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Post by swgreen443 on Jun 26, 2010 1:27:14 GMT
I have a little handsome juvenile piggie who has bitten me and two other people. At first he was sniffing then nibbling then biting hard now he kinda just sniffs and bites especially if he wants to get down and I don't let him. Is there any cure for such a hardcore guin? javascript:add(%22%20:'(%22)
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Post by benerona on Jun 26, 2010 7:53:43 GMT
My pigs bite sometimes too. Ussualy they bite me when I cuddle them in my hands for too long and they want to get down. They also bit me already if my fingers smelled like letuce for example ..
I think there is no cure for that, he is just that kind of a piggie =) But I'm sure he isn't biting you because he doesn't like you.
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Post by Pigjes on Jun 26, 2010 9:56:55 GMT
There is a difference between biting (breach of skin with blood) and nipping. Biting is done because there is a medical issue: the piggie is in pain somehow or the piggie was abused before it arrived at your place and this is a response to that.
Nipping is done out of accidental mistake, because your fingers smelled yum, or out of dominance. A louder "NO" will make it obvious and even a soft blow to the nose. Also, don't reward the nip with what the piggie wanted, as that will reinforce the behavior. For example: your piggie nips because it doesn't want to come along for lap time (not always, then there could be skin problems). Say no, blow gently, take a towel (have it ready, so not too much time elapses after the bad behavior, so it won't be forgotten) and do pick the piggie up.
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Post by newpig on Jun 26, 2010 9:57:07 GMT
Most piggys aren't biters - it tends to stem from two situations. Behaviour where they are still exploring and still learning how to communicate what they want - it's partly that you need to recognise the signs of when he needs to be set down before he resorts to biting and that's something that will come with time. You do need to be careful not to set him down as soon as he bites every time or he will learn that biting is the way to get what he wants.
The other problem arises from skin complaints. Piggys with skin issues such as mites, lice or fungal infection are often in pain when touched and therefore bite to get away from that pain.
So first thing is to check him over for any signs of skin irritation - lice are usually prevalent on the rear and behind the ears and can be seen as minute wriggly brownish worm shapes, mites cannot be seen but you would see bare patches of skin, redness, scratch and bite marks, scabs. Fungal can cause a whitish bloom or crustiness, again your piggy could have been scratching or biting their own skin, their could be bare scaly patches of skin. Fungal can come in the form of ringworm which is highly contagious.
If you see no skin issue then it's learned behaviour that you need to address and we have members here who have dealt with that issue and give you more advice.
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Post by 3piggles on Jun 26, 2010 12:38:40 GMT
It takes time and patience, but if you've had him checked and his has no health issues that lead to the biting, then when he bites, pick him up and put your face right in his, say a stern NO BITE and give him a snuggle or kiss on the nose so he knows you love him.
As Newpig said, if it isn't a health issue, it is a behavior issue, and he needs to have his behavior redirected. You also need to watch very carefully for the signs that he is getting ready to bite, and stop him before it happens. He doesn't always get to decide when it's time to get down, and has to learn that. You have to not push holding him so long that he gets nasty about it. Work it out with him so you both get some of what you want.
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