Last year, Snack Pak was featured in an article named, “10 Reasons Your Pup Wants You to Add a Pig to Your Pack”. While it was pleasant surprises to see him in there, it also made me think about how much work Snack Pak really is. So today, I’m going to give you a few reasons why you should think twice about owning a pig.
They Probably Won’t Be That Cute “Little” Piggy For Long:
Did you know pigs can get pregnant as early as 8 weeks old? Shady breeders will show you the parents and you will believe you will be getting that “tea cup” pig. Chances are, that “tea cup” will grow to the size of a keg or even bigger! Snack Pak will probably endup being at least 150lbs and that’s on the small side! Some pigs can get up to almost 1000lbs! These breeders will also tell you to not feed them the proper amount of food so that they stay “small”. So your pig either dies early or the pig ends up being abandoned because the owners weren’t ready for a commitment that big…literally. Pigs don’t stop growing for 4 years and their life span is between 15-20 years, which brings me to my next point.
Wally and Snack Pak of IPittytheBull
It’s a Long Commitment:
15-20 years is a long time. Most of you reading this are probably dog owners so maybe this doesn’t seem like a bad thing but they will probably outlive your dog. Living accommodations are much different than that of a dog. You think finding a place to live with your dog is hard? It’s even harder for a pig! They need to root, roam and be outside. Yes, they are smart and can adapt but like dogs they have instinctual needs. If you cannot provide that for them you will have a very unhealthy, unruly and unhappy animal which brings me to my next point.
Fletcher and Snack Pak
Penny and Snack Pak
They Will Challenge You:
You think being a pack leader is hard with your dogs? Don’t even bother getting a pig. They will challenge you over and over again. Probably for the first 2 years of their life trying to figure out where they fit in the pack. And even once you’ve made your point clear that the human in the house runs things, they will challenge the dogs. They will try to dominate the weakest member in the pack in order to “move up the totem” pole, thinking that life is better! In my house, this battle is between Snack Pak and Fletcher. If I’m not watching closely, Snack Pak will pick on Fletcher. Fletch is my nervous dog and nervous dogs do one of two things: fight or flight. Fletcher chooses to fight which luckily has never resulted in anything more than a few scratches. Snacker is great at picking fights but he’s not that great at finishing them! If you’re having trouble getting your dogs to “listen” to you, a pig will own you. Period.
Don’t get me wrong, we all love Snack Pak around here. He’s family and he’s here to stay. He’s loveable, likes to cuddle, extremely smart (not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing!) and very clean. He’s understanding the rules of the house and it’s been over a month since he’s decided to pick on poor Fletcher! But when I decided to get a pig, I did my research and I was lucky enough to find a man who is now my “pig whisperer” who warned me of everything that I would encounter with a pig, especially a piglet. And everything he has told me has been spot on. He kept pushing me to get an older pig, one at least 2 years old, who’s already mellowed out but I wanted a piglet. I told him I wanted to raise him to be around my dogs and adapt to MY surroundings. He just laughed and said, “Remember I told you so.” It didn’t’ dawn on me until later that I sounded just like the people that want a puppy and have no idea the amount of responsibility and time that requires.
But we found Snack Pak at the pound when he was about 4 months old, fell in love andI’ve chosen to take on the responsibility of raising a pig, no matter how hard or challenging that may be.
I’m not telling any of you that you shouldn’t get a pig as a pet. I just want you to think twice before doing so. I’m not saying there isn’t such thing as a “mini pig” or “tea cup” pig but I’m also saying I’ve never seen a 10 year old mini pig, either. Talk to people, do your research and find out if this is for you. You either want the commitment or you want the fad. If you choose the commitment, realize it’s not always fun. If you choose the fad, stick to following the cute little pigs on your social media.
