How to Train Potbellied Pigs
Potbellied pigs are intelligent. They are also stubborn. Luckily, they're very food-motivated, which owners can exploit to help overcome any stubbornness. With a little patience, potbellied pigs can be easily trained.
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Instructions
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Socialization
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Sit on the floor and allow your pig to approach you, preferably in the room it will be confined to for its first few months in your home. If your pig is reluctant to approach, offer it a few pieces of food or treats. This will help establish a bond and trust between you and your pig.
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2
Teach your pig a few key words, such as saying the word "touch" before you touch it, so the pig associates the word "touch" with the touch of your hand. This will help it become more comfortable and understanding of its surroundings. You can do the same with the word "up" should you need to pick up your potbellied pig.
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3
Teach your potbellied pig boundaries and correct dominant behavior, such as biting and charging, by saying "No!" or "Bad!" in a firm, loud voice. You can also stomp your foot for emphasis, or use your hand to gently nip your pig on the shoulder or rump.
Potty Training
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Confine your potbellied pig to a room or small area in your home, especially if it's a piglet. Until it's older and completely potty trained, which is usually around six months, don't let it roam freely.
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Set up your potbellied pig's area with a bed, food and water bowls, and a litter box. The litter box should be as far away from the bed and bowls as possible, as pigs are clean animals and don't like to do their business where they sleep and eat. When cleaning the littler box, do not remove everything. Leave a few droppings behind so the pig remembers that it's supposed to eliminate in the litter box.
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Take your pig to the litter box every hour or two and remind it to "go potty." If you have a piglet, take it to the litter box after meals and naps especially. But never wake your piglet up from a nap; always wait for it to be awake and alert.
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Praise your potbellied pig every time it eliminates in the litter box. Never offer treats, as it takes the focus away from the pig's doing what comes naturally.
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Take your pig outside and instruct it to "go potty" once it is fully litter trained. Most potbellied pigs have no problem transitioning from the litter box to outside, and when they no longer use the litter box you can remove it.
Harness Training
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Introduce your pig to its harness. Allow it to sniff or lick the harness, and gently rub the harness against its body.
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Choose a word or phrase, such as "harness" or "harness on," to let your potbellied pig know you're about to put its harness on. Say this phrase and put the harness on your pig. If it becomes upset, remove the harness immediately.
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Allow your pig to walk around the house with the harness on for a few minutes a day. Leave the harness on for increasingly longer periods of time.
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12
Attach the leash and allow your pig to drag it around. Once it's comfortable, hold the leash and follow your pig wherever it wants to go.
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13
Put slight pressure on the leash and call your pig's name. Reward your pig as soon as it looks in your direction. Then stand a few steps away, put slight pressure on the leash and call your pig's name again. Reward your pig when it walks over to you. Eventually, your potbellied pig will learn that it can walk freely as long as it walks close to you.
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Tips & Warnings
A cat's litter box will probably be too tall for a potbellied pig to climb in and out of comfortably, so you'll have to improvise. Some owners use low plastic boxes or the plastic trays made for indoor rabbit hutches. For litter, use newspaper or pine shavings. Never use kitty litter (pigs can be tempted to eat it, causing fatal blockages in the digestive tract) or cedar shavings, which give off toxic odors to smaller animals.
During litter training, keep the litter box in the same spot. This will minimize the chance of accidents.
Always use the same word or short phrase for each command; potbellied pigs don't understand sentences.
Potbellied pigs generally don't like being picked up, so only do so when necessary.
References
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