So I was talking to a friend the other day about how hard it is to train a pot belly pig and whether or not it was a pet that could be domesticated, and whether or not it should even be domesticated.
I would love to hear everyone's input on:
Would you own a pot belly pig? Why or Why not?
How do you train a pot belly pig?
I don't know, unless you have a big garden it's hard to find place for that. As I live in an apartment, I am not sure my neighbours would like it if I had a pot belly pig. And it's not even a cute animal (I'm sorry)
(07-25-2012, 01:49 AM)Laura Wrote: Hum... No It's huge and it's a pig
I don't know, unless you have a big garden it's hard to find place for that. As I live in an apartment, I am not sure my neighbours would like it if I had a pot belly pig. And it's not even a cute animal (I'm sorry)
So the answer is a big no for me
LOL yea I think I am on the no train too. I already have 3 dogs that EAT like pigs and they are both pee pad and outdoor trained...I can't imagine cleaning up a pot belly pigs "piles"
Oh and my landlord loves animals but I do think she would draw the line at pig...I'm amazed she has let me have all that I do!! She even hid from her husband that I was fostering 13 snakes so that she could come play with them
Personally, no. I know they're smart, & personable, etc, but not for me. And years ago at least, when they fist started to become popular, people were selling regular domesticated farm piglets as pot bellies.
So this made mr think of a story from a long time ago that is both funny and tragic. I had a friend who got a pot bellied piglet. He also had 4 iguanas that lived on a large screened porch he had basically converted into a large vivarium. A large covered shaded area, a large uncovered sunny area, lots of plants and trees, a large kiddie pool, etc.
They pretty much had it made. After having the pig maybe 6 months if I remember, it was clear it wasn't one of the"miniature" pot bellies. It was a porker. Fairly sweet, but very needy, and clearly not meant to live in a three bedroom house. So I give him a ride home from work one night, late, and the pig is nowhere to be found. The sliding glass door to the porch was open, the largest male iguana was hanging upside down on the screen top, clearly freaked out, there were two legless, injured iguanas on the ground, and a hole in the screen. We were like, "what the hell?" Then there was a squeal, and the pig runs through the yard, with an iguana in its mouth, with one leg left. Damndest thing I've ever seen.
That's not to say pigs don't make good pets. Just to make sure you know what type of animal you are actually getting, and that you have everything necessary to care for it.
WOW!!!! I don't think I would have ever put them together in the first place (I even only give Scar supervised visits with the dragon and pups!) but the visual is both funny and very tragic! Need I ask if any of them survived?
The large male survived. The three that got mauled didn't, if I remember correctly. They weren't meant to be together. Best he could figure, the pig opened the sliding glass door. And only bit off the legs. Weird.
I don't quite understand why those pigs must be pot-bellied. I have seen some really big pigs, actually sows, and I have seen some pretty trim and slim pigs. I haven't had the chance to keep one yet but a friend who had done it said pigs, generally speaking, are even easier to train than dogs. She said the pig would learn to do anything just to get a treat.
If I could, I would. I would absolutely love to own a pig of any kind as long as I have enough room and the pig could have a good time living out the rest of its days. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll ever have one in my lifetime, unless I had Gordon Ramsay's home!
No. I would never own one. I am not a fan of things that dirty and noisy. lol. I like the soft, cuddly furry animals much more. They are huge too! Plus, I would never have enough room for one. Don't they eat a lot? I am not sure how easy they would be to train. I didn't think pigs were that smart.
(07-26-2012, 12:00 PM)dashboardc33 Wrote: No. I would never own one. I am not a fan of things that dirty and noisy. lol. I like the soft, cuddly furry animals much more. They are huge too! Plus, I would never have enough room for one. Don't they eat a lot? I am not sure how easy they would be to train. I didn't think pigs were that smart.
Well...Babe could herd sheep! And you could get by on just feeding the pig all your leftovers...although if you have dogs, they may get jealous of this royal treatment, or at least mine would. And hey, you have to remember some dogs are bigger than a pig! My friend got a cute cuddly furry St Bernard puppy that I held on my lap for the 4 hour ride home...by 6 months I was sitting on HIS lap!!
