Struggling to train pigs

[ThePotterPiggie]

For the past few months I’ve been working on training my new pigs to hop onto an upturned hidie, to carry them off for lap time. They’re both pretty skittish in general compared to my others, so I thought lifting them with a hidie would be more comfortable for them. However, even after all their training they’re still pretty terrified of being lifted, and will try to hop off once they’re a couple inches in the air. Sometimes, they refuse to get on at all and I don’t push them. When I pick them up, I always give them lots of praise and vegetables to keep them happy. My other pigs (girls) don’t mind being lifted at all. Should I be lifting them using the hidie? Is there any way to speed up/make the process easier?

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

I generally shepherd my 3 rather unwilling piggies into a tunnel - usually a fleece one because then it is easier to close off the ends so they can't get out through my hands.
There's some tips here on picking up piggies How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely

 

[Pigwhisperer]

Agree with the tunnel method - they can't jump off then.

 

[ThePotterPiggie]

Thanks I’ll try that with my picky pigs!

 

[artcasper]

Mine have a fleece house... I put it in front of them and say dinner time and they go in... never tried to train them.. it's just happened as I did it every day... and said the same thing... same at bedtime too... not bragging by they way

 

[Lorcan]

Blitzen (who hated being handled but was much less fussy about being actually picked up) was quite good about going into a carrier. Put it in the cage, pop some vegetables in, leave door open - win! Comet, on the other hand, got wise to every trick in the book. He refused to go into the carrier, into tunnels, the lot...and I'd get tired of trying to get him quicker than he ever would running away.
I'm gonna suggest the carrier, though. My mistake was letting Comet associate the carrier with the vet, I think if they're used to being in it then it's much less stressful on them to associate with icky vet visits.

 

[Tewdric]

I'll second the carrier option. I use it every day to get the pigs in and out of their lawn run. I try not to pick them up from their carrier so that they don't associate it with being handled - my two newbies are still pretty skittish.

The carrier method also means my OH and my parents (whe we go away) can get the piggies in and out easily without any stress on anybodies behlaf.

 

[ThePotterPiggie]

Thanks so much Tewdric and Lorcan I’ll try the carrier method too