Mini Pig Treats

Good mini pig treats are small and few: cut vegetables, a little fruit and bite sized training treats, handed over for a behavior and not for nothing. The skill is in the counting.

Pig feed first

The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that rations made for miniature pet pigs come as pellets or crumbles, with leafy greens and grass added to satisfy the appetite. Treats sit on top of that ration. A pig that has had a few cucumber slices has had a share of the day, so the pellets get smaller to make room.

Pigs are enthusiastic eaters and they work out the schedule fast. A pig that hears the refrigerator open is a pig that appears at your knee, and one that has learned a bag rustles will follow the sound across the room. That attention is a gift for training and a liability for a snack habit.

Everyone in the house should give the same treats in the same way. A pig that gets cucumber from one person and cookies from another learns whom to follow, and the person with the cookies spends the evening with a pig attached to their knees.

Vegetables, fruit and store bought treats

Most mini pig treats are already in the crisper. Cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, a leaf of lettuce, a few green beans, a cube of pumpkin and a wedge of carrot are the usual ones, and the pigs rarely turn any of them down. Fruit is the sweeter end of the list: a slice of apple, a few blueberries, a bite of melon. The USDA sugar figures for apple and carrot are set out in what treats horses can eat, and they are the same figures for a pig's apple and carrot.

Cut everything into pieces a pig can finish in a bite or two. A pig has a strong, broad snout and a mouth that works fast, and a large chunk gets dragged across the floor, which is more entertaining for the pig than for you.

Store bought treats are the convenient option. Packaging names the animal a treat was made for, so look for one that names pigs, and read the ingredient list from the top. Check the size of each piece as well. A treat meant for training has to be small enough to give twenty times in a session without the session becoming a meal. The pig treats collection lists what is in stock.

Treats for training a pig

Pigs train fast for food. The Merck Veterinary Manual suggests saving fruit such as apples and grapes for training and rewarding behavior, which makes a thin apple slice a reward to keep for lessons. A sit is the classic first one. Hold a cucumber slice just above the pig's nose, then move it slowly back over the head. The nose follows it up, the rump drops down, and the moment the rump touches the floor the pig gets the slice.

Say the word for the behavior as the rump lowers, and always give the treat after the behavior. A pig that is fed whenever it squeals learns to squeal, and a pig that is fed after a sit learns to sit.

The same slice can be broken into four. A training treat is worth the same to the pig at half the size, and a session of twenty repeats uses far less than twenty full slices. Hold the bowl out of reach, and put a handful of treat pieces in your pocket so the pig sees the hand, not the bowl.

Portions for a mini pig

The Merck Veterinary Manual says high energy treats should be limited because miniature pet pigs easily become overweight, and the practical answer is to take treats out of the day's ration, not add them to it. Weigh out the day's pellets in the morning, and set aside a small handful. Treats during the day come from that handful.

Use the same scoop or small bowl every day for the handful, so the portion is the same size on Monday as on Friday.

That is a simple system with one flaw: a pig that has been handed a whole slice of apple does not know it has had a meal. Count in pieces, the same pieces each day, and write the number on a card by the feed bin so that whoever feeds in the evening knows what has already been given.

Rooting is the pig's own version of foraging, and Merck suggests foraging boxes or toys over a plain bowl, which makes them a good place to put treats. Scatter a few pieces in a box of hay or a folded towel and let the pig search for them. It slows the eating down and gives a pig something to do with that nose.

Sniff and Shift makes its freeze dried and air dried treats in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania, for dogs and cats, so none is suggested for a pig. A house with a pig and a dog can compare shelves at treats for every animal in the house.

Common questions

What vegetables can a mini pig have as treats?

Cucumber, bell pepper, lettuce, green beans, pumpkin and carrot are the usual ones. Cut them into pieces a pig can finish in a bite or two. Wash them first.

How do I teach a mini pig to sit?

Hold a small treat above the pig's nose and move it slowly back over the head. The rump drops as the nose follows. Give the treat the moment the rump touches the floor.

Do treats count as part of a mini pig's daily food?

Yes, they should. The Merck Veterinary Manual says miniature pet pigs easily become overweight. Take the treats out of the day's ration and not on top of it.

Should I buy treats made for pigs?

Packaging names the animal a treat was made for, so look for one that names pigs. Read the ingredient list from the top. Check that each piece is small enough to use in training.