Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?

Most new owners are delighted by puppy antics but puppies eating poop prompts anything but smiles. My own darling Magic indulged when he turned six months old. He’d make a beeline to visit his horse buddy next door and find the nifty treats she left on the ground. After these nasty snacks Magic always tried to kiss everybody on the lips, yuck! Then Magic started to bring his own “creations” into the house.

Why Puppies Eat Poop

Dogs commonly eat their own or another animal’s droppings (coprophagia). This is normal behavior for mom-dogs that must clean up after their babies, and some of the pups may end up mimicking this behavior. It first appears in pups at about four to nine months of age.

When we wave our hands, shout with disgust, and chase Puppy all over the yard, that’s great puppy entertainment. Chasing him can actually reward with behavior and encourage your puppy to play poopy-keep-away.

Eating other animals’ waste may have to do with taste. Cow and horse manure may contain undigested corn or other ingredients appealing to your pup. The cat’s litter box may as well be a puppy snack bar. Cat food contains more protein than dog food, and as a result, feline waste tastes good to dogs. The nasty habit is not only unsanitary it puts Sheba’s tail in a twist to have a dog messing with her toilet. Cats pestered in their bathroom look for another place to “go” such as behind the sofa.

Other times dung eating stems from boredom. Pups left out in the yard alone have little to do.

The frequency increases after one year of age. The good news is most pups outgrow the habit. The bad news is, some dogs hang on to the nasty practice their whole life. Shih Tzus appear to be more prone to the behavior.

10 Tips to Stop Poop Eating

Puppies may eat waste to get your attention, which means even yelling rewards their behavior. If you catch Rex in the act, don’t make eye contact or speak to him, but shake a can full of pennies or clap hands to make the noise interrupt him.

For bored pups, increase playtime to a minimum of 20 minutes aerobic exercise twice each day. Increase the number of toys to keep your puppy busy when you're away if he’s left in the yard. A treat-spiked toy such as a Kong filled with peanut butter offers a tastier, healthier alternative.

Prevent access by walking your puppy on a leash and leading him away once he’s done. Reward him for leaving stools alone. Teach him to “come” and sit in front of you after each bowel movement—his or the other dogs’—and give him a fantastic treat while you pick up the waste.

Some dogs may eat their own stool when it hasn’t thoroughly “processed.” A more digestible food may help. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation. You’ll need to make a gradual change in the food or the sudden change could prompt diarrhea.

Make the stool unappealing by adding a spoonful of canned pineapple, canned pumpkin, or spinach to the pup's meal. Include a dash of MSG in the food, which changes the consistency so dogs won’t find the waste as appealing. Commercial products such as For-Bid may help.

Scoop and clean the cat box as often as possible. Leaving droppings any length of time asks for trouble. Automatic cat boxes sweep the feces into a bin within ten minutes of the cat’s deposit.

Place the litter box on a table or counter out of doggy reach. If the cat doesn’t object, a covered litter box might deter the dog but allow the cat access and privacy.

Use a baby gate to keep the dog out of the cat’s domain. Some cats can jump over the standard gates, or you can install it a couple of inches off the ground so Sheba can slink underneath while the jumbo-size pup can’t get through.

Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the cat’s food so her waste becomes softer and less attractive to snacking dogs. A spoonful of canned pumpkin added to her food also changes the taste or consistency of her stool to make it less appealing, and many cats relish pumpkin as a treat.

Finally, if you can’t be around to supervise, muzzle the miscreants.

In our case, walking on leash away from the horse, a baby gate to keep him from the cat box, and rewarding Magic with a treat after bowel movements did the trick. He’s an adult now and hasn’t “indulged” in more than four years. Good boy!

what should puppies eat

Feeding your puppy nutritious food is one of the most important things you can do to keep him healthy.

When to begin should foods

Most puppies begin weaning from their mother's milk and eating solid foods at about four weeks of age.

what nutrition does your puppy need

Your puppy needs several key nutrients for good health: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals (especially calcium and phosphorus).

