For some animals, such as rodents, poo-eating is quite normal as it's full of bacteria that aid digestion. However in dogs, not only is it classed as ‘abnormal' behaviour but it's highly unpleasant to watch and can be the cause of some very bad breath!
The first thing to rule out is if there's any medical motivation underlying the poo-eating behaviour. Have your dog examined by your vet to ensure this is not a form of self medication; dogs and cats eat grass to induce vomiting and ease stomach problems.
Your dog may have learnt that eating his own or other dog's poop really grabs your attention and so now does it for kicks. Similarly, it may be just too much of a temptation given that there's little an owner can do once the poop's been eaten.
Firstly, it would help if all dog owners picked up their dog's poop, and then there'd be none to snack on. Grab all your friends a Dicky Bag to avoid the embarrassment of carrying a smelly bag of poop around. Next, teach your dog the ‘leave it' command. Starting in a quiet place with your dog on a short lead, get him to sit. Place a treat on the floor just out of the dog's reach. As you dog goes to move toward it, be ready to hold the leash still so it does not allow your dog any closer to the treat and say, ‘leave it'. Once your dog is staying still without pulling towards the treat, pick it up and give it to your dog with lots of praise. Repeat several times. Your dog may take a while to get it but once you're confident, start placing the treat closer to him. Once this is consistently ignored, start trying to walk past the treat while your dog's on the lead. Then move on to recalling your dog with the treat in the middle of his path.
Your dog will soon, upon request, leave poop, dead animals or the roast chicken on the side of the dinner table...
