Is Your Dog a "LitterLips"?

As disgusting as it is, many dogs are going to be attracted to the treasures found in a cat's litter box.
Two questions pet owners ask are: Why do they do it and How can it be stopped.
There is actually a name for this habit, coprophagia.

The reasons for it vary:
Dogs may have learned this behavior from their mothers.
A mother dog will lick her pup to stimulate bowel and bladder function. Then in order to keep her nesting area sanitary she cleans up after the elimination.
In the wild, wolves and coyotes will eat poop if hungry enough since they do get some nutritional value from it.

Some dogs do it just because they know it'll get them immediate attention, even if it is negative. It's almost like a game to see if they can sneak and get away with it. With their keen sense of smell they may know the cat paid a visit to the litter box before we smell anything.

Our hound dog is notorious for sniffing around the litter boxes. He even earned the nickname "LitterLips" when once he came over to my husband to say hello and a "tootsie roll" fell out of those floppy lips.










Dogs with anxiety may develop coprophagia. Don't yell or hit your dog if you catch him in the act. Make sure your dog knows the "leave it" or "drop it" command and distract them.
To punish him may just make the anxiety ridden behavior worse.

Parasites such as hookworms, roundworms, giardia, coccidia, and whipworm are a risk with ingesting poop. One reason yearly check-ups should always include stool samples for parasites.

A covered litter box is a solution as long as the dog doesn't figure out how to knock the top off. We have a domed litter box in the room our dogs have access too and use a bungee cord to prevent his prying. One hook goes under the lip on one side, then goes under the handle on the top so it doesn't slide off the domed sides, and the other hook catches under the lip on the other side.
Of course, the most obvious solution is to just keep the litter boxes in a room where the dogs aren't allowed to go.

This post is a genius idea from the site, www.instructables.com

All steps are included for making your own Dog Proof Cat Litter Box.

You could probably make one of these for under $20.
Materials needed are:

30 gallon storage tub
18 gallon storage tub
(Same type just different sizes so one fits into the other)
11/2 hole saw and drill
Jigsaw
Scrap pieces of wood
4 wood screws
small pieces of mat or carpet

two tubs

holes in lid for some light

view inside from the entrance

Notice the gap between the entrance and the actual litter box used? Enough to keep prying noses or paws out of there. It looks like he used those foam puzzle pieces for his entry flooring.

Cleaning looks easy since you just take off the lid for access.

This is definitely a fun weekend DIY project. 

Just shows what a little creativity, imagination and understanding of pet behavior can do. 

Now as long as your cat uses the thing your problems are solved.

This contraption would also work to help keep the curious, prying fingers of toddlers out of there. The litter box is certainly not a sandbox even if the child thinks otherwise.