Sources of these key nutrients include meats and vegetables. This is why most dog foods have mixtures of meats and vegetable matter. (Dogs are true omnivores, which 

means they can digest and absorb nutrients from both meats and vegetables.)

Protein

Protein is absolutely essential; it gives your puppy strength and keeps muscles healthy.

Puppy foods usually have a mix of proteins from dairy/meat and vegetables/ grains. Meat proteins are the highest quality source for dogs. The following are commonly used protein sources in commercial puppy foods, listed in order of highest to lowest protein concentrations: chicken meal, lamb meal, fish meal, poultry by-product meal, meat and bone meal, corn gluten meal, rice gluten meal and dried egg product.

Fat

Fats are needed for energy and proper growth and development; they keep the skin and coat healthy and help digestion.

Fat sources in puppy foods can include animal fat such as pork, chicken or beef tallow. Vegetable oils such as soybean, corn or sunflower are also often included.

Fat makes food taste better but it can spoil easily, so the puppy food you choose should contain high-quality fat such as beef, chicken, flax and canola.

Carbohydrats

Carbohydrates are chemical compounds found in breads, cereals, grains, fruits and vegetables. They provide energy. In puppy foods, carbohydrates are usually provided through grains such as wheat, barley, rice and corn. Some studies have found that the ideal amount of carbohydrates in food should be about 20 per cent. If carbohydrate levels are too low, your puppy could get sick.

Calcium and phpsphorus

Calcium and phosphorus are minerals which promote the growth of bones and teeth. 

They are found in products such as bone meal and certain vegetables and legumes.

The calcium and phosphorus levels in puppy foods must be provided in the right combination. An imbalance of the minerals will cause bone or muscle problems. The ideal calcium level varies depending on the breed and size of the dog as an adult. Small breed dogs (less than 25 kg/50 lb) need less calcium than large breed dogs, in which higher calcium levels help prevent problems associated with rapid growth, such as bone deformities.

Fibre

Fibre helps move waste products through the intestines, helps improve stool quality – and it helps your puppy feel full after meals, which can prevent overeating. Fibre sources found in some puppy foods include beet pulp, peanut hulls, wheat bran, soy mill run and cellulose.

Varying nutrirnt need

Puppies need various nutrients in different amounts than adult and senior dogs. As your puppy becomes an adult and is spayed or neutered, his energy and mineral demands will decrease because he will be growing less.

Adult dog foods generally have fewer calories than puppy foods and different levels of minerals. Your veterinarian can tell you when to start feeding adult dog food. (When your dog grows into a senior dog, his nutritional needs will change again.)

Your veterinarian can help you choose a food that might be suitable for your puppy. If you look for foods on your own, try to find foods approved by CVMA (Canadian Veterinary Medical Association) Pet Food Certification Program to make sure they are nutritionally balanced.

Nutrient levels in puppy food

There are standard levels of key nutrients that must be included in dog foods. These are usually listed as percentages on a chart.

How to Make Sure That Your Dog Is Ok After Giving Birth

How to cope with a dog who is giving birth, and be sure everyone is in good shape afterwards.

Steps

1 Dogs will start looking for a protected place to have puppies (dog pregnancies last about 63 days, in case you're counting). You can help her out by providing such a place. The ideal situation is out of household traffic, warm and dry, like a small den. She will stay there with the puppies until they are old enough (gradually, about 8 weeks till weaning). Closets often look good, sometimes under desks or in drawers (depending on the size of the dog).

2 Stay calm! If you're anxious, the new mom will pick this up and it will make her nervous, too.

3 Be sure all the puppies have been born. If the mother is calm and relaxed, settling in to clean and nurse the puppies, things are good. If she seems distressed or there is bleeding, call the vet!

4 Be sure clean water is available and close by (but not where puppies can fall in and drown). Same for food. Mom will not want to go far from the puppies, or for very long at first.

