How To House Train a Pot Bellied Pig

Pigs are very clever, and your pot bellied pig can be house trained with a little patience and lots of treats.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: variable

Here's How:

1. Initially confine your pig to a small area when not directly supervising him or her.
2. Take the pig outside frequently (every 2 hours), and especially upon waking and after meals.
3. Come up with a command to use when you want your pig to urinate or defecate e.g. 'Do your stuff.'
4. When the pig urinates or defecates outside, use lots of praise and a give a bite of its favorite treat.
5. Establish a routine for eating and going outside, which will help your pig understand the idea of going outside to eliminate.
6. If your pig has an accident in the house, say 'no' firmly and take him or her outside immediately, but only if caught in the act. Do not punish your pig!
7. Supervise the pig and limit his/her access to the house by closing doors and using baby gates until reliably trained.
8. When leaving the house, confine your pig to a small room with a baby gate. Try to avoid using newspapers on the floor or the pig may get confused.
9. When a pig has an accident in the house, clean the soiled area well with vinegar or commercial pet stain/odor remover.
10. If your pig starts having accidents once training is underway, back up and start with confinement and supervision again.

Tips:

1. Your pig will respond best to rewards for success. Give your pig lots of opportunities to go outside, and lots of praise and rewards for success.
2. Spaying and neutering, in addition to health and other behavior benefits, will decrease marking behavior and make house training easier.
3. Lots of patience on your part may be required, but should be rewarded with a well-trained pig!