Questions about different types of pot bellies

Question
I have had two pot belly pigs in the past and am thinking about getting another one.  My question is is there more than one type of pot belly? I found someone with a several for sale and half were the short legged, belly dragging cute as could be and the type I have had before.  But they also had several that were more slender and had longer legs.  I like the plump kind better but when I picked each of those up they were very vocal about being held which is what my other pigs did.  When I picked up each of the other type they were very quiet and not as up set. I am tying to find the person who had them as he bought all of the babies to ask him about it but cannot find him.  Are there more that one "type" of pot belly. Thanks you Jennifer

Answer
All pot-bellied pigs trace their ancestry back to several kinds of Asian pigs. These pigs have perky ears, straight tails and backs, and weigh about 200 lb at maturity. Strict animal import laws make it difficult to bring animals into the US. The first pot-bellied pigs were imported in 1985-86 by a man named Connell, primarily for use in lab experiments. Most farm hogs weigh 800+ lb at maturity, so these "small" or "miniature" - by comparison! - pigs seemed easier for labs to care for. The solid black pigs born in Canada from pigs imported from Vietnam, were placed in a zoo, and the offspring sold to the pet industry. Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs promptly became the trendy "must-have" pet.

Several other groups of small pigs were soon brought in, and people also bred pot-bellied pigs with smaller farm hogs and feral pigs. Several registries for pot-bellied pigs sprang up, tracking the various groups of imported pigs and their descendants. Pigs shows were held across the country, top prize winning pbp sold for thousands of dollars.

But, the fad quickly faded. The shows stopped, the registries closed, and pot-bellied pigs ended up in sanctuaries by the thousands.

Almost all pot-bellied pigs in the US today are a mix of the different groups of pbp brought here. They can be black, black and white, almost completely white with a touch of black "eyeliner", mostly white with black spots, silver, or red. Some have long snouts, some have very squished, upturned noses. Some will get quite tall, 24" or so at the shoulder, some stay on the smaller side, near 100 lb or so. All of them are "pot-bellied pigs", and all make equally good pets. It's just a matter of personal taste which pigs you find most attractive.

Pigs have unique personalities. It seems that some personality traits are passed from pig parent to piglet, but socialization and training make the biggest difference. Piglets do not like being lifted and held, they need to be taught to enjoy it. An unsocialized pig will freak out if it's picked up and held, a pig that's been taught to be picked up will be quiet.

The best way to choose a piglet is to get to know the breeder and see the parents. Pigs are nearly full grown at 2, but will not stop growing until they are 4 or 5 years old. Pigs can have babies when they are just 6 months old. A 1 year old "momma" pig still has a lot of growing to do herself. Also, the way the breeder cares for the parents will make a difference. Does the breeder socialize the babies? Are they left with the parents for a reasonable time (pigs will nurse the babies until they are between 8 and 12 weeks old), or were the babies taken from Mom at a ridiculously young age like 2 weeks?

I suggest visiting a rescue or sanctuary near you to see all the different "looks" for pot-bellied pigs. Rescues and sanctuaries often take in pregnant pigs and have babies available for adoption, they will be honest with you about the mothers age and her condition, and can socialize the babies while they are still nursing, so the babies get a good healthy start in life.

If you are intent on a piglet with a specific kind of "look", North American Pot-Bellied Pig Association still maintains a registry with breeders and their standards at http://www.webfoot.net/nappa/default.asp?contentID=1