5 Keep your dog isolated, with a "den" she can care for the puppies in without a lot of disturbance. She will be protective; don't allow strangers (especially kids) to be there alone, and don't let anyone touch the puppies unless it's really clear the mother doesn't mind. Usually this will be after their eyes are open and they are wandering around a little.

6 Keep in mind that you must keep the dog clean and comfortable. Change the bedding periodically; there will be some urine and puppy poop to clean up.

 Tips

The breasts should be bigger than usual; this means her milk glands are getting ready to feed babies. The first "milk" is a substance called colostrum, and is a sort of grayish-white; this is normal. It's loaded with antibodies to protect little ones from infection.

Warnings

If you have questions or concerns, contact your local vet for information!

Puppies often need to be "wormed" after birth, and will need shots. Contact the vet to do these things.

Things You'll Need

Bedding that's washable or that can be discarded when you clean it up. Lots of bedding. There will be puppy pee and poo; they don't come housebroken, and aren't old enough for about 12 weeks.

After birth:

- Lots of towels (so you can wash one set, and have a clean set on hand!) - Scale - Lots of food for mom! - We kept our mom and puppies in a baby pool for the delivery and afterwards, its quite nice and easy to wash regularly.

Dogs' Behavior After Giving Birth

When new born puppies arrive, they are blind, deaf and helpless. Your dogs behavior after giving birth is generally related to the protection and care of these infants. She may seem like a very different animal while she is caring for her newborns, but generally she will return to her normal self after the puppies have reached a certain age.

Aggressive Behavior

Dogs have a strong protective instinct, which is never more prevalent than in a mother who feels like she must protect her puppies. The aggression is often due to hormonal changes and may occur in the days leading up to the birth as well. Generally, the more socialized the dog is before she gives birth, the better.

After giving birth she may snap at people, particularly strangers who come close to her puppies, or who are loud or make sudden moves near her puppies. Giving her a quiet place to whelp, away from the normal traffic of the house will help her to feel safe. Bringing a lot of different people to see the new puppies can aggravate her aggression, so it is best to keep it to only one or two people who she knows and trusts.

Urinating in the House

A new mother dog might also suddenly appear to forget her toilet training. Particularly in the first 24 hours to a week after the pups are born, a new mother will be very reluctant to leave them for any reason. While she will tend to eat the excretion produced by the new puppies to keep them clean, she will depend on you to lay newspapers down in case she has an accident.

She may not want to eat for the first 24 hours after the birth, but will eat a great deal after that and should be given as much as she wants. After the first 24 hours you can also take her outside away from the puppies to encourage her to go, but she shouldn't be kept away from them for long. After a week, she should relax and will leave the puppies for short periods of her own accord. If she continues to urinate inside, she may have a bladder infection or other problems and should see a vet.

Other Behaviors

New mother dogs may seem to search about for something, or try to "dig" in areas of the house. Often this is because they are looking for a place to hide the puppies, and is a sign that they don't feel safe. In this case, try leaving the dog alone with her puppies for longer periods and cut down on the number of people she sees.

A new mother will also lick her puppies constantly for several weeks. This not only creates a bond between her and the puppies but also helps their digestive systems to work properly.

Your dog should be able to handle her new circumstances as a mother with ease, but she still relies on you to give her assistance when needed. Knowing what to expect will help owners to remain calm and understand the new behaviors she might exhibit.

About Dog's Maternal Aggression

What self-respecting mother would not do allwithin her power to look after the welfare of heroffspring? Not too many. But sometimes thesefeelings of protectiveness can be expressed as"maternal aggression" that can make a once-friendly pet virtually unapproachable.

Some of this protectiveness arises out ofaffection and concern of a mother for her young.However, nature and alterations in brainchemistry catalyze the response. The sight, sound, and smell of thenewborn, as well as tactile signals received during nursing, cause therelease of a "bonding hormone," oxytocin, which seals the

mother-infant bond (and has other mechanical effects on the uterusand other smooth muscle tissues). In addition to this change, blood levels of progesterone, the hormone ofpregnancy, fall rapidly as estrogen levels climb. The calming effect of progesterone is lost and the more activatingeffect of estrogen replaces it. Also, and perhaps most significantly, the rise and fall of the milk-releasing hormoneprolactin exactly parallels that of maternal aggression. 

