You may be wondering how you can befriend pigs the easiest way possible. Don’t worry, we got your back! We listed the best tips about befriending pigs to help you out.
1. How to make a good first impression on pigs
Just like most relationships or friendships among actual people, proper introductions must be done first before becoming good friends with another person.
The same can be applied to pigs.
Did you know that pigs have fantastic memory? They can hold grudges or become grateful to you depending on how you treat them!
This means that if your introduction was bad, they will remember it and may no longer approach you. For pigs, first impression lasts!
A proper introduction means not forcing a pig to pay attention to you or scaring them in a way that will make them keep their guard up around you.
Pigs will usually approach you on their own and when they do, make sure you do not surprise them with a sudden touch or loud voice. Just stay calm and they will be calm too.
Even so, in case your first meeting went wrong and you ended up scaring them, it is okay to keep trying until you win over their affection.
Pigs can get over first impressions if you keep giving them new ones!
2. How you should act near a pig
Pigs are prey animals and can easily read threat signals coming from other animals including people. If they sense that you are quite alarming for them, they will keep their guard up!
You will then lose the opportunity to easily approach the pig without startling them or scaring them. The pig may run away or hide in fear and they can also start screaming warning noises.
Being calm near them means you do not have to constantly call out to them or reach out to them. Pigs are very curious animals and will often come to you on their own!
Once they come near you since they sense you are not planning to do anything bad, speak to them and pet them with your hand as gently as you can.
These animals can be pretty sensitive which is why first impressions should be done and handled right!
3. What kind of toys you can use to play with pigs
As soon as you earn their first stage of trust you can feel safe enough to play with them. There are many ways to play with pigs and there are a lot of toys you can pick to keep them entertained and interested.
Once again, pigs are very curious animals and would love to examine new things most of the time.
Pigs would prefer motion toys and light objects that they can lift and nudge with their snouts. They would love to play with different kind of balls and other soft objects.
For most owners, their pigs can find random branches to pick up and play with including their own bedding straws.
Young piglets can be more energetic than an average adult pig but they can both be playful when you find the right mood or timing.
How can you tell if a pig is being playful?
Pay attention if they are wagging their tails, smiling and zooming around. Tail wagging and smiling are clear signs of happiness or excitement.
Zooming around or running around quickly may be their way of showing you they have the energy to play!
4. What kind of treats you can use to befriend pigs
Pigs are not picky eaters therefore you can use food as a way to get closer to them. They can eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that you can easily choose from.
Most animals learn to trust those who care for them and feed them.
We listed some treats loved by most pigs but keep in mind that pigs can develop personal preferences of their own so just keep trying different things until you find out what they truly like.
Treats loved by most pigs are: Cheerios, baked cheese crisps, popcorn, bite-sized shredded wheat and grapes.
They are also known to appreciate the following fruits and vegetables:
Cooked broccoli, dark green lettuce, beets, oranges, grapefruit, melons, pitted peaches, pitted cherries, pitted apricots, cooked potatoes, all squashes, pumpkins, yams, zucchini, kale, tomatoes, chard, carrots, apples, snow peas, cucumbers and spinach.
Safety Tip: Hand feeding pigs is okay only if you are confident enough that the pig won’t be able to bite you. They may not have needle sharp teeth like when they were newborns but their bites can still wounds and cause infections.
Accidents can happen which is why we want to remind everyone to be careful.
Important note: Feeding meat to pigs is highly discouraged as it is one of the easiest ways for pigs to get sick and be infected with a transmittable virus
To learn more about what pigs eat, you can read our article about that topic here.
5. How to take advantage when a pig is trying to familiarize with you
Similar to people, pigs do not really open up on the first day. It might take a few attempts before we get to see their full personality.
Pigs are one of the smartest animals in the world and they can surprise you with their big personalities. They can be stubborn if you try to rush them.
Sometimes, depending on their breed, they can be easily taken over. Breeds like Mangalica pigs are known to be fond of human contact and usually follow people around like dogs.
Apart from letting pigs familiarize with you, you should familiarize yourself with them too.
The more you know a pig’s personality, the easier it gets to win over their friendship.
You can tell when a pig is trying to become familiar with you. They may nudge you or push you lightly with their snouts and this action is called “rooting” which is very common among pigs.
They are born with excellent sense of smell but poor eyesight so they rely mostly on their snout to examine things around them.
When they nudge you, remain calm and let them know you are not there to harm them.
