Hi all,
We have a 14 month Working Cocker Spaniel named Chase and when he was a puppy he used to eat his own poo, he has now grown out of that.
The issue is that now he finds poo that is in poo bags irresistible and will not stop, no matter how much we call him until he has pulled it apart and eaten the bag and contents. He also goes for bags that people leave in bushes or he takes them out of open top bins.
We have tried a number of things, like keeping him on the lead when we see someone carrying a poo bag and when he is off the lead, recalling him and giving him treats. Sometimes we don’t see people carrying bags until the last minute and what he does is to go up to them all happy and tail wagging and then he will jump up and take it out of their hands!
We have tried distraction and treats but when we get close, he runs off and we do not want him to think it is a game so we do not chase him. We are thinking of purchasing a muzzle but that could project to other owners that he is not safe, when there are no poo bags around he carries sticks, lost gloves and hats etc so we do not want to deny him what he finds natural. So far, when he eats the bag it does come out the other end but we are concerned that one day it will not and it will be a hefty vet bill.
Any advice is welcomed.