This series of biological events and the powerful feelings they promote is responsible for maternal protectiveness,which, in an extreme situation, will often show up as aggression. Maternal aggression is a post-partum characteristicof all mammalian species, including horses, pigs, dogs, cats and others. It is not wise to approach a mare and foalwithout forethought, and it is risky to vault into a formerly friendly pig's stall right after she has given birth. Likewise,some caution should be exercised working around recently whelped bitches and recently kittened queens.

It is possible that people who are familiar and non-threatening will receive diplomatic immunity from this form of aggression, but unfamiliar people, familiar persons lacking the respect of their pet, and unwelcome members of the same or a different species, may be driven away in no uncertain terms.

The Dog

Bitches with pups may be more aggressive for all the same reasons as queens. Those that are more dominant and controlling prior to whelping will be more likely to show this type of aggression. This sort of aggression is really a hormonally enhanced version of dominance aggression in which the object being protected is the litter. 

If maternal aggression is directed toward the dog's owner and if the dog is large enough to pose a human health hazard, she may have to be kenneled for a while. Spaying, which eliminates the influence of estrogen, and subsequent treatment with synthetic progesterone, rapidly reduce maternal aggression. Spaying may be indicated for more than its immediate effects because victimized owners may not want to go through the experience again. In any case, maternal aggression of this magnitude likely has some genetic input and probably shouldn't be propagated.

Infanticide

Infanticide is an unpleasant variation on the theme of maternal aggression. When mothers give birth to young, and then find themselves in situations that are not conducive to rearing them, they will sometimes kill the whole litter. A rottweiler dog once killed her entire litter 24 hours post partum when they were returned to her after tail docking. She may have felt that they had been damaged or contaminated in some way and should be put out of their misery. This may seem something of a paradox but humans have been known to engage in this ultimate sacrifice, too. It is impossible to comprehend the suffering that precedes such sacrifice. 

Infanticide of this nature is well known in laboratory rodents who kill their young if they have been handled too much or blooded. Presumably odors play a key role in triggering this fatal misapprehension and presumably this behavior has a biological precedent that favors long term healthful survival.

Conclusion

Nature and nurture usually combine influences to produce behaviors that are beneficial for the survival of individual and the species. Maternal aggression is a short-term behavioral trait that makes perfect sense when viewed from this perspective. Pups and kittens are helpless without their mother's support and protection. To juice up a mother's protectiveness and willfulness at this critical fostering time is a logical and functional arrangement. 

Nature is always logical and predictable if you understand that its prime function is to recycle the animal's genes. The role of nurture is a little less obvious, but nonetheless evident. Experience lubricates the machinery of mothering so those more experienced moms make better moms. They learn how best to look after and defend their new babies, building on and taking pleasure in their success. There are occasional bad mothers who "just don't get it," but they are in the minority and the chance their offspring will make it to breeding age is correspondingly reduced.

Should Our Puppy Sleep With Us

Q. We just got a new puppy, and my wife doesn't want him going upstairs in our house, where the bedrooms are. I think it's mean to keep him downstairs, especially when we're all in bed at night. How can I convince her to let him treat the house like his home?

A. In my lifetime, and in my more than three decades as a practicing veterinarian, I have seen dogs move from the barnyard to the backyard to the bedroom -- and into the bed itself. My own dogs, like many others, have fully made this transition, but I can remember well the first time I pressed my father to let our farm dog sleep in the kitchen during a big snow storm. The dog would have been just fine in his insulated area in our barn, but in he came, and the Becker dogs have been pretty much inside ever since.

(And the fact is, I wouldn't want to push my wife too hard into choosing between me and her precious Quixote if there were room for only one of us in the bed. I might not win that argument.)

