What? My dog has a poop score?

 Yes, your dog has a poop score.  Purina has published a very helpful visual (sorry) guide to let you know whether your dog's poop is indicative of a healthy digestive system and whether the food he's eating is being digested well. 

I've worked in humane societies as a trainer and every time we took a dog out for a potty walk we had to log (on a large chart listing each kennel, with a row for each dog) whether that dog peed (and at what time), and if he pooped we had to score the poop based on this chart.  It was incredibly effective to help us get an early warning if one of the dogs was perhaps not doing well.  If the score hit a 5 we alerted the feeding, dog-walk and training teams, and if it progressed to a 6 we called in medical help to examine the dog more closely.  I am incredibly grateful for the amazing resources we have in our humane society shelters in the USA, and for the way they share "best practices" so all the shelters can learn how to be better. 

That's how important the consistency of your dog's poop is.  You want it to score a 2.  

So if your dog's poop is scoring a 5, the diet is not optimal and/or there may be a parasite or some other issue.  Your dog might need more fiber (some cooked veggies added to the food can help).  I can't troubleshoot it for you here, but you should know these indicators of digestive health.  It impacts your dog's vitality, ability to concentrate and learn, and his overall quality of life.

I am attaching a link here to the Fecal Score Chart.  You're welcome.