Hello! I have a boat that is 1 year old, and I just recently bought him and his brother. And today we tried to cut their nails for the first time but the boar in question (Holmfast) do not let me pick him up. He seems very mad and jumps around so that I cannot catch him at all. When I did he tried to bite me. He also has a lot of hair that needs brushing but whenever I try to brush him he runs away or only let me do it for a short period. I would appreciate help because I need to get these things done but he won’t let me.
Thanks
Did you have any luck catching your boar? Let us know if you get the chance.
I almost always pick my pigs up with a fleece pocket. Most of the time they will just walk inside. If not then usually a tap on the butt will send them in. This might be good for a very wiggly/jumpy pig over a pigloo or wooden house because you can hold the pocket shut tight. Don't chase the pigs, just casually corral them into a corner if necessary and slide the pocket over them. For a very scared pig that insists on running away, you might consider starting out by just leaving the pocket in the cage and waiting for him to take a nap in it. You can leave him in the pocket while you (or a friend) holds him and coax 1 leg out at a time to clip his nails. Don't be afraid to grip the leg gently but firmly, it'll be over quicker that way. Your pig is not going to pull so hard that he breaks his own leg. (I remember being terrified of this at first, lol.) I reccomend sitting on the floor while you do all this in case he really panics and decides he's a flying pig. (Happened once to me.)
Also, once you have the pig in the pocket, you can try gently stroking him between the eyes before you start clipping. Most piggies like this spot and it may relax him somewhat. Do give him a favorite treat to munch on so he'll associate the grooming process with good things.
You should also be able to brush or trim most of his fur while he remains in the pocket. Give him a little nudge and he should roll around in there and expose different sides. I'd suggest cutting it short for now, that way he'll be lower maintenance while he gets more used to being handled. I just got my first long-haired pigs recently, one very docile and one extremely wiggly, and the "pocket haircut" worked pretty well for both. I was afraid they would be ugly since I'm no hairdresser, but if you just keep clipping it'll wind up fairly even.
Have modest expectations at first. You are both new at this. Maybe it's a victory if you get 3 toes trimmed the first go before he (or you!) become too stressed. Your pig will not die from slightly long toenails - it takes quite a bit of neglect before foot health issues start to set in. Just keep trying and eventually you will get all 14 toes. Soon you will be clipping all 14 in record time!
Oh, and this may be obvious, but have the right nail clippers! I suggest the kind that look like a little pair of scissors and open as wide as possible.
Human nail clippers and most cat nail clippers may wind up being too fiddly if your pig is also uncooperative.
Sorry if this was long winded, haha. I was just thinking of everything I'd tell my past self from when I first got pigs. I remember getting so frustrated trying to clip nails that I cried a little.
