Faeces-eating in dogs, while distressing to owners, is often a normal behaviour with multiple causes that requires understanding rather than punishment.
Coprophagia welfare is primarily about owner responses to the behaviour rather than direct welfare compromise to the dog itself. Dogs punished for faeces-eating develop anxiety and stress that substantially compromises welfare without addressing the underlying behaviour. Medical causes of coprophagia - particularly malabsorptive conditions - represent genuine welfare concerns where nutritional needs are not being met. Management approaches that interrupt the behaviour without punishment, combined with veterinary exclusion of medical causes and dietary optimisation, address welfare needs of both dog and owner. Some dogs that engage in coprophagia do so as attention-seeking behaviour, suggesting that enrichment and engagement may address unmet behavioural needs.