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November 30, 2008 We decided to “retire” (pink-earred and nosed) Mrs. Hoggett as a Service Animal in training and give her to a family who has wanted a sweet pot-bellied pig for a long long time. I called the new owners a day or two after they took her as their own and got a rave report. THEY LOVE HER SO MUCH SHE IS SLEEPING IN THEIR BED WITH THEM! AAaahhh... perfect for them and perfect for us! Still, I am sure that some of our readers will enjoy the pictures and the stories I share here. Have fun with Mrs. Hoggett. I did... for awhile!
side note: March 27, 2010: I still miss my Mrs. Hoggett so very much, but I’m grateful that she found a wonderful home. At times, I’m sure I hear her grunting and “complaining” at the ENTRANCE to the kitchen, announcing to me it is time for a SNACK (all of our animals are trained that the kitchen is off limits!) I wish I had been stronger to have handled her pushiness but then~ if I were~ I wouldn’t have needed a SERVICE pig! And that would have been even more wonderful!!! `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` November somethingorother, 2008 Mrs. Hoggett is a ton of work and I have the bruises to prove it (her snout is STRONG; she nudges me all over my legs to get my attention: “I want food. I want petted. I want more food. I want more petting. No, not like that! Over here.. yeah, right there... scratch THAT RIGHT THERE.” She can roam about freely on our (unfenced) land now, is “pals” with the cats and comes when called (and is under foot when NOT CALLED!) While she is so sweet is many ways, she is becoming too much of a challenge for me and too much of a frustration for my husband. (He is SURE she will still fit in the crockpot!!!) Potty Training has become a nightmare. She will squat on command when outside, even if she has already emptied her bladder, but, WHEN THE URGE HITS (when she’s inside), peeeeee goes the pig... anywhere she likes in the house. UGH. I’ve followed all the expert advice (go to www.PigINFOandCHAT@yahoogroups.com) but she just will not give me A CLUE that she needs to be let out... again... and again... and again... and again... The other issue with her is that she has SERIOUS PMS! Oh my gosh! She went through her first menstrual cycle (which is every 21 days and lasts 6 days!!!!!!) and she was a PSYCHO CASE! She was head butting the other animals and wouldn’t let me come close to putting her harness on. She would rear at my husband (uh, not smart...) and her unending squeals seemed totally unnecessary; SHE PRACTICALLY BROKE THROUGH THE SLIDING GLASS DOOR just because she wanted in WHEN SHE WANTED IN!!! We don’t have the money to get her “fixed” although we do have a vet in the area who has experience with pot-bellied pigs. Hey, in fact, I’ve heard that HE ADORES THEM! Hhmmmm...... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx October 31, 2008 Mrs. Hoggett’s Progress Report She walks at my side at all times (except when she has to go potty) without a leash now and comes at my call. Uh, potty training is non-existent, at least in the house! She was doing great and then, bam! FORGET IT. She’ll go potty on command if I’m outside with her, but she won’t give me so much as a HINT that she needs potty when she’s inside. She just squats and does her “business”... about 8 oz worth AT LEAST! (no odor if she’s well hydrated... which she is!) Ugh. Dh has “had it” with this pig-headed pig, but I just cannot give up on her yet. She’ll be SO COOL, if only as a pet, once she GETS A CLUE! We’ve banned her from the house, unless she’s on a leash... WHICH SHE DOES REALLY WELL ON! Her bedroom is no longer the woodstove room; she’s been moved to the dog house in the dog kennel... and DOES REALLY WELL there, too. Temps these evenings are a chilly 16 degrees (no first snow yet) but she’s got tons of hay, which she burrows into, and her flannel blanket (more of a “security blanket”) which she shreds to her liking. She’s super smart and knows the feeding/cuddling routine. (She cuddles with me each night for 30-60 minutes between 6:00-7:00 pm. She is very punctual!) She’s now learning to allow me to put her harness on without a food re-enforcer DURING THE PROCESS. That’s huge! She rebels and squeals (just a bit now) and all that nonsense, but she quiets down once she realizes that SHE’S NOT THE BOSS. She’s 16+ weeks old now and weighs in at over 25lb, NOT GOOD NEWS since I wanted her to stay tiny (not over 50-60 lbs full grown!) The average weight gain rate, according to experts on pot-bellied pigs, is 1 lb for each week of life x the 1st year! THEY CONTINUE TO GROW THE NEXT YEAR, TOO! Ugh and double ugh! Oh well, happy OINKS to you this day! *****************************************
Thank you once again for your very kind way of giving me sound advice: "The biggest thing is to make sure you are incorporating into your daily life actions that tell her you're in charge. I really think that's the biggest most important thing regarding pet pigs."
9-18-08 Is my Mrs. Hoggett, perhaps THE SMARTEST 6 WK OLD Pot Bellied PIG IN THE ENTIRE WORLD? Have to share this story: she panicked today while we were on our walk (my husband reached [very quickly] to pick her up and that set her off.) They both got tangled in the leash and she got loose. My husband chased her (with her pink leash trailing behind her!) over 1/4 of a mile, uphill all the way, INTO THE WOODS! I kept calling for her... calling for her...calling for her... NOT ONE SQUEAL! We finally, at dusk, gave up and came home, both of us "with our tails between our legs." He was soooo sorry for having lost my BABY and I think I was in shock. My husband went to her "bedroom," opened the outside door and left the light on "just in case." I had been praying the entire time that God would keep her safe (we have coyote and bear here near our home). On our way down the hill, we left notes at all the nearby neighbors' homes. My husband prayed that God would "lead her to safety" and I returned to her room, praying still for a miracle. GUESS WHO WAS IN HER CRATE???!!! (harness and leash missing.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` 9/17/08 I'm happier than a pig in slop!!! My (formerly wild) Mrs. Hoggett was practically perfect in every way (just like Mary Poppins!) today! We've been on our second outing AFTER she cornered herself and (practically!)I lay down in front of her. You could see the "wheels turning" and then, quick as you please, she ran (much slower than is her capability!) in front of my hands (she had a few different escape route options. I'm sure she knew I would catch her!) ZERO SCREAMING!!! Just a grunt here and there to start up a conversation! She already had her harness on (I leave it on during the day) and I kept saying, "Let's go outside!" I put her leash on her and away we went-- through the house and toward the slider (she hasn't figured out glass window panes yet). I calmly opened the slider and she led us out to her favorite potty area: my Wild Flower bed in our driveway! She did both of her jobs and off we went! Oh she had fun, ESPECIALLY EATING ROSE HIPS AND KIDNEY BEANS DIRECTLY FROM MY FINGERS WITHOUT EVEN A HESITANCY! She found some wonderful, slightly damp dirt and SHE LAID DOWN IN IT (first time outside where she was calm enough to actually lay down and stretch out!) She found some good-tasting roots and she discovered our creek! While the stuff under the rocks and in the mud made the propeller tail spin, the rippling, VERY SHALLOW waters themselves weren't much appreciated. We'll definitely try again on our next hot day (tomorrow I think.) To the "Newbies" considering pig PARTNERSHIP: if you have the patience and interest to be challenged in working with a very PIG-HEADED but charming, intelligent animal, GO FOR IT. What a joy my Mrs. Hoggett is! |