Pig Bites

Question
How do you Correct a Pig who Bites?

Answer
A pig may bite out of fear, self-defense, or aggression. If your pig is fearful, give him confidence. Take things very slowly. Let him approach you, not the other way around.

Aggression is a complex problem, and it needs a multi-step solution. First, make sure piggy has a "safe space" where he can be comfortable and alone, like a laundry room or large crate.

When piggy acts aggressively, by rooting at feet or biting, push piggy back. Make piggy take a few steps backwards. If piggy responds by being still more aggressive, put him in his safe space for a quick time-out. Just long enough to distract him from the aggressive behavior.

Start trick and harness training. The purpose of trick training isn't really to teach tricks, it's to teach the pig to obey commands and to help the pig and person learn to communicate with each other. Reinforce this training by making piggy do a simple trick, like sit or spin, for his meals.

Pigs see the world as a ladder with each pig, or person, having their own rung. Pigs naturally want to be as high up as possible. So, to teach piggy that people are the ones in charge, make him move. If he's blocking a doorway or such, do not step over or around him. Make him get up and move.

I highly recommend the book Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and Training by Priscilla Valentine. She really understands how pigs think and why they do the things they do. Her book has several chapters on aggression and she covers it in much more detail than I can here. Her book is available from Amazon