It’s really hard to say what kind of home is right for a pet pig. That’s the best thing about pigs, they adapt and enjoy life. We’ve had them live inside. We’ve had them live in an RV, townhouses, apartments, nursing homes, care facilities and in the middle of the city.  Some travel to work with their owners. Some go on vacations with their owners. They can learn to ride in cars, boats and motorcycles. They swim surprisingly well, and many of them enjoy it.

Sometimes it depends on the pig. For example, Sheldon LOVES the snow. He puts his nose down and runs around the yard, making plowed trails. But he hates the rain and will come inside or dive into a dog house with the first drop. Sally on the other hand, loves the rain. She will stand out in the worst downpour, head down and water dripping off her ears and wag her tail. She can be standing right next to a dog house and wouldn’t go in it. But let it snow and she acts like she has two broken legs, stiffly venturing out along the edge of the house where the snow doesn’t pile up. She does her business and shoots back in as soon as possible. Unfortunately you don’t know the personality when they are babies. Like puppies and even kids, they grow up to be who they want to be.

Some of our pigs are farm pigs. Some interact with people and have free range around the property. One lives in the pastures with cattle in the summer and in a dry pen with goats in the winter. Some go in and out of the house. It’s easy to use a wash cloth and wipe them clean…. Unless they are covered with mud, then a bath is in order. One pig we sold was a house pig in a suburban area. The family sold the house and bought a small farm. When they moved they acquired a donkey. The pig promptly fell in love, moved into the barn with the donkey and refused to come back in the house, even when the weather got cold. No accounting for love.

Pigs are hypoallergenic, which makes the great for a family with allergies. That’s why they are good in care facilities. They can be compassionate and respond well to humans. Sally went to a school and spent two days with hundreds of kids touching her and feeding her skittles (OK, not recommended as a steady habit.) and took the last one just as gently as the first, never touching a finger with her teeth.

Pigs live to be about 15 years old, so the pet you buy will be around for a while. Take time to find the right one and make sure it is going to have a good temperament and that it is going to be genetically the right size. Then it’s up to you to feed it right and work with it until it integrates into your home and lifestyle.

The biggest difference between a pig and a dog is that a dog naturally seeks human contact. Pigs have to develop a bond. When we have encountered problems is when people take a pig home and wait for it to come to them instead of reaching out to the pig.