Pot Belly Pig

[Scott&Nikki]

Anyone ever owned or had experience with a pot belly pig? I wanna get one and have heard they make incredible pets. I was hoping to get some first-hand knowledge about it. Thanks!

 

[robin]

i know a few people that have them. and even though people say they are small. they do get big. from what i have heard from the people i know, i personally would not have one.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

I know they don't stay small and cute forever! Those guys get big!

 

[robin]

:yes: and when they get pregnant they get really mean

 

[StinaKSU]

I have very very little experience with these guys...but as has been said they do get quite large. They are very intelligent as well. From what I have heard from owners and an expert if there are things they can get into, they will and they do not make good indoor only pets. They should have lots of outdoor time. they will try to root in your carpet and such and apparently have a tendency to destroy carpet.

 

[PaulSage]

I used to work for a lady who had a male Vietnamese PBP. Like Stina said, he had a habit of destroying carpet. I guess males in particular aren't the greatest house pets because they make quite a raunchy mess when they get, um... excited. :main_lipsrsealed: Also, he was stubborn as all heck and knew no boundaries. He had a habit of picking fights with the burrows out in the yard, but that stopped after he got to close to a newborn burrow and the mare flung the pig over a fence. Anyway, he was interesting and all that but I remember the lady stating that she would never own one again.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I found a breeder that breeds Royal Dandies. They are 1/2 to 1/3 the size of the regular miniature potbelly. They range from 25 to 65 pounds. Here is the site http://www.royaldandie.com/ . Looks interesting...

 

[robin]

i still would not have one. you would be better off with a dog or cat

 

[StinaKSU]

I'd never heard of royal dandies so I just tried to do some searching (a couple different spellings and whatnot) and www.royaldandie.com is the ONLY site I am seeing about them...which makes me highly highly skeptical. And remember even if they are that small.....pigs are very strong and they would likely still destroy carpet and move furniture and the like.

At any rate...potbellies can make excellent pets for the right people...but they are very very definitely not for everyone....I would do a LOT of research before you decide to get one...a LOT

 

[Scott&Nikki]

Yeah, this is the only breeder in the world of Royal Dandies. I have heard of them before. They have been breeding and selling for 20 years and I have only heard good things. I would deffinately be getting a dog or 2 before I would look more into this, but it is something I am considering for the future (after school). I talked to someone else about them and they said they find them to be much better pets than dogs. I doubt that, but it shows they can be great pets. Thanks for you input guys!

 

[brandy101010]

I knew someone who had one and it was adorable when it was a baby but when it got older it got huge and mean. but these people were not the best animal keepers and probably did not socialize it well. I was only around it a few times after it was older so I can't really say much about it other then it wanted to eat me.

 

[robin]

I knew someone who had one and it was adorable when it was a baby but when it got older it got huge and mean. but these people were not the best animal keepers and probably did not socialize it well. I was only around it a few times after it was older so I can't really say much about it other then it wanted to eat me.

pigs in general can make good "pets" BUT they are not meant to be kept indoors. they need room. allot of times at ranches and farms you might see someone "pet" pig. like i said though any pig in my opinion should not be an indoor pet. i really do not consider them pets, more like livestock.

it's the same with horses and such.
hey minature horses can fit in your house but does that mean it is right to keep them in your house?
i feel the same way about pigs. hell the pigs get larger than the miniature horses LOL

 

[brandy101010]

pigs in general can make good "pets" BUT they are not meant to be kept indoors. they need room. allot of times at ranches and farms you might see someone "pet" pig. like i said though any pig in my opinion should not be an indoor pet. i really do not consider them pets, more like livestock.

it's the same with horses and such.
hey minature horses can fit in your house but does that mean it is right to keep them in your house?
i feel the same way about pigs. hell the pigs get larger than the miniature horses LOL

LOL! Yeah I remember reading something a long time ago about this guy that was trying to make pets of of live stock. He had bred miniature everything. He was working on miniature cows, sheep, goats, anything you could think of this guy was trying to make them small enough to keep as indoor pets. I don't Know about anyone else but I don't think I would enjoy having a cow in my home.

 

[robin]

i wonder if miniature cows have miniature cow patties :O

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I think you guys are still thinking of regular miniature potbellys. Normal potbellies can get to 300 pounds, miniature potbellys can get up to 125 pounds, but these Royal Dandies average closer to 30 pounds at full size. The site states:
"Royal Dandies are a product of a 20 year breeding program created because of a demand for a truly small.... house pet size miniature pet pig.
Our piglets have been domesticated for so many generations now that they are born more and more puppy-like with each new litter. I have seen wonderful changes with our piglets, such as accepting human touch more quickly and adapting to the litter box and leash training more easily. These little piglets will amaze you at how smart they are and how fast they adapt to new surroundings and settle into their new home.

Our piglets will be well-started and will accept their leash in an average of 15 minutes! Many times they will jump into their litter box without being shown! They are very, very smart!!

Although Dandies were bred to be indoors they (as well as almost all animals) need their outdoor time too! All animals need fresh air and direct sunlight. Sunlight gives them the natural Vitamin D which is essential for absorption of calcium and phosphorus. I use a full spectrum light bulb in their play pen and make sure to give a supplement of plenty of the D vitamin."

These are smaller than most dogs. I attached a picture of one of the breeder's pet pigs. She told me this is give or take 20 pounds heavier than the ones she sells.

 

[StinaKSU]

I'm still quite skeptical....do have references from people who've owned pigs from them?...maybe references from breeders of "normal" mini potbellies?...

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I'm still quite skeptical....do have references from people who've owned pigs from them?...maybe references from breeders of "normal" mini potbellies?...

No I don't. That's something I would do if I was really planning on doing this. But I mean, if this even happened it wouldn't be for a couple years. So, I haven't looked that deep into it as of yet. I will be sure to if I decide to purchase one though.

 

[Mel&Keith]

I've seen her website before and had done a little research about them in the past. After talking with a miniature pot belly breeder locally, I'm not sure how much I'd trust the Royal Dandie lady. Personally, I think those pigs may end up having problems due to inbreeding and weak genetics. Generally, the runt of the litter is the weakest, and if you breed runt after runt after runt...I don't know. Plus, her prices are out of line. Pigs are REALLY smart so it's like having a 3 year old as a pet. They're cute and fun but can can be a total pain in the butt! They require a lot more attention than a cat or dog.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I've seen her website before and had done a little research about them in the past. After talking with a miniature pot belly breeder locally, I'm not sure how much I'd trust the Royal Dandie lady. Personally, I think those pigs may end up having problems due to inbreeding and weak genetics. Generally, the runt of the litter is the weakest, and if you breed runt after runt after runt...I don't know. Plus, her prices are out of line. Pigs are REALLY smart so it's like having a 3 year old as a pet. They're cute and fun but can can be a total pain in the butt! They require a lot more attention than a cat or dog.

That is a really good point. Thank you. I will deffinately look into it more if it ever becomes a real possibility.