"Why does my dog eat poop?" It's not an unusual question for pet parents.

If your dog sees his waste as a meal, it's natural to be confused—and a little grossed out as you wonder what sparked his interest. As strange as this behavior may seem to you, however, it's actually quite normal. "Coprophagia" is the act of eating feces, and it's a common behavior for many animals, particularly dogs. Here are a few explanations:

Growing Dogs Are Curious

Although we don't know exactly why your pooch wants to try dining on another animal's excrement, it could just be a matter of discovery. Your poop-eating-pup could be attracted to the strong scent. Maybe he can smell the food previously ingested. There may be no specific reason your dog is feeding on feces other than sheer curiosity, and dogs explore the world around them with their noses and mouths.

Mother Pups Clean Their Babies

A dog who has just given birth to a new litter of puppies will lick her offspring to clean and nurture them as they adjust to their environment. While licking, the mother will inevitably ingest her pups' feces. This behavior is normal and should correct itself once the puppies begin caring for themselves.

Diet Deficiencies

"He isn't especially curious nor is he a parent, so why does my dog eat poop then?" Depending on the circumstances, it may be because of malnutrition. It's believed that dogs who have inadequate diets, deficient of vitamins and minerals, eat the feces of another animal to compensate. But if your dog is eating a well-balanced dog food like Hill's Science Diet, and his veterinarian has given him a clear bill of health, malnutrition is probably not the cause of your dog's interest in poop.  It's still a good idea to keep your vet in the loop with what's going on with your pup, so if it's a new behavior, it's worth a call to your vet to check in.

Fear May Cause Your Dog to Do Strange Things

Have you punished your dog many times for pooping in a place he wasn't supposed to, such as your bedroom? If your dog is fearful of the consequences after going number-two, he may begin to eat his poop to hide the evidence. In fact, if this happens regularly, your dog may develop a compulsion to continue seeking feces to ingest. The best way to curb this behavior is proper potty training. Also, dogs who have accidents in the home due to illness or bad weather should have the feces removed before he has a chance to eat it.