Safety Tip: Since pigs have a powerful sense of smell, their nose or snout is highly sensitive to touch. Please avoid touching a pig’s snout.
6. When it is right to pet a pig
Once you notice they are comfortable around you, you should be able to constantly pet them. Pigs are naturally social animals and would also enjoy physical contact from people.
They would love to get their backs scratched because they can’t reach that area! They would also love belly rubs and some may like tickling.
Depending on their personality, they may be sweet, clingy or cuddly but they can also be sweet yet distant and shy.
Test the waters around your pig carefully and adjust accordingly.
Not all pigs will behave the same and act the same to the things we do for them. You won’t lose anything when trying new things with your pig as long as you are not going to do something that will scare them forever!
Sometimes, when pigs can see you treating their fellow pigs and animals nicely, they will also learn to trust you because they can see their companions doing the same.
You also do not need to act unnatural as things like trusts and bonds form overtime, naturally.
7. Be patient and understanding
As mentioned above, some things form naturally overtime.
One key to building friendship with anyone, not just pigs, is patience.
When one is patient, they will understand enough. You must understand that the animal you are trying to become friends with is a prey animal and mankind is its top predator more than other animals.
Though heavily domesticated, these animals still retain their instincts and know the threats of a human which is why even though they are docile, they can still be guarded up around us.
Do not rush! Pigs won’t go anywhere. (as long they are kept in a secured place, they can be magnificent escape artists!)
8. Interact and socialize as much as possible
Moving at a regular phase, interacting and socializing will come normally.
There is a high chance that pigs can understand some of the things we are telling them. Did you know that raising your voice can affect a pig’s mental health and they will remember the hostility in your voice?
This is why we should normally when speaking to pigs. Talking in a sweet tone can also be helpful when befriending pigs.
Who doesn’t want to hear a pleasant tone of voice?
Pigs can be quiet but they are capable of being vocal. Although we do rely on their body language to understand them better, the tone of voice can really tell us a lot.
When a pig nudges you after becoming familiarized with you, sometimes it can be taken as a sign of saying they want something from you like food or attention.
Respond to those tiny interactions and you will eventually end up with a huge friendship for a lifetime!
9. Which basic pig facts you should know
It will always be helpful to know some backstory before diving into the main events. If you know a few things about pigs, it will be easier for you to handle them later on.
Basic information such as common behavior, preferences, weaknesses and such will give you a great advantage.
If you understand how they function in life, then you will know how to perfectly deal with them, make it easier for them and earn their friendship approval.
Check out 25 Pig Facts if you would like to learn some!
10. How friendship with pigs build naturally
As long as you take care of your pig the normal way, they will eventually grow fond and affectionate towards you. Spending enough time with them and doing simple tasks such as caring can be more than enough.
Friendships form naturally.
When they see you take care of them, they will know you are someone they can trust.
Once again, be patient. These things happen in time!
Pigs are one of the most wonderful companions you can have and it is definitely worth the wait and effort to win over their friendship.
Best wishes to you and your pigs!
Related Questions
- Are pigs hard to take care of?
No, pigs are not actually high maintenance. It may seem difficult at first especially for those without experience in handling other pets but once you get through the “new stage” you will find pigs easy to take care of.
Once everything is set up for the living conditions of your pig such as housing, bedding, fencing, watering and feeding, everything else can be smooth sailing ahead.
Your daily task for pigs will only be about feeding them, providing them water and disciplining them if needed.
Extra things that may concern most pig owners are room temperatures as pigs can be sensitive to extreme weather conditions and a pig’s entertainment since they can be bored for some time.
Caring for pigs will only include nails, hooves and tusks trimming, annual medical checkups, spaying and neutering, vaccinating and bathing.
Pigs only have basic needs similar to other pet animals. You only need to be patient and become compatible with a pig’s personality in order to be able to tolerate each other.
They are intelligent animals and can be really easy to get along with.
Read: “Are Pet Pigs Hard to Take Care of?” for more details.
- Can pigs be house broken?
Yes, pigs can be house trained.
Using the treat rewarding trick, many pig owners claim that they successfully trained their pet pigs.
Training pigs usually do not take long enough to reach 3 months. Some pigs can learn within 1 month or 2 months. Rarely, some can also learn in just a matter of weeks!
Pigs are the fourth most intelligent animals in the world and are said to learn faster than dogs and other animals.
They can also be easily disciplined because they are prey animals and have a peaceful personality by default. Improper behavior can be easily corrected too.
Read: “Can Pigs be Trained?” for more tips.