pot bellied pigs bite

Question
Ok my pig is a adult male and is fixed but I went to feed him and pet him and he charged me and tried to bite me on my leg, he did not brake skin but when I went to leave he try to get me again. He has never bit anyone before. Was house trained before we got him and now is a out side pig. We have had him almost two months, and has getting use to us as a family. I wanted to know what may cause this and should I be censured.

Answer
Ok, your pig is an adult, and you've had him about 2 months. I am guessing that he is around 2 years old, give or take, and that you got him because he has shown aggression towards his former owners (that they may or may not have mentioned).

Pigs see the world as a ladder, with each person, pet and pig having his or her own rung. When pigs reach adulthood at about age 2 they have an overwhelming urge to try to move up that ladder to be Top Hog. The pig begins to behave aggressively, the people don't understand why their charming baby has turned mean, and don't know how to resolve the issue. The pig has bonded deeply with them and is treating them as he would another pig, but the befuddled people assume, wrongly, that the pig no longer loves them.

When the pig lands in the new home, he's hurt, confused and angry. He's lost everyone and everything he's ever loved and known. And, he must get a good rung on the ladder in this scary, new home.

Your pig is being territorial about his space. That's normal, and, believe it or not, really not a bad thing. It means that he understands this is his new home and you are his new people, and he is comfortable enough to try moving up this new "ladder".

Start working with him outside his space on a harness and lead, if you can. NO treats unless he has "earned" them by doing tricks. Start with simple trick training, like "sit" or "spin". Make piggy do the trick before setting his food dish down for him.

Make him do tricks before petting him. But, don't let him push you around inside his space. You can try pushing on his forehead to make him take a couple of steps back. Or if you are really unsure, carry a garbage pail lid or something similar, and use it like a shield when he tries to come at you, then make him take a couple of steps back. Also, enter his space at random times and make him get up and move, or just do tricks. The idea is to teach him that you are in charge, but respecting that he is hurting and confused.

I highly recommend Priscilla Valentines' book Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and Training. Pris really understood how pigs think and why they do the things they do. Right now it's in between printings, but you may be able to find an inexpensive used copy or order it through your library. Another good resource are the dvds from Top Hogs, "There's a Pig in the House" and "Amazing Pig Tricks". Finally, I also recommend the Yahoo group PigInfoAndChat. It's a friendly group of pig lovers, and many of them are experienced at adopting adult pigs and will be happy to talk to you about your experiences. The group archives contains a series of five or so articles about "Move the Pig" which explains piggy aggression and how to control it in deep detail, complete with personal examples.