Just something I've noticed with sevral dogs that eat dirt.
Dogs use different ways of testing their surroundings, they are much more in tune then people. The dogs that I first noticed doing this where all Dobermans, But all dogs will if given a chance or taught. They will teach the younger dogs to do the same. If the owner doesn't stop the pup at a young age. The dogs teach the others.
Dogs in the wild are den dwellers, eating dirt I don't believe is that abnormal. But it is very frusterating for people and unwanted.
I have a Lab that LOVES Oak leaf,grass, and dirt. My Dobie tought her well as a pup, while outside play and while I was at work. The habit is still with her (the Lab).
My younger dog (a rescued lgr breed mix) when he came here at 9 weeks the Lab would take him to where she was eating my yard. By now I had figured out she was eatting my yard away and I by no means wanted another dog doing the same. So as the leader of them I stepped in and just changed his interest each time and didn't allow her to teach him this behavor, and no time was given to her with him in that setting as she could pass this unwanted habit on. He has never eaten dirt, leafs and only has eaten grass a few times when he was not feeling well.
Don't know if that is any help or not, but it worked for us by simply not allowing the habit to start. Breaking the habit will not be easy. But you might try an Ecollor but you'll have to watch your dog 100% of the time to correct the unwanted eating.
Or you could just give your dog one stop in the yard that it is ok to eat. If your dog is an older one and well set in this pattern.
My Lab is old and learned this at a young age, it was my fault for not stopping it as a pup and not allowing the Dobie to teach her in the first place. In my oppion she is not being bad, she is just being a dog, so to punish her would just confuss her. She has been given one small place in the back yard where she is allowed to have her dirt,leafs,and grass. She actually eats less of it and has learned that it is not ok with me to eat this (to her) yummy food anywhere else. That she does understand for some reason this food of grass,leafs,and dirt is normal to her as her leader I tell her where she can eat. In the house each dog has there on place to eat and not allowed to cross the lines of taking what is not theirs.
Because I didn't teach her as a pup I didn't want this behavior and the older dog did teach her eating it was someting to be eaten. To her she has done nothing wrong and doesn't understand getting corrected. No line was ever set.
In my house the dogs have their own toys, food bowls, ect..
they know who's is who's and leave things alone.

Try adding some food-grade diatomaceous earth to thier feed
(about a Tbsp per med to large size dog)- this seems to slow down or eliminate the dirt eating.

I feed my 2 Pinnacle, and they don't eat dirt.

Did anyone notice how old this thread is?

Jack is on a mix of Pro Plan, Nutro, and Canidae (the Pro Plan/Canidae mix was a little too much for his tummy right now), and he eats dirt - of course, he eats rocks, pine cones, pine needles, and anything else he can get in his mouth as well! LoL


I wish you all could see him rolling around on the loveseat with his rope and/or puppy nylabone! He's fallen off three or four times today; once flat on his back! Goober.