Mini | pot belly pigs as pets and care

Sit: If he will jump for a treat, he will sit too. Instead of trying to put the butt down, stand in front of him and hold the treat lower than for the jump and more or less onjust above the snout. The head will come up and the butt automatically goes down. It may only be a partial the first time, but praise & treat him for trying. Try again making him get the butt down farther.

Another suggestion for sitting would be to get a wall behind you and hold a treat above your pigs head, not to high as you want him to reach up so that his rump goes down. If you hold it to high he will jump up for the treat. The wall behind him will help so that he doesn't back up and his rump will be forced to go down. If he succeeds say sit and treat him. Eventually he will learn to associate the word sit with the trick. If he doesn't do well with this, don't worry, not all pigs like to sit. I think it has something to do with their shapes, some like to sit, some don't. 

Wave: Get them to sit first. Then, while holding the treat in one hand, say "Wave" while using your other

Here are some suggestions for putting that pig poop you have so much of to good use by making your own fertilizer and going green.

The first is manure tea. You just soak some pig berries with water for a few hours, then pour away. Another way of making it is to let it air dry in a card board box for 24-36 hours before grinding, the ammonia goes away.  Grind to the consistency of peat moss or loose tea then bag. The tea infusion or elixir seems to work very well. Don't over dry the little things because then it is like chopping golf balls in the food processor and doesn't work.

Take the poop and put it into a big burlap sack. Tie it and hang from a stick stretched across a trash can full of water. It is sort of like a tea bag! After a week you start using (and replacing) the water on your plants.

The question is: My pig is chewing big time on the carpet and on one of the living room chairs. Is there anything I can do to get her to stop?

From the sound of things I think she is probably teething. They don't usually bother furniture but the carpet is fair game. There are a few reasons this may be happening so we can go through just a couple.

Is she a young pig? And probably the most important are you feeding her enough for her age?

Young pigs will sometimes go through a teething process and that's when they grit their teeth the most and find things to chew on just like a baby.  I give mine the large size hard milk bones a couple of times a day when they go through that stage.

This is one thing that can't be stressed enough. Please do not confuse a pigs size with his weight. Potbellied pigs are very dense. Thus, there is a lot of weight in those little bodies.

The average size of our pet pigs should be that of a medium sized dog. However, the average weight is around 120 - 150 pounds, with some weighing less and some weighing more. Just because some of our pigs weigh 200+ pounds does not mean that they are fat or overweight. Some are just bigger.

There are breeders out there telling people that if they don't feed their pig very much it will stay small. All this does is make for an unhealthy pig.  The same goes for over feeding your pig. And now we have come across a few vets that want a skinny pig and are telling people not to feed them what we would consider a normal feeding. Pigs are not skinny animals they are pigs and should be plump or that pot belly, hence their name.

Pot bellied pigs generally have voracious appetites and will eat nearly anything that you offer them. Unfortunately they are also very prone to obesity which can lead to foot and joint problems as well as other health problems. In addition to the health implications they can also become very persistent and pesky beggars and can even learn to open the refrigerator in their search for tasty treats. Feeding the proper diet, limiting treats and developing a feeding routine can help prevent problems.

Pot bellied pigs need a good quality diet that is high in fiber and low in calories. Ideally, a food formulated specifically for pot bellied pigs or mini pigs should be fed, and these can now be found at some feed stores and pet stores. If your local store doesn't carry these diets they may be able to order them in for you, or you could also check to see if your veterinarian can order them. Here are some examples of pot bellied pig diets:

• Mazuri (whose parent company is Purina)
• Ross Mill Farms
• Heartland Pet Pig Products

If you feed a commercial food meant for farmed pigs make sure you choose a maintenance ration - especially avoid the grower and finisher type foods which are meant for optimum growth and are too rich for pot bellied pigs. The young piglets can be fed a commercial pig starter diet, but only up to about 2-3 months of age.

Pigs love to explore and forage and get bored very easily as they are very intelligent. They need something to do to pass the time and occupy themselves with. If their owners don't provide something acceptable for them to do, they will make their own fun and that usually means getting into mischief.