But while there are many good reasons to show your dog that he is part of your family by giving him access to your home, the case isn't as compelling for letting dogs into your bedroom. There is even a good argument, with studies to back it up, that keeping your bedroom pet-free is better for the quality of your sleep. In addition, a pet-free sleeping area helps with any allergies you or your family members may have.

That information isn't going to change the mind of the many people who wouldn't dream of kicking their pets off the bed. It won't change the situation in my family, for sure, which is why I can understand why you'd want your dog allowed upstairs. I can assure you, however, that your puppy will be just fine if he's restricted to the ground floor of your house. If your wife does not move on that point, take comfort in the fact that your dog will be happy and healthly and comfortable, even if he's denied sleeping space on your bed.

However, I'd like to suggest a compromise in the interest of marital harmony: Have your pup sleep in a crate in your bedroom at night. He'll be comfortable, close and confined in a way your wife may find more acceptable. And chances are good that as your new puppy becomes bonded to you and your wife, he'll end up on the bed in the end anyway.

You can die if you Letting Sleeping Dogs Lie in Your Bed

Medical researchers have long shown that contact with pets can often help both the physically and mentally ill. But now, veterinary scientists say sleeping with your pets increases the chances of contracting everything from parasites to the plague.

What's a pet owner to do?

Most U.S. households have pets, and more than half of those cats and dogs are allowed to sleep in their owner's beds, Drs. Bruno Chomel, a professor at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, and Ben Sun, chief veterinarian for California's Department of Health, say in a study to be published in next month's issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Emerging 

Infectious Diseases.

"We wanted to raise the attention of people, as sleeping with a pet is becoming quite common, and there are risks associated with it, even if it is not very frequent," Chomel told AOL News. "But when it occurs, especially in children or immunocompromised people, it can be very severe."

The authors, both experts in zoonoses, which are diseases or infections transmitted from animals to humans, reported that "the risk for transmission of zoonotic agents by close contact between pets and their owners through bed sharing, kissing or licking is real and has even been documented for life-threatening infections such as plague, internal parasites" and other serious diseases.

How many of us admit to others that we sleep with our furry friends? Many of us do, according to the study.

Among dog owners, 53 percent consider their dog to be a member of the family, and 56 percent of those dog owners admit they sleep with their dog next to them, the researchers reported.

We're not just talking about teacup yorkies and chihuahuas here. Yes, the study says, most are small dogs, but 41 percent are medium-sized, and one out of three are large. Also, consider this fact, which the authors attribute to the American Kennel Club: Women were more likely than men to allow their dogs to share their beds.

As strange as it may be to canine lovers, more people have cats than dogs, and these felines also carry disease. This study and several others show that disease from cats is far more prevalent, and often more serious.

The number of cats snuggling up with their owner is far greater, which may explain the larger number of people acquiring feline-spawned diseases, Chomel explained.

Take cat scratch disease, for example. The bacterial infection, caused by Bartonella henselae, comes from infected fleas and flea feces and is transmitted to humans, often simply by a cat strolling across a food preparation area that isn't disinfected before food is placed on it. Mostly, the victims of cat scratch disease are children, infected by the scratch, lick or bite of a cat. The pathogen can cause swelling of the lymph nodes and sometime lethal damage to the liver, kidney and spleen of humans.

The CDC estimates that more than 20,000 people can contract cat scratch disease a year, but the federal disease agency could offer no information on the number of deaths.

Risks and Benefits

The CDC reports that pets may lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and decrease feelings of loneliness, while increasing opportunities for exercise, outdoor activities and socialization.

Medical studies going back at least 30 years have documented the clinical value of pets to cardiac patients, those hospitalized with mental illnesses and the elderly.

Sharing our resting hours with our pets may be a source of psychological comfort, but because pets can bring a wide range of zoonotic pathogens into our environment, sharing is also associated with risks, the authors of the current study reported.

