Pot Belly Pig doesnt listen

Question
Our Pot Belly pig is three months old and is soon to be spayed. However, she doesn't listen to commands when she is called unless treats are there, and she has taken to body rooting and biting toes; what can we do to stop the body rooting and biting? We think she wasn't weaned correctly.

Answer
The key is consistency and patience. If she isn't spayed, then she's struggling with out of control hormones, and she's learned some bad habits.

Pigs that were weaned early sometimes enjoy rooting on hands, feet and other body parts. Sometimes they stop on their own around 4 or 5 months, but not always. So if this is something you do not want her to do, do not let her do it. Ever. To anyone. Allowing a little here or there just leaves her confused. Every time she starts to root on a person, push her away with a firm No. If she keeps trying three or four times in a row, take her to a quiet Time Out room away from everyone for about 5 minutes. Then bring her back and try again.

She may not understand why all of a sudden she's not allowed to do this, and she may get a bit aggressive. If she shows any aggression, put her into Time Out.

It will take a while for her to learn not to do this, but once she is spayed and learns the new rules she'll settle down.

Do the same thing with toes. It might be best to teach her not to sniff or play with toes at all. Just push her away with a firm No.

At three months old she's still young and learning, so always use a treat as a reward for tricks or for coming when called. But, don't give her the treat unless she comes promptly or preforms the trick.

I highly recommend Priscilla Valentines book Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and Training. Pris really understands how pigs think. Her book is available from Amazon.com or her website www.valentinesperformingpigs.com