several steps to guide new pig parents on the right ways to gently gains thier new piglet's trust.
On the other hand many breeders might actually try to interact with the piglet on a daily basis. This is a good step but again, for most pigs, this is not enough. The first bond that the pig makes with a person is a strong one. The rest of the world is scary, but it has learned that you are someone to be trusted. Unless the piglet is introduced to many other people during its "socialization" period, your piglet might very well be afraid of you, your family, friends, relatives and your other pets.
The good news is that it is relatively easy to domesticate your potbellied piglet.
First you need to give your pig its safe space. A large roomy crate with a blanket or piece of carpet laid down on the bottom will do fine. The bottom of the crate is slick plastic and the pig's hooves will slide when it tries to stand. Without something to pad the bottom the crate is a scary, not a safe, space. To keep the crate clean, if your pig is litter box trained, you will want to put a littler box in a corner of the crate as well. From outside the crate you can talk sweetly to the pig and offer it nice things to eat. Choose a low fat treat because you will be feeding the pig lots of treats in the week to come. Let the piglet come to you and take the treat from you hand. Do this for at least the first night.
After you have allowed the pig to warm up to you a little bit this way you are ready to move on to the next step. Find a secure, closed off room in your house, one in which you would feel comfortable letting the pig roam free whether you are there are not. Put the pig's crate, food and water in this room. Make sure the room is very small and empty so that it has no where to run and hide and nothing to tear up. Sectioning off a portion of your hallway would be a great spot for this, as would a large closet. A small bathroom would work fine as long as you put a rug on the floor to make it easier for the pig to stand.
Allow the pig to roam the room and get comfortable in it. Then plant yourself in one spot in the room. Bring lots of treats or food. For several hours a day, every single day of the week, sit in the room with the pig and allow it to come up to you. The piglet will be very curious and will eventually grow to trust you. When enough trust is established you can let it loose in your house or yard. It could take up to three weeks to establish a good relationship with your pig. The more time you spend in the room with the pig the sooner it will learn to love you.
After that, constant exposure in the following months is the only way to get your potbelly to learn to love other people as much as it loves you. If you are the only person it ever meets, then you are the only person it will ever be comfortable with.
The same can be said for the pig's trust and liking of other animals. It will naturally be afraid of other dogs and cats unless it meets other friendly animals and learns that they can live in harmony. If you do not own any other pets, take it to a park and let it mingle, or find a friend with nice pets and set up a weekly play date. Do not skip this step. It is very important to have an all-around well socialized pet.
Don't worry though, even when you pig is well socialized it will still love you best of all.