For example:

A 9-year-old boy from Arizona got the plague because he slept with his flea-infested cat.

A 48-year-old man and his wife repeatedly contracted MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which their physicians eventually attributed to their dog. The animal "routinely slept in their bed and frequently licked their face," the California experts reported.Kissing pets can also transmit zoonoses. A Japanese woman contacted meningitis after kissing her pet's face.

But disease can easily be transmitted by your pet kissing you. The study cited cases where a woman died of septic shock and renal failure after her cat, with whom she slept, licked open sores on her feet and toes. In another case, a 44-year-old man died of infection after his German shepherd puppy licked open abrasions on his hands.

Your pet's food can also be a source of disease. A study published last August in the journal Pediatrics tracked an outbreak of salmonella in 79 people between 2006 and 2008 that was caused by contaminated meat in dry cat and dog food.

Half of the victims were children, who CDC investigators said "might also have played with the pet food and then put their hands -- or the food itself -- in their mouths."

The disease also could have come from pets who rolled or played in their feces, where salmonella can stay alive for up to 12 weeks.

Where do our pets they pick up these diseases? Fleas are a likely starting point. And most of your pets will eat the droppings of other animals.

Take a dog to any beach, park or trail through the woods almost anywhere and watch the speed at which it will find something really foul-smelling and dead in which to roll.

Cats usually do their own killing for food and fun. And just think about the infectious bugs that laced the dead and dying rodents, birds and other critters they eat or try to bring into the home.

What Can Be Done?

The two senior veterinarians say several things can be done to reduce the threat of disease. The main one is for owners to ensure the health of their pets by seeking regular professional checkups and care. Other points include:

Persons, especially young children or immunocompromised persons, should be discouraged from sharing their bed with their pets or regularly kissing their pets.

Any area licked by a pet, especially an open wound, should be immediately washed with soap and water.

Pets should be kept free of parasites, especially fleas; routinely de-wormed; and regularly examined by a veterinarian.

Preventive measures such as administering anthelmintic drugs for flatworms -- and drugs for flukes, tapeworms and other parasites -- to puppies or kittens within the first few weeks after birth or, even better, to their mothers during the last few weeks of pregnancy. This could help prevent most cases of human toxocariasis, which can cause severe and sometimes permanent vision problems for young children.The risk of getting sick from being close with your pets is real, but most of the diseases they pass on to humans can be identified and eliminated by regular veterinary care.

Meanwhile, start practicing saying "Get off the bed. I mean it this time."

about dog sleep

There's no doubt about it: dogs sure know how tosleep. The amount of time spent napping variesfrom dog to dog and depends on the dog's ageand personality. Counting little naps and longersnoozes, most dogs sleep about fourteen hours aday.

Nobody is sure why dogs sleep so much. Theamount of sleep that an animal needs dependsupon its species. Horses and cows may sleep onlythree or four hours daily, because they require long hours of grazing tosupply their bodies with sufficient food. Bats and opossums may sleepcloser to 20 hours. 

The various breeds of dogs also seem to have different sleep requirements. Some very large breeds of dogs, likeNewfoundlands, Saint Bernards, and mastiffs, often spend a great deal of their lives sleeping – perhaps up to sixteenor even eighteen hours a day. For this reason they were often referred to as "mat dogs," because they could alwaysbe found lying in front of the fireplace, much like a giant, furry hearth mat. 

Dogs sleep more than us, but they wake more frequently than we do. How much and when they sleep depends on thelevel of activity in their environment. A dog living as a pet in the home is likely to sleep more than a dog that worksfor a living, like a search and rescue dog or a dog working on a farm. Dogs are lucky – they are able to adjust theirsleep pattern so that they can be awake when there is something to do, and asleep the rest of the time.

Of course, today's modern indoor dog sometimes sleeps out of boredom. You can help your pet by providing plenty ofstimulation during the day – this can be in the form of toys, a companion, or plenty of walks and playtime with you. If he has enough to do during the day, he may stay awake when the sun is up and sleep at night when you do.

