Most pigs enjoy rooting in boxes filled with anything they can dig into. Hay, dirt, river rocks, large stones, stuffed animals, blankets, etc., will all work fine.
Food hiding also allows them to use their natural foraging abilities, a great mental exercise. It’s also a fun way to feed them treats.
Give Your Pig a Toy
Pigs are susceptible to environmental and social changes. They can get terrified during livestock shows, veterinary visits, vaccinations, pregnancy, estrus cycle, and other stressful situations.
Pigs often squeal because they are anxious, fearful, excited, or in pain. They may also reveal to warn you of approaching predators. If you have dogs in your home, make sure that the dogs are leashed and separated from pigs by a gate.
Once your pig is comfortable with your underhanded touch on the belly and chin, you can try to pick them up while seated. Be patient and comfort the pig with gentle words, rocking and swaying.
Set Boundaries
Pigs are brilliant social animals that need stability and trust. Undesirable behaviors, like aggression and destructiveness, can emerge when your pig feels threatened or does not feel a part of the family.
To help your pig feel safe and secure, assert your dominance over them by defining an area in the house as theirs. When they enter this space, use a stick to defend it as their bubble, and if they bump into the bar, reward them with a scratch or pet from you. In the wild, pigs are hierarchical, and the leader dictates where they sleep, eat, or drink water.
Give Your Pig a Blanket
Pigs are sensitive to change and may be anxious about new people, animals, or routines. They are also easily frightened by noise and can be susceptible to odors, especially when overheating.
Establish an indoor space as their home base with food, water, and bedding areas. This can be a small room, such as a laundry or utility room, and should have a door or sturdy child gate to prevent them from leaving the area.
Make sure you have a backup plan for when you go on vacation, such as trusted friends or family members who are comfortable handling pigs or boarding facilities specifically designed for pigs.
Give Your Pig Treats
Pigs are intelligent animals and can be very destructive if bored or frightened. They need a variety of activities and companionship to stay calm.
Pigs can be trained to sit, shake, fetch, run in circles and play hide-n-seek or tag with their people. They can also be prepared to enter and exit a crate, walk on a leash, and meet new people politely.
Pigs enjoy toys that involve food. They love to root, so a foraging box can help them satisfy their instincts without damaging your home or yard. A mud wallow is another excellent way to fulfill a pig’s need to roll around and regulate body temperature.
Keep Your Pig on a Leash
Pigs are intelligent and curious creatures, but their ingenuity means they can find all sorts of ways to get into trouble (like climbing out of enclosures, opening kitchen cabinets and refrigerators, or shredding laundry). Using relationship-based training, you can teach your pig to walk on a leash, enter a crate, meet new people politely, and enter and exit a vehicle.
If you have a dog, it is essential to keep the dog, and pig leashed at all times until they have gained trust and familiarity with each other. It is also an excellent idea to pig-proof your home before introducing a pet pig.
Keep Your Pig Indoors
Pigs are much cleaner than their stereotypical reputation suggests, and they make very lovable pets but have unique care requirements. They are brilliant and can become bored if they need more enrichment activities and social interaction.
Pigs like to root with their snouts, even inside the home, which can damage floors and other items. You can help them satisfy this instinct by introducing a rooting box and giving them time outside to dig.
Indoor pigs must be bathed regularly to keep them clean and comfortable. This can be done in a sink, tub, or a large basin with a non-stick surface.
Further, indoor pet pens are often the best solution for keeping them contained when needed in the home. However, going with the cheap Amazon option isn’t always the best solution, even if it’s functional. The pens from https://clearlylovedpets.com/ come highly recommend for pig owners in particular.
Take Your Pig for a Walk
Pigs are brilliant and sensitive animals. They require stability and trust. Undesirable behavior can result from boredom, stress from changes in routine (livestock shows, vet visits, vaccinations, estrus cycles), or fear of the unknown.
Pigs can become destructive indoors if they don’t have an outlet for pent-up energy. Ensure they have enough outdoor space to root and explore.
Pigs frequently leashed for walks can have less need to chew on objects in their homes and can be calmer during stressful situations such as a thunderstorm, a barking dog, or when someone new enters their home.