Question
JJ
Hello, We adopted a 10 month old PBP in Aug and were told that he was potty trained. He was neutered when he was 8 months. He has always had a problem with pottying in the house. We have tried a litter box with pine shavings which he ate and wouldnt potty in so we switched to newpaper but he doesnt like that either. He has recently also started pooping in the house :( I am home with him all day and able to watch him very closely, but as soon as I leave him for a couple of minutes he makes a mess. We live in North Dakota and it's very cold but the only time we put him outside is when he wakes, after he eats and when he starts sniffing at his problem spots. During the warm months he had a special place that he pooped in but since the cold and snow has come it is too far for him to walk and I worry about frost bite on his hooves. He is only allowed in two rooms of the house and is kenneled at night. He does not potty in his kennel. Sometimes he will go 3 days without pooping and then poop like crazy all day (in the house) when I'm doing other chores. He knows it's wrong because as soon as I see it I scold him and he runs. HELP!
AnswerThe problem here is that your pig is confused. He knows he is supposed to potty outside, but he is not getting outside often enough, or to his warm month potty spot. The only solution is to start potty training over from square one. Pigs learn quickly but unlearn slowly, so this will be a long process. Piggy has a lot to unlearn.
At his age, as an indoor pig in your climate, he needs either an indoor potty box, or a sheltered outdoor potty spot near the door. Pine shavings are messy, but I'm surprised he ate them, pigs usually eat clay kitty litter. Puppy pads are really the best solution.
Next, take him to his litter box often. As soon as he wakes up. After breakfast. An hour after breakfast. Before lunch. After lunch. Before his afternoon nap. As soon as he wakes up from his nap. Take him again an hour later. The idea is to keep him pottying over and over in the same spot, and keep him so empty he has no real desire to potty elsewhere.
Keep him in his box until he actually goes potty. No faking allowed!
Clean all the accident spots thoroughly with any good quality product designed to remove pet odors.
Two rooms might be a bit too much space for him at first. Confine him to a single room unless he is right next to you on a harness and leash. Make him potty in his box before letting him out of his room.
Because piggies unlearn slowly, you'll have to do this for a few months. By summertime, he will probably be pooping outside again, and probably peeing outside, too. But, you'll still need to stick to the strict program of very, very frequent trips to the potty box or outside, and very close supervision inside. Over the summer you can arrange a sheltered potty spot for him. One option people in cold climates use is a litter box in a garage.
I highly recommend the book Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and Training by Priscilla Valentine. Pris really understands how pigs think and why they do the things they do. She goes into potty training in much more detail than I can here.
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