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Teaching your Pet Pig to perform Neat Tricks
When you have a pet pig it is only natural that you would want it
to be well mannered and well trained to help meet your needs and
its needs. Pigs, like dogs, are pack animals and are very smart
and naturally want to please their humans. The best way to teach
your pig tricks is a combination method of Clicker Training or
Target Training and Positive Reinforcement Training or Lure
Training. Pigs, also like dogs, are all about their food, so if
you have a favorite treat that they like and you use the clicker
to specify what they are supposed to do for that treat you will
get great results with your pig training.
Clicker Training is a type of training that uses targets to
interest the pet and encourage it do the trick because it is fun
and interesting rather than simply for treats. Clicker Training
allows treats to be a reward for good behavior or when the animal
completes a trick. The pig will learn by your clicking the
clicker and pointing at an object or "target" what you want it to
do and when the trick is complete. You can get very creative with
this type of training. Pigs respond very well to Clicker Training
and will try to think of new ways to get you to click the clicker
so that they can get a treat.
Lure Training or Positive Reinforcement Training works by your
offering a treat for good behavior and the completion of a trick.
When you show the animal the treat and tell it to "sit" and it
does it, it gets a treat and praise from you telling it how well
it did. It has been suggested that this limits the behavior of
your pet too much, but still others believe this is a good method
for teaching your pet. In the end it is a matter of preference
and what works for you and your pig.
Pigs, however, are not cats or dogs and they do not respond like
cats or dogs. Both cats and dogs are carnivores that are used to
being at the respective top of their individual food chains. Pigs
are omnivores that are herd animals and also called "prey"
animals. If you understand that your pig will bond with you and
consider you to be a respective herd mate you are more likely to
get good responses from understanding and responding in this
manner.
In order to better understand your pig you must spend time with
it. Each pig is different and has its own quirks and cues. Pigs
are emotional and the more time you spend with them the deeper
the relationship between you and your pet pig will become. Pigs
are very intuitive and if you don't like something, the pig will
know. And if you keep an eye on your pig and try to read its
language and body language, it will let you know the same about
itself.
But you must always be the dominant in the relationship. Pigs are
instinctively territorial and there is a definite pecking order
within a herd. If you let your pig push you around and bully you
it will believe itself to be the dominant herd member and treat
you poorly. You must stand up to it from its first day with you
and show it that you are dominant, and your pig will be much more
secure and well-behaved. Don't let it get away with snapping at
you. Often, yelling at them and giving them a good slap on the
side is enough to correct a pig's bad behavior. That is basically
what a senior herd member would do in the same case, so it
triggers the pig's instinct to obey a superior. Once the pig
understands that you can't be pushed around it will accept that
you are dominant and follow your lead, especially since you are
the food source. You can't train a pig if it thinks you are not
dominant to it.
So, spend time with you pig. Learn your pig's personality. And be
a good dominant herd member to it. Take care of it and train it
with positive reinforcement and you will have a great pet that
will love you completely.
A Whole Lot more Great Info
about Pigs
Stuffed Pigs - the Right Gift for Everyone on your List
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