How do you make your pigs human friendly?

[PiggiePal]

I was just reading a few threads and I was wondering how people go about helping their piggies to become human friendly and like being picked up etc. Thinking about one of my rescue piggies Snowy who had been rescued from a breeder she was really amiable to being picked up but my pig Jack absolutely hates it.
How much time do you spend picking your pig up to make them like being picked up and not skittish?

 

[Niki]

I was just reading a few threads and I was wondering how people go about helping their piggies to become human friendly and like being picked up etc. Thinking about one of my rescue piggies Snowy who had been rescued from a breeder she was really amiable to being picked up but my pig Jack absolutely hates it.
How much time do you spend picking your pig up to make them like being picked up and not skittish?

My piggy Haggis was extremely skittish when i got him having had minimal/no human contact before being rescue. Hels worked with him in rescue & i've carried on. At first i had to wrap him in a fleece to keep a hold of him, i then bought him a cat igloo as he wasn't happy to sit on me. This ensured i could keep stroking him but he couldn't come to any harm trying to escape my knee.
I've gotten him out of his cage every evening into his igloo & whilst i sit watching tv i stroke him, 12 days on he will now sit on me without running off but when he's had enough he goes back into his igloo but i still stroke him
It's a matter of time & patience, talk to Jack in a quiet voice whilst stroking him, he will come round

 

[Pigglywink's Rachel]

With having two girls that I'm trying to get human friendly, should I take them out together, or one at a time? I had them both out last night, but then Caramel stepped on poor little Aphrodite and made her squeak, plus Caramel steals all the bribes... err, I mean treats... that I'm trying to give Dite so poor little Dite doesn't get anything at all except the cuddles that scare her.

 

[summerleaze]

All piggies are different, some accept being handled whilst others never get any pleasure form it. Some I have here are really confident and brave whilst in the hutch, hanging out the door, taking food from my fingers but the minute I go to pick them up they're gone !

Just give them time, handling them little and often may help but there are no rules as far as piggies are concerned - they just make it up as they go along so he may always hate it. I do find as they get older they seem to object less though.

Putting them on your lap in a box so that you can stroke them without having to hold them firmly can help. Also wrapping in a towel as already mentioned is ok too.

 

[Goldie]

Most piggies will run away when you try to pick them up. From my experience they are happy to be stroked and fussed over in their hutch or cage and have their feet up on the hutch door waiting for food. But when it comes down to the hand approaching them, then they tend to run for cover.

They are naturally timid animals. If they are handed each day, then they do accept being picked up. Having said that, all my pigs lovesbeing cuddled and enjoy a run around indoors and/or lap time after you catch them. Each piggy is individual and reacts differently.

It does take time and patience with some, but well worth it.

 

[Ozzy&Marley]

my piggies were running into their igloo the minute i walked into their room and would only come to the doorway for treats then run back in. I have started to sit down next to their cage so i am at their eye level and feed them treats through the bars, they seem to be coming around a bit and dont run quite as quickly now I also sing to them (not very well i have to admit but they seem to like it!) and tell them stories its hard to find things to talk about to them! my OH caught me singin to them yesterday and he looked at me like i had completely lost the plot lol

 

[rainbow]

cyril really enjoys being handled and stroked and as we have had from a baby its always been something we've done. like the others have said just be patient and the trust will build up, good luck x

 

[Angeladeedah]

It took my 2 girls about a year before they begun to trust me. I found that letting them take food from my hand and bathtime helped the bonding - plus obviously handling more and cuddle time.

One of them started off really skittish and she was a real nitemare but she's changed and will now let me pick her up for a cuddle (she loves snuggling into my neck). My other one has never really bothered too much but think it's perhaps more laziness on her part and she can't be bothered to run away - she's very lazy and chunky.

 

[Pigmad]

All my piggies are human friendly, they are out everynite for floortime and cuddles and sometimes in the morning too if I'm doing a late shift, they always have a treat. JJ my lone boar like nothing better than to sit on my shoulder while I'm on the laptop and lick my ear