Rubbing a pig's belly - good or bad?

Cornish Heritage

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Good luck with the move Liz!
Thanks Dina :) We think we have a few months left here in the northern hemisphere so finish up but then we will be heading south! I'll still be on here or at least that is the plan.

Liz
 

Calliet

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Hi - me again!

I just had a vet come and check out the year-old pig and goat that I adopted a couple weeks ago. He was nice enough, I guess. Maybe he was tired...:/

Anyway, he told me NOT to rub a pig's belly. He said when you pet a pig and it lays down and "lets" you pet its belly it is not a submissive gesture like it is with a dog. He said it's the exact OPPOSITE, that only the "head pig" does that.

I can't find any other information to support that.

My pig seems to enjoy the attention, but since I'm working hard to make him a well-behaved pig and break him of his (very) occasional nipping I don't want to do the wrong thing.

Opinions? (Facts, actually would be better!)

Thanks much!
I have a boar and four Sows.. they all like their belly rubs they all like their bellies rubbed.. actually tonight my boar fell down a half asleep after I was rubbing his back into an exposed belly position. To which I pulled his ears back to check his eyes to make sure he was okay but now he just passed out in happiness. But he woke up when I pulled his ears and showed his belly. All of them love it. None of them try to dominate me. They all know where the food comes from. The most I ever do is chew on tags or little things that hang off of my boots like laces. I think it depends on how you raise them because even though I am very afraid of spooking them everything else about them is just very gentle and they're not trying to dominate me. Even when they get a piece of pizza one of my girls runs around with a piece of pizza in her mouth and prances like a dog that just got her new treat and nobody else can touch it but she has to show it off. I wouldn't worry about scratching bellies I would worry about not scratching bellies
 

Baymule

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Welcome to the forum @Calliet it’s nice to have you join us. Looks like you have been reading and studying, as this post was in 2013. Lots of good information in the forums, new or old.
I’ve only raised feeder pigs, some were friendly, some gave me the creeps. LOL Pigs are highly intelligent, they score higher than dogs.

What kind of pigs do you have?
 

Calliet

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Welcome to the forum @Calliet it’s nice to have you join us. Looks like you have been reading and studying, as this post was in 2013. Lots of good information in the forums, new or old.
I’ve only raised feeder pigs, some were friendly, some gave me the creeps. LOL Pigs are highly intelligent, they score higher than dogs.

What kind of pigs do you have?
I have 4 mix bacon breed girls durok mixed with a few others and a large black mulefoot boar.. yes, I just found this webpage last night.. I didn't even read the date.. and they are really sweet in their own ways. One girl gets a little snippy when she's uncomfortable but she's still nice.. she just lets u know when she's not in the mood to be close.. I'm trying to breed them.. ham mixed with bacon 😁😁 pretty sure one girl is pregnant.. maybe all of them. It's my first time having pigs
 

Baymule

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You jumped off in there with 4 hogs! I just raised feeder pigs. A Mulefoot boar! Go start a thread about your pigs and post pictures!
 

Calliet

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You jumped off in there with 4 hogs! I just raised feeder pigs. A Mulefoot boar! Go start a thread about your pigs and post pictures!
 

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Calliet

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Lol.. my phone doesn't take good quality pictures. But here's some pictures for you. I probably won't start a thread but it's an interesting idea
 

Calliet

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Lol.. my phone doesn't take good quality pictures. But here's some pictures for you. I probably won't start a thread but it's an interesting idea
 

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Baymule

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They look like happy piggies!
Why not start a pig thread? It will help you keep up with the progress you make, complete with pictures and encouragement from us!

My dogs have threads. I usually have lambing threads. But the past almost 2 years I moved twice, so just kept a journal. Settling back down now and I’ll go back to a lambing thread.
 
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