[Frankie Flowers]

I’ve recently welcomed a foster dog, Benny, he’s a mixed breed. Walking Benny should be simple. Benny, however, seems to have a real poop-sniffing problem. It’s more than a habit; it’s like his life’s calling. Every outing turns into a full-blown poop investigation. He sniffs every pile like it’s the key to a grand mystery. He seems to find just about every piece of poo any living thing ever left behind. And he is so stubborn, he just won’t let up, no matter how much I tug at the leash.

“Benny, let’s go!” I tug the leash. Nothing. He’s too deep in analysis. This dog won’t budge.

I try treats, toys, and fake squirrel sightings—but nothing works. Finally, I resort to the dreaded leash lift. He glares at me like, “You just don’t understand, but I HAVE to sniff this right now, as long as possible.” I love my daily walks, and Benny is a really sweet guy, he’s going to be staying with me for a good few months, and I am already thinking about keeping him permanently. But the poop-sniffing obsession is not something I want to deal with every time we go for a stroll.

So… how do I stop my dog from obsessively sniffing poop on walks? Because, at this rate, he knows more about the neighborhood than I do, and I’ve lived here a long time!

[GrouchoBarks]

I have a dog that does this, too. A couple of things have helped me. I keep special treats just for walks. I use these anytime she gets a little too interested in a pile. I also use a really short leash if she is playing detective. The other thing that has helped is to change up our walking route. I quickly learned that some areas are just poop minefields, and avoiding them makes walks way easier. If I take the same route every day, my dog knows exactly where the “good stuff” is and beelines for it. So, I started switching things up—walking on pavement instead of grassy areas, choosing less busy trails, or even crossing the street when I spot a particularly risky zone. It’s not a perfect fix, but keeping things unpredictable has definitely cut down on the poop obsession!

[Danielle DeGroot]

You may have some luck using an anti-chew spray as a deterrent. You can spray it near any areas your pup seems overly interested in. The smell and taste may discourage your pup from sniffing in those tempting areas. In this article, we review some of the top anti-chew sprays.

[Author]

Posts