I don't see why not. I have relatives who own a couple of pet pigs and they're very lovable. They even sleep in the same bed as them sometimes. The only problem I see is that they get a lot of skin problems and need constant care for that. Apart from that, pigs can be good pets as long as they're not aggressive (If the pig is male, neutering it should take care of the aggression).
No, I would never think of owning one.. Space is a major constraint for me.. but even if it wasn't I would go for a bigger dog not a pig. Pigs are pigs and are not in my list of pets.. I don't even think I could love one and interact with one like i do with my other pets - cuddle them and carry them around.. No, maybe never.
If I lived in the country, I would definitely have one. But, it's not possible where we live. I have always wanted to have a small hobby farm. I knew someone who had a pot bellied pig and he was as much of a pet as their dog was. He mostly lived in the house just like their dog. He would curl up on the couch with them when they were watching tv. So, I know a pot bellied pig can be a good pet.
I definitely couldn't have a pot belly big as a pet. I think they are cute and adorale but I read that they can be quite wild and playful which can be alot to deal with. i certainly wouldn't want to deal with an animal that lves to play all day. if they are in your house while you are gone then they can destroy or they could destroy the back yard. I don't personally think you should domesticate them because it's something different from I normaly see; I think they should be on a farm. If that is something you want to do then you should go for it. I read that pigs can be loving and sweet. Unbeknownst to us, pigs may be the best animals to train. So, like the above post states, they can potential make good pets for the home--I know children would adore them!
We own a pot bellied pig, and he is quite the character. I do not have him indoors, but he probably would adapt very well to it. He has his own shed which he like to rearrange on a regular basis, and he does not go to the bathroom anywhere near his bed. He is quite the character and does try to escape. I do not have to worry right now, as he doesn't like the snow and stays close to his shed. In the summer when he got out he would either go to the horses or work his way into the alpaca pen. He is quite the character and definitely has personality.
While I think they are cute as heck and would be fun to play with, we couldn't have one on base housing. Even if we could I'm not sure if my husband would go for that. A pig is not an animal I am familiar with. I'd have to seriously research how to take care of one. Like a puppy, I'm sure they are cute while small, but a huge responsibility when they get bigger. We currently only have enough room for a cat and barely have a yard. If we had lots of land I'd go for it though!
Why not? I love pigs, I think they are absolutely adorable no matter how big they are. They always seem to be having such a fun time whenever I come across pigs. I have no idea how you would train such a huge pig, though. I'd have to do a lot of research into it, but I would be more than willing to give it a go! Pigs can be very sweet.
I would own one. I really want one too,actually. I think as long as you educate yourself on what they're all about, do everything legally of course, and if you could afford it, bottom line: it's your choice. I can tell you one thing, though...don't get too excited and go out and buy one before preparing all its necessities! Pigs are a lot smarter than dogs and can get out pretty easily. Start off with a mini/micro sized-piglet or go out to a breeder's land to learn more about them. Really see if these can be the right pets for you. You never know, you might not like them as much as you think!
I think pigs are adorable! I would love to own one as a pet. I've just heard unfortunately how destructive they can be.
As for the mini/micro sized piglet, those are unfortunately a huge scam. Micro piglets are generally just baby pot belly pigs. They are underfed and sold really young to keep the appearance of "micro". There's a ton of horror stories on the web of people purchasing what they believe to be micro piglets and having them grow full size as they age without a clue what to do with them. It is quite a sin. I wish people would do more research on pets before investing for cuteness sake.
It's just not a feasible option where I live. My neighbors would get the fright of their loves. Plus, I don't know the first thing about caring for a pig, which is the biggest consideration! I wouldn't want an animal to have a poor quality of life because of me.
I really don't see the point in having a pot belly pig unless you live on a farm and if it's meant to be eaten. Animals like that tend to eat a lot and they need to be in a pen when they poop. Keeping them inside a house is unimaginable to me. Maybe vegans would do something like this? Anyway, there are animals that are meant for eating since the dawn of time so I really do think they should stay that way unless it's your decision to keep them.
It's huge and it's a pig 
And you could get by on just feeding the pig all your leftovers...although if you have dogs, they may get jealous of this royal treatment, or at least mine would. And hey, you have to remember some dogs are bigger than a pig! My friend got a cute cuddly furry St Bernard puppy that I held on my lap for the 4 hour ride home...by 6 months I was sitting on HIS lap!!