Does your dog eat poo? Here's what to do!

Q: I have a two-year-old Labrador that eats other dogs' poo! He searches for it as soon as he is off the lead and ends up throwing up at home. What can I do?

A: The habit you describe is quite common and is called coprophagia. In addition, you have a Labrador - and Labs tend to eat anything! To stop him from doing it, keep him occupied with something else, such as a search game focused on food. Dogs love to use their sense of smell. Scatter a few pieces of dry food in the grass and give him the command 'find it'. Practice in the garden first, where he won't be distracted, so he learns that 'find it' means look for biscuits.

Inga MacKellar, Animal Behaviourist