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How Did You Tame Your Timid Piggies

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Jojessgaz

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Hi everyone ...could people post your results on getting your timid piggies to be less scared of everything and what you did. I know all pigges are very different and my two are like chalk n cheese. But I'm totally lost on where to go next ... or if there is a next step regards timid flossy. Had them since babies back last may. They are about 9 to 10mths old so still very young . Both lived outside in summer but been brought in for cold weather. Flossy very very shy. Hates being stroked picked up or anything. Would eat from my hand but has stopped that a lot now but not totally . She will hide straight away in her cosy as soon as I come in and ignores food most of the time from my hand but will eat if I put it in front of her n move my hand away. I have tried just putting my hand out but she sniffs it n runs off. If she's in the cosy n I try n stroke her side or nose she chatters. I can't even fathom out where she likes to be stroked as she hates everything ...she's scared to death of everything. She eats when left and drinks but never puts any weight on unlike the other one. I make sure they eat separate so they both get the same but she doesn't seem to be hungry all time like other but she eats fresh veg n pellet's and hay. .just don't think she eats very much . She weighs 620g now and back in Aug 510g so hardly put anything on where as the other eats everything in sight ..always is hungry eats pellets n hay galore n puts on lots of weight... she was 640 back in Aug and now is 895. ... basically I'd like advise on successful ways of making her less timid as i first thought keep picking her up with food treats but don't feel that's worked but surely less contact isn't good? and any advise re her weight
 
I tame my piggies in a similar way to how I tame my hamsters. This is my method, and there are different ways.

I get them out every night for cuddles. No excuses. I speak softly and stroke them, especially under the chin and under the eyes, and I speak very softly to them with lots of praise.

Piggies don't like being picked up, so picking up when A piggy is in a chube or a fleece is preferred. Then said piggy gets deposited gently on my lap via my hand.

I do not tolerate unacceptable behaviour, and I am quick to lift the chin of a piggy who misbehaves, asserting my dominance. After this, I stroke under the eyes and gently touch their ears, which is a sign of affection and acceptance.

Some piggies do not like lap time. Mine do, all four. I don't know if I am lucky, but they will sprawl over me and snooze (and lick!) me for hours if I let them. It took Smudge and Poppy 6 weeks to start licking me, and Snowy 3 weeks. I have only had Sweetie since Saturday, but she enjoys lap time with the girlies but does not yet lick me.
 
i would love my two to lick me but to be honest the one who is most likely to when she was very little gave me a nip and
drew blood, so when my hand is that close with no food I cant help but to take it away ... even though she never did it again
.... is it something that just happens or can you train them a little ?
that's really useful, I will try and start holding her a little every day , even I suppose just for a couple of mins, but she does
chatter and tell me she isn't happy sometimes when I pick her up and if I touch her ear she shakes straight away... is that saying
get off ? the other loves me rubbing her ears and stroking under her eye and on her nose, but flossy will move her head or
shake when ever she can
how long at first did you have them out ?
 
The first two nights of bringing them home I only talk to them. Then I sit with them on my lap with a puppy pad. Most of the time a scared piggy will freeze. I will stroke the top of their head, under their chin, and under the eyes, whilst talking gently. I will do this for several minutes, gradually building up the time.

Then after lap time the piggy is returned to the cage and left alone for several hours. Then I might have another session of lap time. Depends on the time. There is nothing wrong with giving small amounts of their favourite veg during lap time.

If a piggy bites it is because they are scared. But it is unacceptable behaviour, so I force their nose in the air with a finger, asserting my dominance, and then follow it up with lots of gentle stroking under the eyes (signs of affection) and head. I also gently rub their ears between my fingers (I am welcoming the piggy in to my heard).
 
We also build lap time up gradually and increase it as time goes by. Using a chube or cosy to collect the piggy in does help too as it takes the stress out of chasing them around trying to pick them up. It has only een in recent years I consider myself a good catcher of piggies but will still use the technique in the video below until I have built a good bind up with the piggies. Cookie the white pig in the video would automatically walk into the chube as she knew it was used to take her out to the sofa or her run
 
My method was to hold new pigs a short time each day, every day. I would let them sit on a blanket on my lap (and let them hide in the blanket until they got braver.) Then I would offer them food and pat them softly and talk to them softly, short sessions at least once a day. Although some pigs seem to like time with the humans more than others, they did all at least get comfortable with me using this method, although some were happy to flop for hours and others only wanted a short time and then got wiggly and ready to go down.
 
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