An Old Instinct

Eating poop has a name: coprophagia. It is far more common than owners expect. In one large survey, about 1 in 6 dogs were frequent stool eaters, and nearly a quarter had done it at least once. The roots are ancient.

The good news first: a healthy dog eating its own fresh stool rarely gets sick from it. The real danger is other animals' waste. Feces from another dog, a cat's litter box, or wildlife can carry parasites like giardia, roundworms, and coccidia.