Why do my dogs eat compost?

[apricot]

Why oh why do my healthy, well fed dogs choose to eat compost? I make my own organic compost from household vegetable waste. When it breaks down to a black fertile soil the dogs cannot resist it. They know they shouldn't but they just eat great mouthfuls surriptiously and greedily. I feed them a dried chicken based American food which they love and they get extras and look very healthy. Do any other ABankers have this problem?

[coggles]

I know this isn't much help Apricot, but my 18 month old loves eating the soil in our plants, indoors and out, but then she tries to eat the cat biscuits too - and she is well fed, honest!

[thekraut]

I'm sure the cat bisquit thing is pure jealousy. my grandma's dog used to do do the same (until he died, that is) and he was definitely a jealous b*stard. as for the compost I'm not quite sure. Might be the same thing as cats and grass or dinosaurs and stones. helps digesting and provides healthy minerals 8not the stones, of course). But usually dogs know really well what's good for them and what isn't, so I wouldn't worry too much if i was you

[Janetex]

Probably the same reason they eat horse manure - look out coggles! Dogs & kids just love scrounging.

[paulz]

Apricot - our's is just as daft. His current favourites are the moss that the birds chuck out of the gutter and pine cones off the tree. He won't eat tinned dog food unless it's warmed up, for some other obscure reason he wont eat the jellied varieties either. When we get fed up with it & stick it on the bird table for the magpies he eats the lot! Give him a mobile phone or tv remote & he'll munch that! Slippers are another favourite as is paper for the recycling bin. It must be something about the puppy in him, nicked stuff is always tastier than what's in his dish!

[woofgang]

We live in the New Forest and apart from all the other disgusting dead and/or excreted things my dear pedigree pooch likes to eat, there are one or two places where she digs and then eats the earth. She doesn't appear to be the only dog who does this as there are often fresh dig marks there. I guess its a dog thing

[apricot]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. My dogs, apart from the deaf mastiff who is copraphaeggic, don't eat anything untoward, so this desire to eat compost is frustrating. I wonder if it is supplying some mineral/vitamin which they need. It wouldn't be a problem if the deaf dog didn't bring in great gobfulls of the stuff which she then drops on the carpet before eating. Paulz I envy you your puppy although I too remember the cost of replacing remote controls. Don't have any problems now though as my youngest dog is 3 years old. Thanks again.

[Jenny Tools]

Because their little rotters ....

[paulz]

Apricot Thanks, our previous Collie cross had a thing about dog poo too - goat breath or what!! JennyMy dog's a big rotter, will you tell him or shall I? ;+D)

[apricot]

Paulz - re copraphaega, try giving your dog some tinned pineapple. There is, apparently, something in pineapple which makes poo unpalatable (how is it ever palatable???). It works about 90% of the time for my deaf dog. I did have a remote controlled collar for her which squirted lemon mist at her when she was transgressing. Unfortunately it no longer works. She still wears it every day and it is still effective and stops her barking. Her demeanour changes when the collar is put on even though it has been empty for at least 4 years and has no battery. The copraphaega was something I have not managed to control though. She is now 6 and I don't expect she will change now.

[paulz]

Apricot - this hound [Jet] is fine, vet maintained it was a nervous reaction and blamed it on the high nutrition content of tinned meat. She {Amber] only ate her own thankfully. Will bear the pineapple tip in mind should I ever need it though - thanks!

[Bob...]

make note to self :- dont eat pineapple as a starter for a meal cooked by wife.