Sleep Patterns

Dogs have the same sleep patterns as humans. When your dog first goes to sleep, he enters the slow wave or quiet phase of sleep. He lies still and is oblivious to his surroundings. His breathing slows, his blood pressure and body temperature drop, and his heart rate decreases. 

After about ten minutes, your dog enters the rapid eye movement (REM) or active stage of sleep. He rolls his eyes under his closed lids, he may bark or whine, or may jerk his legs. During this stage, the brain activity is similar to that seen during the dreaming sleep of humans, and is evidence that dogs have dreams. 

Incidentally, adult dogs spend about 10 to 12 percent of their sleeping time in REM sleep. Puppies spend a much greater proportion of their sleep time in this type of sleep, no doubt compacting huge quantities of newly acquired data.

Where Dogs Sleep 

You may think your dog will sleep anywhere, but some dogs are very particular about where they sleep. In the wild, dogs sleep in dens, and your dog may seek out a sheltered place in your home, such as under a bed or in a closet. You may notice your dog circling or pawing at his sleeping place before he settles. This is to make a comfortable, den-like depression in which to sleep (even though it doesn't have much impact on a short pile rug).

You can make a comfortable bed for your dog or choose from the variety of plush beds at your pet store. Some people love snuggling up to their dogs at night and there is no question dogs love sharing their owners' bed. Advocates of this method say it strengthens the human-canine bond – not to mention the comfort and warmth your dog can provide for you. However, some animal behaviorists say this can upset the sometimes precarious hierarchy, because the dog may get delusions of grandeur. In other words, he may think he is higher on your household's social scale than some other members of the family. Four-on-the-floor may be the order of the day for some of these characters.

Are Dogs Being Used as Shark Bait?

Stories of live dogs being used as shark bait on the French-controlled Reunion Island have resurfaced recently, accompanied by a well-known photo of a labrador retriever pup with fish hooks in its mouth and nose. Is there any merit to this claim, and is the photo real?

The story is true, but it happened several years ago and doesn’t appear to have been widespread.

Here is one current caption accompanying the popular photo:

We have to stop this PLEASE help!

French Islanders using live puppies and kittens as shark bait??

Please stop this senseless abuse to innocent puppies and kittens. French Islander and Mexican fishermen are using LIVE puppies and kittens as shark bait!! No living being should have to undergo…

Because this is horrendous and hideous. Can you imagine the fear these animals must be in the last minutes of their lives? No living being deserves to be treated and used this way. These are private fishermen and the penalty is ONLY 2 years and a monetary fine we want the penalty to be stiffened to deter this horrific crime!

A National Geographic reports on this from an October 19, 2005 article entitled “Dogs Used as Shark Bait on French Island.” The popular photo was linked as well. In the article we find that the dog in question was purportedly someone’s pet, but most “bait” stories included stray dogs. This is because stray dogs on the island were viewed as “vermin” by many locals.

The French embassy referred to the incidents as isolated and illegal, though animal rights activists in France claimed it was happening “almost every week” according to the article.

A still photo taken from the video showing the dog's paws also containing fish hooks.

The story was again reported two years later on August 3, 2007 in a story by The Sun. The same photo of a dog with a fishhook through its snout was included. That article stated, “The pup was found in a coastal creek and is thought to have somehow freed itself from a fishing line.”

A local paper originally reported on 9/30/2005 that a 50-year old man had been sentenced to two years in prison for animal cruelty. The National Geographic article reported a 51-year old man who was fined $5000 for similar abuse, though the man claimed the dog was accidentally injured by a trap he had set.

Though the story continues to circulate, there have been no additional reports of dogs being used as bait in this area after the initial report from 2005.

Below is the original video featuring footage of the dog from the widely-circulated photograph. Some have claimed that it merely shows a dog that was accidentally tangled in fishing equipment, but many conclude that this was done on purpose, and point to fines and jail time served as evidence.

