PROBLEM SOLVING

I like to think of myself as a realist. I try and assess all scinarios of a situation before diving in. This gives me less surprise outcomes and disappointment in the end. So when we decided to get a piggy, I wanted to research everything there ever was to know about them. The good and the bad, the ups and downs, the dos and don'ts of piggy parenting, if you will. The more knowledge I had before we got her, the better prepared we were to handle her, and the easier it was on all of us. You will not find a lot of this info on some breeders sites, but I am a firm believer in sharing as much factual info as I can to help make you a better pet owner. And the sites that don't offer any of this info, are probably ones you want to stear clear of. A good breeder cares about the happiness of the pet AND the owner. Through education and support I hope to do my part in keeping so many piggies from ending up in shelters and sanctuaries. Even if you do not adopt a piggy from us, I am more than happy to answer any questions I can.

Some of the information here is experience, and some are problems I have not encountered, but others have shared.

First of all, let me say that no matter what kind of pet you decide on, there is a learning curve if you've never had experience with that animal before. Pigs are NOT like a dog or cat. They are more intellectual and require different care.

Teaching a dog what 'No' means, and teaching a pig, are two totally different things. Dogs are dying to please you so they are disappointed in themselves if you get mad at them. Pigs don't pay much attention to you being mad, they just go on about their business, but they learn very quickly what no means just by establishing the "Alpha" pig with them. Once they understand that you are the alpha pig, they catch right on. Spanking them is a horrible idea and only ruins the bond that you NEED to have with them. Yelling, doesn't phase them at all. You have to be smarter than the pig. Below you will find some problems and ways to solve them.

Potting Training- Our first piggy came potty trained and has never EVER had an accident. Not everyone sells pigs that are litterbox trained, but I have been so impressed, I will never buy one from a breeder that doesn't.

If your piggy is not, or is having problems, start by confining them to a smaller space. When they go potty, pick up their mess and put it in their litter box. When they pee, soak it up with a paper towel and then place it on the bottom of their litter box and sprinkle litter over the top. They need to know that this is what the litter box is for, and if they can smell it, they will go there. As they get better at using it, you can expand the area they can roam.

If your piggy is not spayed or newtered before they reach sexual maturity, they may go from being litterbox trained to not so much anymore. It is so important to fix your piggy before they reach that age, which in a male could be as early as 10 -12 weeks. Females are usually 4 to 5 months.

Over Weight- How do you know if you're piggy is eating too much. A good way to tell is to look at their jowls around their face. If they have a fat looking face, you need to cut back on their food. Avoid fattening treats. Pigs LOVE fresh veggitables, why would you feed them anything else?

Pouting Piggy- Your piggy may pout when you get it home for the first time. It is scared and has been taken from it's comfort zone. The way to a piggies heart is through it's tummy. Healthy treats will get you everywhere with a pig. Spend time in a small area and let the piggy come to you, be patient, they will.

Noisy- Pigs are very vocal critters. They love to talk to you. They also get excited when they know it's meal time. It's not usually a problem, but something that you should know.

Rooting- Rooting isn't really a problem, but more of a for instance. It is natural for a pig to root, especially after they eat. Lola loves to root her bowl all around her kennel when she is done eating. It doesn't bother me because she's just playing, but the noise makes everyone else in the house crazy. We have found she is just bored, so we gave her a colorful stuffed animal and she now roots that instead. You can put 2-3 inch stones in a container and hide veggie treats in the bottome to let them root as well.

Squeeling When Picked Up-The first time we picked up the pig after she arrived from the airport was a bit of a shock to all of us, including the pig. She squeeled as loud as she could, as if we were going to eat her or something. It is instinct for a pig to assume that anything that lifts them off the ground is a predator and going to eat them. It also makes them feel unstable. When you first pick up your pig, wrap it in a blanket to make it's feet feel secure. It's going to squeel anyway, but don't give up, this is temporary and will get better every time you do it. Sitting and snuggling with your pig will help it learn to trust you quickly and piggies LOVE to cuddle. Belly rubs will usually tip your piggy right over....literally.

Dry Skin- Piggies get dry skin. You can add a little bit of coconut oil to their meals, or rub them down with all natural lotion for pets. Be careful not to use fragrances that can irritate their sensitive noses.

Teaching Tricks- In the first two days that we had Piggy Lu and Lola home, they were already learning tricks. Youtube has some great videos on different tricks they can do. The one thing to remember first and foremost is, the best time to teach them is after they have eaten dinner. Feed them a little less dinner, and then use the vegetable part of their food as treats to teach them. A starving pig is only focused on food, not what you're teaching them. Feeding them pellets first will help them to focus on learning. We taught piggy 2 different tricks in less than 20 minutes just using little chunks of kale and carrots.