If you give your pet too much freedom, he will turn your home into a play pen. You must teach your pig which objects he can play with and which he can't while you're at home. When you assume the role of the lead pig, you must reprimand your pig strongly if he plays with forbidden items while you're in the house. Tell him, in a strong voice, "NO, Leave it" and lead him away from the item quickly. Give him a favorite toy as a replacement and praise him when he accepts it.

What do David Beckham, Paris Hilton, and George Clooney have in common? They are all part of a growing group of miniature pig pet owners!

Miniature pigs have been popular pets since potbellied pigs were introduced to the United States and Europe from Asia nearly 50 years ago. Since then, selective breeding has been creating smaller and smaller lines of pigs in an attempt to create the perfect pet pig. The result is some of the cutest, most adorable pets around.

But not only are miniature pigs adorable, they are incredibly smart too. In fact, pigs are the fourth smartest animal on Earth. That makes them the smartest pet you can have. This intelligence helps make pigs curious, social, attentive, and playful pets.

However, it also makes being a pet pig owner demanding. Pigs need to be constantly entertained. This means they either need someone near them at all times, or they need other animals to interact with. Many owners that can't be with their pig all day will typically get two pigs so they have a buddy to play with.

If you're thinking of getting yourself a pet mini-pig, there are quite a few things to consider. Unlike the decision to have a cat or a dog, or a canary, the choice of a pet pig is more complicated. You really must evaluate whether your home environment, your lifestyle and your family can handle the challenge.

A pet pig needs a different level of care, training and a realistic expectation of what it's like to have a pot belly. He needs a house with a first floor access to a yard to get his exercise and to do his thing.

Even though they are small, cute and cuddly, some may still grow to size that you don't expect, and so you must understand this upfront. His living space must be planned out, and depending on which breed you choose, home requirements will differ.

The local legal situation must also be checked out because many communities don't recognize him as a pet, and will treat your piggy as a regular 'farm' pig. Which is another thing: you must make sure that you don't get a 'counterfeit' pig that will grow to over 1,000 pounds, and turns out to be a regular pig! You'll still love him, but can you really give him 'house room'?

One of the most interesting aspects of human beings is to breed animals and pets. Many domestic animals like cats, dogs, birds etc are adopted as pets. Pot bellied pigs or generally abbreviated as PBP's are one of a kind of pets that many find very interesting to breed as pets.

Pot bellied pigs originated from native Vietnam. These pigs are known to have fourteen sub species. A fully grown up pot belly pig would weigh about 136kg and look like a large breed dog. These pigs have all desirable qualities of a pet. They are intelligent, affectionate, very playful, highly hygienic and extremely clean. Pigs are available as readily trained and hence the owner may not find it too difficult to adopt them into the family. We can see lot of families who breed these pigs are their pets and make them a part of the family. Children easily develop a strong emotional bondage with the pigs very easily.

It is important to take care of a few points before buying a PBP. Firstly we must get the pig from authentic and reputed breeders. Pot bellied pigs are fond of food explicitly. They need regular feeding of quality food. Else we can find them dig out every possible location in the house from laundry bags to trash bags in search of food. Just as any other pets, the pigs also need timely vaccination and health check ups. Regular consultation of local Veterinary doctor is always advised. Of last we need to remember to check with the local authorities if it is permissible to breed these pigs as pets.

What is Pot Belly Pig?

Pot-bellied pigs are small sized pigs suitable for indoor living if trained properly. Most range in size from 13-20 inches tall and can grow to approximately 200 lbs. They are curious animals with a humorous disposition and an intelligence only second to that of the dog. They are not finicky eaters and can be house trained.

Pot-bellied pigs became a pet of fashion in the United States in the early 1980s to mid-1990s. Unfortunately not many owners were educated adequately about the care and maintenance of a pot-bellied pig and many were abandoned in newly formed “pig sanctuaries” and “pig rescue” organizations. Since that time, much information has been published and organizations have been formed to give the desiring owner the adequate resources to keep their future pet healthy and maintained.


Why Pot Bellied Pigs Make Great Pets

Did you know that pigs are the fourth most intelligent animal on the planet? They are fourth on the list after humans, primates, dolphins and whales. Most of us can't keep a whale or a dolphin as a pet (for obvious reasons) so if intelligence rates high on your choice of pet, you really should consider pot-bellied pigs.