Our new life with Binky Pig.

Posted February 3rd, 2011 by Nealia

After my breakthrough in the end of the first week things went much better.  One thing I read a lot on the web was “Pigs are not Dogs.”  Well DUH I thought, how could anyone think they are dogs.  The more I was around Binky the more that statement came to be true and real to me.  My dogs are loving, and loyal.  In fact the dogs are like my soldiers, always marching with me going to the barn or going with me from room to room.  My dogs are ALWAYS with me, always watching me for the next move, never questioning, and as a matter of fact, I am their job.  Binky on the other hand is a slave to her stomach, always on the hunt for food.  Binky marches up to me and does not look in my eyes with adoration like the dogs.  No, Binky looks in my hands for food.  Most of the time her motto is “No treat, No attention!”   Once in a great while she will let me scratch her.

Because of this high food drive and a pig’s natural smarts,  you can teach pigs tricks and stuff fairly easily, that is IF YOU are smarter than the pig.  Mark’s oldest daughter came to our house to stay for a week.  Since Kate had been in the Peace Corps in Africa I guess she did not find it as strange to have a pig in the house as most other people might.  Maybe she just knows that I am a little off center some of the time and this was just another one of my slightly not normal moves.  Anyway, Kate really seemed to like the pig and all of her non-dogness. Every morning while I was in the barn Kate would spend time with Binky and it was not too long that Kate and I decided to “teach” Binky her name.  Since all pigs seemed to LOVE Cheerios and Binky was no exception, we used the cereal in our training method.  Kate and I sat on the floor about seven feet apart, each armed with a handful of Cheerios. I would call Binky’s name several times and when she came to me to get the Cheerios I would have her sit (easy to do with pigs) and give her one Cheerio.  I would then show her my open hand and say, “No more.”  Kate then would call Binky’s name and show her the Cheerio. Binky would run to Kate, sit down, get her Cheerio and Kate would show her an open hand and say,”No more.”  Kate and I had done the process about four times when Binky learned the whole idea of the game. We did not need to call her;  as soon as she saw the open hand she turned her little self around and high tailed it to the other person to get her treat.  Binky even learned (or taught me) to play the Cheerio food game with her and just me. Here is Binky’s version:   I sit on the couch, Binky comes up, sits down when she see food in my hand, and gets her Cheerio. When I show Binky my open hand she turns and walks around the room in a loop and comes back to me for another Cheerio. Binky will play this game for as long as I give her a Cheerio. Binky will not play this game with apples or grapes as she just loves fruit so much she cannot tear herself away from the fruit.  Binky can play the game longer than me as I have had enough after about an hour of  “fun”.

As fun as a Binky is sounding, she still has a long way to go.  I did not know: Pigs Pee A LOT!!  The Internet stuff said pigs used a litter box naturally, which they do IF they are confined to the pig corral. If they are roaming  the house, they will pee anywhere every 30 minutes or so.  I cannot say this enough, PIGS ARE NOT LIKE CATS EITHER!!! Cats will go their litter box no matter where they are in the house. Pigs will not.  Binky does, however, prefer to poo outside, PRAISE THE LORD!!  Mark and I both have gotten into the habit of taking Binky outside every 20 to 30 minutes, if Binky pees or poos she gets a grape. Remember I said Binky could figure out the object to a game…well if you are not watching her Binky will go over to a favorite potty spot and just stand there for a few seconds. I guess you could say she pretends to potty just so she can get a grape. Well she only out-smarted me a few times, so now Mark and I have to bend over and watch her go. OMG I hope no one sees me bending over to see whether or not the pig potties. What has become of my life? I do believe it is a little off center. POOR MARK!

I still wonder if Binky likes me.  I know she does not LOVE me. I do know that she knows me.  Sometimes she will let me pet her and once in a while she will jump on the sofa to sit with me. When she does sit with me, I think to myself  “She loves me!!”   Then when she is tired of me adoring her, she jumps up, takes a snap at me (does not bite anymore) and jumps down. I can just hear her saying “no food, no lovin’.”  I do know the way to a pig’s heart is through their stomach. I have to say even though she is not a dog she is inching her way into my heart.