Traveling- With any animal, traveling can hold it's own challenges, but with a pig, they are unique.

-First and foremost, you must check to see what is required in crossing state lines. Some states require rabies tests and vaccination paperwork. This can take several days to get testing done, so know before you go.

-Make sure vaccinations are up to date so piggy doesn't bring home bugs.

-Many hotels are pet friendly, so this is not a problem, but many are restsricted to 'dog or cat only'. Check before you go.

-Keep the litter box handy on a long trip. We recently took a 2500 mile trip with Piggy Lu across Idaho and down the Oregon and Callifornia Coast. She traveled exceptionally well because she loves to cuddle, so she rode on my daughters lap almost the whole way. We stopped every few hours to let her potty in the rubbermaid container with litter that we kept in the back of the car, fed her on her regular schedule and kept her in a kennel at night in the hotel rooms. She was an excellent traveler.

-Be prepared for everyone to notice your piggy and want to pet it, and take pictures which is great socialization for your piggy.... but it's going to add extra time to the trip, lol.

Biting- Biting is a pigs way of protecting themselves when they are scared. If you remedy the problem quickly (by gaining their trust, it is rare that the problem will continue.

When we first brought Piggy home, we had two instances where she snapped at us. We quickly got online to see what we could find on remedying this horrible habit before it got worse. When a baby pig does something wrong, the mother pig nudges them behind the ear/neck area and pushes them away abrubtly. The next time she acted like she wanted to snap, we nudged her. She did it one more time, and we nudged her more firmly. She has never tried it again.

Pigs will also sometimes bite because they are fed treats from your hand and they simply have not figured out that every time your hand goes towards their face, it may not have a treat in it. Try sitting the treats in front of them rather than hand feeding it to them from your hand.

Piggy Proofing Your Home- Pigs are natural rooters. They are constantly looking for food. Whether it be rooting open your kitchen cupboards or part of your lawn when you're not looking, they have to be monitored, and anything that can hurt them needs to be removed, such as poisonous plants, dog or cat food, etc.

Disciplining Your Piggy- Piggies do not respond to yelling. They will hold a grudge forever. If you do something bad to your piggy, you can bet that all respect will be lost and you will have a pet that charges you everytime you come near. The nudging trick mentioned above shows them who is the alpha pig and works. These are extremely smart animals, but they ARE animals. All you have to do is show them who is the alpha without violence and you will have no problems.

Acting Like They're Starving-Even right after you have fed your pig, they are going to act hungry. THEY ARE A PIG.... Hence, the name. Pigs will gorge themselves until they can not eat anymore....and then they'll try to eat more. DO NOT OVERFEED THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE GIVING YOU THAT LOOK! The part of your brain that tells you when you're full is non existent in a pig, so they have no idea when they have eaten too much. If you feel the need to make them feel better, give them a chunk of celery or slice of a carrot. Kale is a good filler food without a lot of calories. Do not teach your pig that the only interaction they have with you is for food. You will quickly become a food slave to them. Give them other things to do. They love dog toys!

People who overfeed their pigs will end up completely unhappy with the outcome of the size of their pig, not to mention that you will teach your pig bad habits from the beginning. Just remember that they should be eating a very small % of their weight. Stella weighs about 38 lbs and I feet her 1 to 1 and a 1/4 cups of pellets twice daily with the about the same amount of veggies or a little less. I watch her jowls to see if i am overfeeding, and her overall look to make sure we are not underfeeding. I feed my pigs a 60/40 mix of Mizuri Mini Pig Adult formula/Fresh or Frozen vegitables. Any treats during the day should also be counted as part of their daily intake.

Bathing-The first bath can be a horrible experience if not handled correctly. The biggest mistake people make is just putting water in a tub or sink and sticking the pig in it. They are GOING to panic....trust me. The kitchen or bathroom sink is too high and if they jump out(and they WILL try) they will get hurt. Their little hooves slip and are unstable, they're surrounded by a new environment they have never seen. In order to make it go as smooth as possible, you want them to go in on their terms, at their pace. Give them plenty of time to decide for themselves that this is an 'ok' thing. You need some sort of a solid surface in the tub that will help them stand up. You can buy a rubber shower mat or even a towel will work. Start by putting just enough water in the tub to surround the bottom of the kennel, and place them in the tub while they are inside their kennel with the door removed. Slowly add water to the tub until it covers their feet. This is where cheerios come in handy. THEY FLOAT! Sprinkle a few cheerios within reach and then some further away. It took Piggy Lu 15 minutes to come out of the kennel the very first time, but then it was never ever a problem after that, and we no longer need the kennel for bath time.