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One thing that is different about mini pigs from other more common pets is that sometimes they get aggressive. This can be very dangerous for you, your family, your other pets, and your guests. I have been charged at myself and have seen many examples of others being nudged, charged, and even bit by their pig.
So how can you control your mini pig’s aggression? The best way to control your mini pig’s aggression is to show them you are the boss. Do not be scared of them, and nudge them back to show you are stronger and deserve respect. While nudging them, scold them and tell them “no” but do not yell.
This is just the beginning of controlling your pig’s aggression though, there are still more steps that you will probably need to make. Aggression in pigs comes from them being lonely, scared, spoiled, and not being spayed or neutered. Continue reading to learn all that you will need to know to stop your pig’s aggression.
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How to prevent and stop aggressive behavior from your mini pig
Although mature pig’s aggression can be controlled, it is much easier to prevent it from happening in the first place. The tips I explain below will both help prevent aggression and control pigs who are already aggressive.
To start, you need to make sure that you are treating your pig as a pig just as much as you are treating them as a pet. Make a large fenced-in area outside for them to run around, root, and just do pig things. Keeping your pig as only an indoor pet stresses them out because it is not naturally where they belong.
Consider getting another pig
Mini pigs are naturally very social animals and having another pig will make them much more comfortable and less likely to be aggressive. If you only have one pig, they will treat you and your family more like herd members than masters. Naturally, mini pigs are aggressive towards their herd members because they try to become the boss of the herd.
Having another pig will make it less likely that they will have these aggressive herding tendencies on you, but on your other pig (which is completely natural). Along with that, when pigs are alone they feel sad and lonely. Many times these emotions can transform into aggression and rooting.
Do not yell at your mini pig
When your pig does something aggressive towards you, your family members, or your other pets, your first instinct will probably be to yell at them. By doing this, it actually makes it worst because sometimes their aggression comes from fear. I have heard stories of some people being bit by their pigs after they yelled at them.
Instead of yelling, you need to scold them without raising your voice. As I explained in the bold paragraph, tell them no and give them a nudge. Show them you are stronger, and they will listen to you.
Give your mini pig treats for listening to you
If your pig listens to you after you scold them for their aggressive behavior, give them a treat. Pigs are very food driven, so if they start to understand that good behavior rewards food, they will have better behavior. So whenever they have good behavior, give them a small treat. Don’t overdo this though, you don’t want your pig to obey you only because you give them food.
Cheerios are a great treat that you can use, and believe it or not, you can actually get them on Amazon by clicking here.
Make sure to get them spayed/neutered
Mini pigs who are not spayed or neutered will be much more aggressive and have many additional behavior issues. These pigs will aggressively hump anyone during their heat (unspayed girls will do it too). It is recommended that you get your pig spayed or neutered while they are under 3 months of age, but it can still be done later in their life as well. It might just be more expensive.
If you want to know more about spaying or neutering your pig, check out my article on it by clicking here.
Additional methods to stop pig aggresion
These are more uncommon, but they have worked for some of my friends on Instagram who have had aggression problems with their pig.
Act like a pig
This tip comes from my friend on Instagram @oi.nkvey. Whenever her pig seemed to be getting aggressive she stomped her feet and grunted as if she was a pig herself. This might sound strange, but it actually works. When you communicate with your pigs in their language, it has a much higher chance they will listen to you.
Spray your pig with something they don’t like the smell of
My other friend @minipig_greta prepared a home-made spray container of water with a little bit of vinegar mixed in. When her pig gets aggressive, she sprays a small amount at her. I would recommend only doing this method if your pig is becoming uncontrollably aggressive because the vinegar might hurt their eyes.
Mini pigs being aggressive to your other pets
Along with being aggressive to you, they will most likely also show this aggression to your other pets. This can be very dangerous especially if you have a dog. Always watch when your pig and dog are together because you never know when a fight will break out that could severely injure or kill your pig or dog.
To stop your pig’s aggressive behavior towards your pets, use the same methods in which I’ve explained above. If they are biting, continue reading.
If you want to have both a dog and mini pig in the same household, check out this article here, which will teach you more about it.
How to stop your pig from biting
Mini pigs tend to bite for many different reasons. They may be doing it just because they want to play, and nipping your toes is a game to them. Other times it might be out of aggression. If your pig is aggressively biting you, you should scold them with a “no” and give them a nudge.
If this doesn’t work, you should try a more positive approach. Find out when your pig is trying to bite you. For example, they might try to bite you when you try to pick them up. Once you’ve found out what’s bothering your pig and making them bite you, give them a treat such as cheerios while you’re doing it.
This will calm them down and should stop them from biting you. After doing it a couple of times, try to transition into no treats. Many times your pig will change their behavior even without you giving them the treats anymore. This is because they realize whatever you were doing isn’t actually so bad.
Why are mini pigs aggressive?
As I’ve stated before, pigs are herding animals, and they naturally will be aggressive to their herd mates (which is usually you, your family, and your other pets). It’s simply just in their nature, and it’s something you should prepare for if you want to get a pig.
Along with their herding behavior, they also get very aggressive when food is involved. Pigs don’t really like sharing their food, so if your pig thinks you or your other pets are trying to take their food, they tend to get aggressive.
What can happen if you don’t correct your mini pig’s aggressive behavior?
It’s very important to correct your pig’s aggressive behavior as quickly as you can because over time it will be harder to stop. They will get what’s called spoiled pig syndrome and completely lose respect for you. They won’t let you touch them unless they want to be touched. They will demand food, and when you don’t give them what they want, they will wine and squeal extremely loudly.
Is it hard to correct your mini pig’s aggressive behavior?
This completely depends on how long your pig has been aggressive. If they’ve only shown this behavior a couple of times, it may only be a couple of good scoldings that get them to stop. If your pig has been having aggressive behaviors for a while, it might take more than just scolding. Even if it is hard, disciplining them is very important and is something all pig parents have to do.
If nothing is working
If you have applied all of these methods and your pig is still not cooperating, you might have to contact your veterinarian to see if they can better diagnose your problem. You can also contact me by giving me a DM on my Instagram (click on the Instagram icon on the top right of your screen) or by clicking the contact us page in the footer. I’d be happy to help you with your situation.
Also, I wrote another post about how you can get your pig to love and trust you with many tips that should help. Check out that post by clicking here.
