Why does my dog dig the mud then eat it?
Answers:
Digging is a primordial behavior in dogs. They would dig to scavenge for food. This is still done in modern day dogs, partly due to innate behavior, and in part to search for food. You may be feeding your dog enough, often people over feed their dogs until the dog is obese. The reason the dog eats the mud can be attributed to many different things. Of these, the most likely are that your dog may not be getting enough minerals in the food you are giving him (it may just need more that it finds in the dirt than is in the food) or it may have become a behavioral release that it has continued for no particular reason.
If nothing else, it may just be doing this to confuse you :-)
My horse does this too.
I think its cos they have such a great sense of smell they can smell something in the soil we cant, like salt or something, and they just put up with the dirt.
when dogs dig, they most likely are bored and have nothing else better to do. If you see him start to dig, correct him by saying "No digging!", and give him something to play with or to chew on. When he eats the mud, he might be just playing and not hungry, and probably not even eating it. He might just be putting it in his mouth because he likes the "grit" of the dirt?
your dog may be lacking in some nutrients found in the dirt.. ive heard of dogs eating poo when they are lacking in vitamins and such.. ask your vet or buy a multivitamin in your pet shop
The answers post by the user, for information only, UKQnA.com does not guarantee the right.