're talkin' about animals who snack out of the cat box, right? The best you can hope for is that they'll learn basic canine etiquette [before licking your human on the lips, make sure there are no cat litter crumbs in your whiskers].
One might worry about parasites acquired via the oral-fecal route (is there a vet in the house who might tell us what nasties are acquired this way?), but you're not gonna stop it.
We try to pick up their poop in the yard so they can't eat it, and I try to fence off the catbox, and I do not kiss my corgies on the lips.

In "Scott and Amundsen: Last Place on Earth" by Roland Huntford, he recounts the explorers' discovery while overwintering in the antarctic that sled dogs love to eat ****. While the practical Amundsen simply dug access holes for the dogs into the latrines -- voila, sanitation problem solved -- the squeamish Englishman Scott was so revolted that he would shoot the dogs (who would turn out to be partly responsible for Amundsen's success in reaching the pole safely, while Scott and his men perished).

How can such endearing creatures have such disgusting habits? There is something to be learned here. About ourselves.
Bon appetit.

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on June 12, 2009 at 3:59pm

Great photo! He looks so proud! Even my standard poodle would do the roll in gross stuff especially after a very expensive grooming. At least the corgis are wash and wear....

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Permalink Reply by Wendy Hixson on June 12, 2009 at 4:02pm

haha great sable pic. and I'd vote for a bath, birthday or not.

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Permalink Reply by Wendy Hixson on June 12, 2009 at 4:09pm

Mine LOVE Goose poo. Fortunately they rarely get access to some, and have excellent recall out in the field.

And if they don't eat it they roll in it, especially my Valhund Corgi X. Nothing like a shoulder dive into Goose/Duck poo or a dead rodent.

I would suggest aversion therapy...for lack of a better term. GENTLY slip your foot into that gap between Barkley's happily snarfing face and chest and GENTLY push away from the poo. Much per Victoria Stillwell or Cesar Milan's suggestion, develop a sound that you make that means stop. One that you only use for him for corrections. (humans use no in conversation all the time, at our house we use a stern "shhht" sound or snap our fingers) Make that sound as you push him back, accompany it with a stern "Leave It".

Remember he is 4 months old, just a baby, it may take a bit for him to get it.

Make sure he gets his Lepto vaccine, though this isn't from rabbits or birds, it is from raccoons, and if you have an animal that is high in the prey cycle like rabbits, you are going to have scavenger predators like raccoons and other things about.

Good Luck!

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on June 12, 2009 at 5:50pm

What's Lepto? Raccoons OWN our neighborhood after dark. Possums too.

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Permalink Reply by Wendy Hixson on June 12, 2009 at 5:58pm

Leptospirosis is a bacteria that can be passed from Raccoons to dogs by urine, the bacterium can last in the area for days weeks or months. And we all know how much dogs like to taste where other dogs have peed.

What it does is attacks the dogs kidneys which may result in necessary dialysis.

Info from the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/leptospirosis_g_pet.htm