Harrie is Screaming for Attention
Harrie is Screaming for AttentionMy two little brother pigs (4 months old) are getting me in trouble. I took two at the same time, so they wouldn't feel lonely. And it all went great. But the last month Harrie developed a nasty habit. As soon as he hears someone he is starting to scream, not in fear, but more like he is calling or better demanding you to come. Yesterday my neighbours complained, when I'm out and they sit in their garden, Harrie wants them to come over. Ben and Harrie got each other and papers to tear up and a lot of space to root. When I'm with them Harrie is the shy and extremely sweet one, so it seems so out of character. What can I do?
Mirjam Peters,
Huizen, the Netherlands
To stop this behavior the best thing to do is to not respond to the squealing demands at all. If your pig is outside during these squealing bouts, it is wise to tell your neighbors what you are doing so they will understand and realize your pig’s squealing is only temporary. When I say, “do not respond,” I mean do not do anything at all. Do not go look in on your pig, do not tell it “NO” or tell it to “Be Quiet”, do not even talk to your pig or let it see you at all. And most importantly, do not ever, ever feed your pig to get it to be quiet.
Never, ever give your pig food if it is doing something wrong. Ignore your pig completely. Remember be consistent. It will get the idea in pretty short order that its "trick" is not working any more and your pig will stop squealing for attention.
Copyright © 2000 by Kathleen Myers
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