Last Updated: 13/07/2025

The Dog Pootorial: For More Good Poo Days

Author: Dr Belinda Stancombe BVSc (Hons)

Reading Time: 29 minutes - medium read

No one likes talking about poop! Unfortunately, Number Twos and their clean-up are a part of pet ownership. While looking at your dog's poop may not be your idea of a fun time, their stool quality can actually tell you a lot about their current gut health, digestion, and general well-being.

So what does a normal poo look like, and what affects the quality of our pets' stool? It is fair to say that when it comes to poo, what goes in directly affects what comes out.

Our Dog Pootorial discusses all things poo! Learn about the different types of poo and what they mean. Discover why what 'goes in' affects what 'comes out', plus poop scooping tips for a cleaner pet and environment. Make every day a good poo day!

DID YOU KNOW: With 6.4 million dogs in Australia - each producing an average of 124kg of poop per year - that's 794,000 tonnes of waste every year, or 15 times the weight of the Sydney Harbour Bridge!

The Scoop On Your Dog's Poop

CONSTIPATION (Type 1 & 2)

Dogs that produce hard, pellet-like poo may be suffering from constipation. Constipation is the infrequent or difficult passage of faeces.

It is common for pets suffering from constipation to strain and pass small hard and dry pellet-like faeces, which can be painful. As the colon's main function is to absorb water from the digestive tract, faeces that are retained for an extended period of time, become hard and dry, making them more difficult to pass.

Common causes of constipation can include diet, feeding bones, dehydration, medication or pain that makes defecation difficult such as arthritis or anal gland issues.

THE PERFECT POO (Type 3 & 4)

A perfect or healthy poo resembles formed faeces which is easy to pass and can be picked up or scooped, without leaving residue or falling apart.

DIARRHOEA (Type 5, 6 & 7)

Diarrhoea is the passing of soft or watery faeces, with increased frequency and water content. Most dogs will suffer from diarrhoea at some point in their life, but chronic diarrhoea can be a sign of a more serious underlying condition.

Some common causes of diarrhoea include diet change, dietary indiscretion, food allergy or intolerance, parasites, bacterial infection or viruses

Looking for more information? Read our veterinary written article The Scoop On Your Dog's Poop.

What Goes In....

The quality and consistency of your pet's poo is very much affected by what 'goes in'. Consuming high quality products that support good health and digestion such as a premium or sensitive stomach diet and dietary supplements is more likely to produce a perfect poo, which is much easier to clean up!

Premium Diets

Premium diets are complete and balanced and highly digestible, which means your dog can extract greater nutrients from their food, leading to less waste and more compact poo. Premium diets are formulated with beneficial ingredients such as additional fibre and pre and probiotics to boost healthy digestion. Pets fed a premium diet often produce smaller, more compact poo that is darker in colour with a firm texture.

Looking for more information? Read our veterinary written article Premium vs Supermarket Food.

Sensitive Stomach Diets

Some dogs may suffer from a sensitive stomach causing them to have occasional loose stool, gas, or general diet sensitivity. These pets may benefit from a therapeutic gastrointestinal diet or 'sensitive stomach' diet.

Therapeutic gastrointestinal diets are formulated with highly digestible proteins to reduce tummy upsets and dietary fibres to help nourish gut bacteria. They are high in antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids (including EPA and DHA), which have a proven anti-inflammatory effect and can improve the stool quality of pets that are prone to sensitive digestion.

For pets that suffer from severe digestive issues or intolerances, a prescription diet may be more suitable as recommended by your veterinarian. Learn more about prescription pet diets.

Digestive Supplements

Digestive supplements such as pre and probiotics are very popular in both human and animal medicine at the moment due to a high number of health benefits.

So what are probiotics and how do they work?

Probiotics are the "good" bacteria and yeasts that live in the gastrointestinal system, also known as the 'gastrointestinal microbiome' or 'gut microflora'. All animals have billions of "good bacteria" in their gut microbiome. These bugs help fight infections, strengthen the immune system, digest food, and produce nutrients for absorption. A healthy microbiome should have a varied and diverse population made up of a mix of different microbe species - this healthy mix is also known as 'biodiversity'.

Probiotics desposit live good bacteria directly into the gut. This helps establish populations of known beneficial bacteria in the gut by providing organisms directly.

Prebiotics deposit 'food' for the good bacteria - usually fibre - into the gut. This food helps the microbes thrive and grow.

Probiotic supplements (and some probiotic foods) provide live species known to be beneficial directly into the gut. Probiotics may help restore the natural balance of the microbiome and are particularly beneficial after a course of antibiotics which may affect this balance but are also recommended after illness or to support pets that suffer from sensitive digestion.

Looking for more information? Read our veterinary written article Probiotics For Dogs.

What Comes Out....

Cleaning up after your pet and dealing with what 'comes out' is certainly not the most glamorous part of pet ownership!

Despite this, picking up or scooping your dog's poop is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with their Number Two and ensure that it is a healthy colour and consistency. The Perfect Poo should be easy to pick up, leaving minimal residue behind and is a sign of healthy digestion in your pet.

With so many clean up options on the market and increased awareness around more eco-friendly and sustainable products, it can be difficult to know what to choose that not only cleans up your pet but the environment too. See our clean up recommendations below.

Poop Bags

Picking up your dog's poop is a part of responsible pet ownership. You can feel better about "poop duty" by opting for environmentally friendly compostable or biodegradable poop bags.

So what is the difference?

Compostable poop bags are made from plant-based materials such as cornstarch. Under the right conditions these bags break down to become part of the soil, making them a zero-waste product. While great for the environment, these bags are often not as durable as traditional plastic based bags.

Biodegradable or degradable poop bags are often plastic based with additives to break down the product over time and are generally made from recycled plastic.

So how do you know which bag is best suited to your lifestyle? Beco, manufacturers of both compostable and biodegradable poop bags recommend that if you are disposing of your dog's poop in general waste or park bins, to use recycled bags, as compostable bags are unlikely to breakdown in a landfill environment. If you are able to compost at home, then compostable bags are recommended, with the compost created only used on inedible plants, to prevent potential spread of pathogens. Read Beco's full article here.

Remember to invest in a poo bag dispenser to attach to your dog's lead, for handy clean ups while out walking.

Pet Toilets and Pee Pads

Pet Toilets are perfect for dogs that live in apartments, spend most of their time indoors or are currently being toilet trained. They are made from synthetic grass with an inbuilt grid and removable waste tray to make clean up easy and keep your dog's paws dry and free from any mess.

Pee pads are the saving grace for many new pet parents and can make toilet training so much easier. Designed with multiple layers to lock in moisture, they are super absorbent to deal with any sort of mess. Paws For Life Reuseable Pee Pad is a more eco-friendly option compared to regular pee pads. Completely washable and reusable, it is perfect for all dogs from puppies to seniors for their toileting needs, and can be draped over furniture to prevent accidents.

For pets that suffer from urinary incontinence or inappropriate urination, or for females in heat, Dundies or Male Wraps can help keep your dog and house clean with minimal mess or fuss.

Clean Up and Accessories

Accidents happen, so it is important to ensure you have a good quality cleaner on hand that eliminates odours, not just masks them. Enzyme based cleaners penetrate the soiled area, eliminating odours at a molecular level, providing optimal cleaning and complete odour removal.

If you really hate picking up your dog's poo then get something else to do it! Invest in a good quality pooper scooper.