Is your pig getting pig-headed when you try to take them for a walk? When you first got your pig, was he happy to go for walks but now you have to almost push your pig along before he gets moving? This isn’t fun for either of you, but you need to remember that pigs are just like 2 year old children. Only positive reinforcement will motivate a pig in the long term if you really want to train them. By trying to walk behind your push and push you are using more of a ‘stick’ approach rather than a ‘carrot’ approach. To a certain extent it’s also a game for pigs – it became a challenge to see how annoyed you became when you tried to push him. He didn’t like being intimidated so he’s digging in the hooves.
Now if your pig is overweight or old, it might be a challenge getting them to walk. The secret to getting your pig to move is to make your pig think it’s his idea and not to force him. You can teach your pig to “come” and “follow” before you go for your walk. You can teach your pig to “follow” be taking a special treat he never usually gets and let him smell it. Say “follow” and then make him follow you and walk forward a few feet so he can claim his prize. Slowly increase the distance, from 3 feet to 6 and then 10. You should only use “follow” for special occasions, for example when it’s hot outside or he’s afraid. If you use it too many times it will lose it’s effect.
So a routine command you can use is “come”. You can train him in the same way as follow, but use regular treats rather than a special treat. You need to make it his decision to come to you rather than simply standing there and most pigs would prefer to get free food rather than playing a game of how much they can annoy you. Once it’s his idea to come to you, you can pay him his treat.
If your pig refuses to come, there could be a few reasons. You could be trying too hard or being impatient. You could also be giving too many treats to your pig and he feels that he doesn’t need to move because he will get another treat from you (or another family member) soon anyway. There’s no motivation for him to move. When he does move, make sure you pay him his treat and give him praise for following your command.
So you can now use “come” for general walking and if your pig is especially scared or needs to go up stairs or other out of the ordinary situation, you can use “follow”.
