Biting

Question
I have a 2 month male pot belly pig who recently started snapping at me and others when they go close to his face with their hand. I read that it could be because of the discomfort from the teeth growing in that is making him snap. The biting doesn't hurt but I'm afraid he will do it when he is older. He hasn't been neutered yet also so I dont know if that has something to do with it. My sisters dogs visited this weekend and I think he's a bit stressed by them he doesn't really like them. But I have been telling him no whenever he does it, which isn't stopping him. I'm just wondering what you think about it and what is a good way to correct his behavior. Thank you for the help

Answer
Snapping is a potentially dangerous habit. It's usually accompanied by head swipes.

I can't say for sure what caused this to start for you. It could be due to stress or fear of the dogs, or pain from teething, or his first attempts at mating behavior.

Give piggy a safe space all for himself. A closet or laundry room is fine. Put his bed and a litter box there, so he can relax when the dog visits.

Getting piggy neutered will curb mating behavior. It will help him calm down and relax. The sooner he is neutered, the faster any "boar odor" will go away, and he will foam less at the mouth, or not at all.

When you tell him "no", gently push his face away. This is called a "head swipe", and how pigs interact with each other. Pigs see the world as a ladder, with each person, pig and pet having their own rung. Piggy needs to understand that people have the top rungs.

Help piggy learn by reminding him several times a day that you are in charge. Trick and harness training is very important, because it helps piggy and person understand each other. Pigs show dominance over each other by making each other get up and move, so do the same thing with your pig. Always make piggy move out of your way, never step around piggy. Make piggy sit before giving piggy a meal.

I highly recommend the book Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and Training by Priscilla Valentine. Pris really understood how pigs think and why they do the way they do. Her book is in between printings right now, so look for used copies or borrow it from your local library. Two excellent dvds, which also may be available from your library, are There's a Pig in the House and Amazing Pig Tricks, from tophogs.com