Help, My pig won't let me pick him up

[mypurpleplace]

I had a pig as a child but we got her when she was older & she was my only experience until last year. Now being a mom whose kid wanted a pig of their own, I was okay with it. Since I had one as a kid myself. We got Milo last July. Milo Piggy is his name & we rescued him from a family who didn't want him anymore. He was very tiny & we were told he was about 1 month old from the purchase at the pet store. He quickly warmed up to us & our love grew for each other. He is about 9 months old now & we are all wrapped around his little claw. He purrs, squeals & popcorns. He has an awesome personality. I am flabbergasted at the difference between Milo & the pig I had as a child. I call him my CatDog. He has the best traits of both.

Now the PROBLEM>>>> He is still very cautious around us. He will NOT allow me to pick him up. We have tried everything from being slow & gentle, & putting support under him to even picking him up while he is on his pillow or in his cushy hidey hole home. I built him a two level grid cage & we can pull away the bottom grid so he can come out. This is the only way we can get him out to run on the carpet & play with us. I see videos where owners can pick up their pig or even brush them with the the pig running away. PLEASE offer any advise on how to train him to allow us to pick him up so we can hold him. Is this just a personality trait that we need to accept? It is because he is still young? Any Pig Whisperer advise would be great. We have grown so attached to this little guy. We just want to show him more love by holding him. Thanks!

 

[Glynis]

Hi well it's lots of patience............ and treaties!
OK you're doing just fine, just keep up with chatting all the time to him, everytime you go past his house talk quietly and even offer a tiny treat at the time.
Try picking him up in a small towel or getting him into a cosie that way he'll feel secure. Then let him hide under a small towel on your lap, again offer a little treat
Best of luck

 

[Bobby&Frankie]

tbh with mine i'm just sitting with them a little every day usually around 10 minutes around their tea time just so they get used to me. I managed to get one of them take some lettuce of of me yesterday so i'm going to try and get them to physically eat from my hand which will take a while.
Just try sitting with him, it really does pay off. I'm preventing the rest of my family going near the boys at the moment (apart from my sis as they're in our room) just so they don't get too stressed with all the ugly faces looking in their cage.

 

[PottyForPiggies]

My piggies LOVE cuddle time, and adore being on my lap and on the sofa, but none of them actually like physically being picked up. You are not the only one! I've had my oldest for nearly 4 years!

Just have patience and reward him with yummy noms. It's a daunting thing having something much larger than you trying to take you away from something comfortable! I agree with Glynis that you should give him somewhere to hide while he becomes comfortable - he will learn soon enough that you aren't anything to be afraid of! I think that just getting him used to all the noises, sounds and voices can only be beneficial for him

 

[Wiebke]

It is a very common problem and one that ususally takes time and patience. Not every piggy will ever take to sitting still and letting itself be picked up.

I have a youngster who has no problems about climbing into my lap, but all hell breaks loose if I try to pick her up! I might as well wrestle with a blob of mercury!

It often helps if you can train your piggies to come into some kind of pick up conveyance with the help of tiny bits of their favourite veg and lots of praise, but even that can take several weeks until it works, so don't expect a quick fix!