Biting and Squeling

Question
Hello I have a 3 month old piglet. Well he has two problems I'm having trouble with. First one is his biting/nibbling at my or anyone's feet for that instance. One time he got my husband's heel and he said it hurt him pretty bad. So my question is how do we stop him from doing that. Secondly, I have to pick him up to take him out side because there are three steps and he can't get down them himself. Well when we pick him up nice and calmly he squels and moves almost noncontrollable. So my question is how do we get him to stop the squealing when we pick him up? Thx

Answer
Foot biting is a common problem. Pigs love feet! Do not let him sniff or play with peoples feet. When he starts on the feet, push him away gently and say NO. It will take a few days and many times for him to learn he's not allowed to do this any more. He may throw a temper tantrum! Everyone must do this, if one person allows him to play with feet he will be confused and the problem will just get worse.

It's easy to hurt a pig when lifting him because their backs are stiff, not flexible. So be sure to support his whole spine when lifting, holding and setting him back down. To get him used to being held, start off by sitting on the floor, and holding him in your lap while he eats his meals. Then move to a chair, then finally hold him in your arms while he eats his meals. No meals for him unless he's being held in a lap or chair! Because food is involved, he will pick up on this quickly.

It's much easier to train a piglet right from the start, it's much harder to correct bad habits later. I highly recommend Priscilla Valentines book Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and Training. Pris really understands how pigs think. It's available from Amazon.com or Valentinesperformingpigs.com