'Causes' Petition Calling To End Using Dogs As Shark BaitOutline

Outline

The link to this petition recirculates periodically, most often accompanied by the photo of a dog with large hooks impaled through its snout. The petition, addressed to ‘the French government’ accuses French Islanders of using live dogs as shark bait and demands the French authorities end the practice. Some versions also link an article from the internet publication The Inquisitr. 

Brief Analysis

The link to this petition recirculates periodically, most often accompanied by the photo of a dog with large hooks impaled through its snout. The petition, addressed to ‘the French government’ accuses French Islanders of using live dogs as shark bait and demands the French authorities end the practice. Some versions also link an article from the internet publication The Inquisitr. 

The original expose on this activity in the waters of Reunion Island was from Sea Shepard in 2005. The Inquisitr article summarizes an article in the UK publication The Sun that was written 2 years after the fact –and after the French Government had already started taking action. As of this writing, the practice is entirely illegal, as is all shark fishing in Reunion Island’s waters, making the continued forwarding of that petition entirely pointless.

Detailed analysis and references below example.

Because this is horrendous and hideous. Can you imagine the fear these animals must be in the last minutes of their lives? No living being deserves to be treated and used this way. These are private fishermen and the penalty is ONLY 2 years and a monetary fine we want the penalty to be stiffened to deter this horrific crime!

Detailed Analysis

In August 2005, marine conservation organization Sea Shepard posted a story on their website about the use of dogs as shark bait by fisherman around Reunion Island (a French territory in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar). They went as far as offering a reward for any law enforcement arresting someone for committing what was already against existing law in that territory. Included among the photos was the oft circulated photo of the dog with a hook impaling its snout. 

In October 2005, National Geographic picked up on the story and published an article on their website, including a link to that same hooked pooch. Adding to the dog’s story, they indicated that unlike the other dogs usually found, this one was not a stray, but someone’s pet. 

2 years later, and 2 years after the French government began actively putting an end to the practice, word of the Sea Shepard article finally made it round to The Sun, who published a 6 sentence article about what was already becoming a non-issue – presumably motivated primarily by the fact that Prince William spent two holidays on Reunion Island. By 2008, even the US television show MythBusters got into the act, effectively demonstrating that the paddling and scent of a dog in the water is not an effective shark bait. That was soon challenged by an article from How Stuff Works indicating that tiger sharks aren’t that discriminatory in their diet and probably would go for a dog.

By 2011, not only had the French authorities effectively ended the practice of using dogs as bait, there had also been other non-profit groups step in to aid in controlling the islands burgeoning population of stray and feral animals. (Recall the Sea Shepard article – this has the additional benefit of preventing damage to more native species). 

On a related topic – a recent increase in shark attacks on surfers had prompted authorities to announce there would be a large shark cull. After a great hue and cry from environmentalists, those plans were cancelled. Which means pretty much all shark fishing in the waters of Reunion Island is illegal, no matter what sort of bait is used. A final word about the picture – it is highly unlikely that anyone with any experience in a boat would even remotely envision hooking a dog through its upper lip with the intent of dragging it behind a boat. While the thrashing might attract a predator’s attention, it would take only seconds for that hook to pull through the skin. And the most likely attack would be at the moving legs or larger body – not the head. Having the hooks there is just pointless. Other photos indicated hooks embedded through the feet and lower limbs – that would be more expected. Most reports also indicated the rogue fishermen were not trolling the dogs – they were tying them up on platforms and buoys. The Sea Shepard report indicates the nose hooked dog “had apparently escaped its captors and was taken to the SPA by a concerned citizen.” It is far more likely, as anyone who has ever taken a dog fishing will attest, that the dog got a little too nosy around someone’s tackle box or stringer and hooked itself. 

In the end, of course, it is not an issue the French government has turned a blind eye to, and continuing to forward the petition some 7 years after they began cracking down on the criminals is pointless. Readers should also be wary of less scrupulous likewhores simply using the photo and caption to pad their page’s like/share numbers.