My youngest pig Dolly is about 6 months old.
She is kept on her own as my older females didn't take to her and there was a lot of aggression from both sides. She is therefore pampered with a lot of attention from me, at least 2-3 hours everyday of cuddles and floor playtime.
However, the last few months she has started to nip me, hard, and it's getting worse.
It started out randomly, every now and again, if I touched her under her chin she would give me a swift hard nip. I took this as a warning and figured she was probably just sensitive in that area. However now she is showing aggression and dominance nearly every day. If she is on the floor having playtime and has a sleep if I try to stroke her or go near her she nips, hard. It's quick and fast and she can nip anywhere between 2-5 times in a matter of seconds.
She also nips if I put my hand near her food bowl, or move too quickly beside her when she is having cuddles.
The thing is she is the sweetest, funniest, most affectionate and most intelligent pig I've ever had. I worry I've given her too much freedom as I think she thinks she is dominant over me.
I've tried 'wheeking' in pain when she nips, I've tried saying 'NO' loudly and firmly and I've even tried tapping her on the nose. (Lightly of course) but she is just getting worse and worse.
The only thing I can put it down to is when she was about 2 months old she had a bad case of ringworm and we had to apply cream under her chin on a wound. I thought perhaps it was the memory of that when we touch under her chin, but it doesn't explain the aggressiveness she is showing towards us.
Does anyone have any advice to help stop this behaviour before it gets worse and she starts drawing blood?
Thanks!
She is kept on her own as my older females didn't take to her and there was a lot of aggression from both sides. She is therefore pampered with a lot of attention from me, at least 2-3 hours everyday of cuddles and floor playtime.
However, the last few months she has started to nip me, hard, and it's getting worse.
It started out randomly, every now and again, if I touched her under her chin she would give me a swift hard nip. I took this as a warning and figured she was probably just sensitive in that area. However now she is showing aggression and dominance nearly every day. If she is on the floor having playtime and has a sleep if I try to stroke her or go near her she nips, hard. It's quick and fast and she can nip anywhere between 2-5 times in a matter of seconds.
She also nips if I put my hand near her food bowl, or move too quickly beside her when she is having cuddles.
The thing is she is the sweetest, funniest, most affectionate and most intelligent pig I've ever had. I worry I've given her too much freedom as I think she thinks she is dominant over me.
I've tried 'wheeking' in pain when she nips, I've tried saying 'NO' loudly and firmly and I've even tried tapping her on the nose. (Lightly of course) but she is just getting worse and worse.
The only thing I can put it down to is when she was about 2 months old she had a bad case of ringworm and we had to apply cream under her chin on a wound. I thought perhaps it was the memory of that when we touch under her chin, but it doesn't explain the aggressiveness she is showing towards us.
Does anyone have any advice to help stop this behaviour before it gets worse and she starts drawing blood?
Thanks!