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HARNESS
TRAINING 101
BY KATHY SPERDUTO |
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One of the most frequently asked questions from pet pig owners is "How do I start harness training". Not knowing the age of your pig, I'll break it down into two groups: very young to 4-5 months and 6 months and older. First of all, with any age group, don't even begin to work with a harness until you have formed a bond with your pet pig and you are able to read him or her. As I said in my last article "The Most Important Things to Learn About You and Your Potbellied Pig", know your pig's language, it makes the job go much quicker. Assuming you have already accomplished this, let's begin with the harness itself. No matter what type harness you end up with and this is your personal preference, I recommend starting out with a simple style. Choose one that has a strap around the neck and the girth (the girth is the area directly behind the front legs) preferably with a snap on each strap. This type of harness is usually adjustable and with either age group, you never want it too tight or too loose, at first. You should be able to comfortably put two fingers between the pig and harness. It should be just loose enough so that if the pig is tensed up it will slide freely. If it is too tight at first, your pig will feel trapped and in danger. Likewise, if it is too loose it can flop around and even slip off, which will frighten your pet. To size the harness, I suggest measuring your pig with a piece of yarn. It is lightweight and can be used quickly. Measure around the neck to the top of the shoulder and around the girth to the same point on the shoulder. Then adjust harness accordingly. Next and this for both age groups, get your pig accustomed to the harness. Unfasten the harness so that he can not get caught up in it and put it in your pig's area whether it is a crate, pen room, etc. Let them play with it, nudge it, whatever he or she wants to do with it. This will allow him to rub their scent on it and will make the new object less frightening. Do this until the pig is not afraid of it. The next step is to get him used to the sound of the snaps. The snap and the tightness of the harness are usually what will scare the pig most. If the pig panics with the first snap when putting the harness on, remember it is not over, you still have one more to go. So getting him used to the sound will help. While your pig is eating, resting or hanging out, take the harness and repeatedly open and close the snap. If it really frightens him, try this while the pig is eating. Do this a couple of times during the day until it doesn't bother him anymore. Do not rush your training. Taking your time will actually make the entire process go quicker for you and leave a better impression on your pig. Again, be able to read your pet. If you feel he or she is ready for the next step, move on, but if you feel your have moved too fast, go back. That is why I try not to give you a time limit because it depends on you and your pet, although, if it is taking months, something is not going right and you may want to stop and ask someone for help. Now, with young pigs that have bonded very well and will crawl up in your lap or little ones that you can pick up, your job is going to be a lot easier. If he will crawl up into your lap and let you rub it's belly, you'll want to do this with the harness gathered up in your hand. Occasionally, work the snaps so that he fears the sound. After this is accepted, lay it on top of your pig for a few seconds. When all is well, you can now attempt to put the harness on your pig. I recommend doing this in a really small area. You don't want to get in on halfway and have your pet take off with it attached to he or she, frightening it half to death. When attempting to put the harness on, you may want to pick it up, in which case you may also want to ask someone to assist you. Put it around his neck first, then around the girth and then treat he or she. Leave it on and make sure your pet is in a safe area where he will not get the harness caught on anything and leave it on for one or two hours. When you take it off, have a treat ready, unsnap it and treat your pet. Do this once a day for the first couple of days and then increase it two or three times a day. At this point, if your pet doesn't mind it you have done a good job. Decrease the treats as you go because eventually you are not going to treat your pet at all. For the people with older pigs or pigs that are a little more frightened of the harness, your job won't be harder, it will just take a little more time. First of all, get your pig used to being touched all over their body. While you pet is eating, walk closely around him, over him, and straddle him, all the while, patting your pet while you are doing this. Make a special effort to touch the areas where the harness will lay. Get your pet used to being patted and please note: when you pat your pig, make it a gentle, but firm contact. A lot of people think that a soft touch is good, but an animal that has sensitive hair and is thick skinned may find a light touch to be more like a tickle and may be more annoying than pleasurable. When your pet is comfortable with the contact, repeat the activity with the harness in your hand, initially, with it bunched up and the slowly letting it hang loose. When this is OK, drape it over your pet for a few seconds. Always hold on to it, so in case your pet runs away you can pull it off. Again, throughout this process work the snaps and when you feel your pig is ready bring him to a small area and try putting the harness on, first around his neck then around the girth. You might want to do this while your pet is eating or have treats ready as a distraction. If your pig backs up repeatedly when you attempt harnessing then try putting on around the girth first. You will want to loosen the neck strap a little to make it easier to put in on in this manner. At this point, follow the procedures as for the younger pigs. Again, for both age groups, I stress that you do not make the harness too tight at first or you will make it more difficult for you and your pet. Eventually, you make it a firmer fit when you graduate to actually walking your pet on the leash. Do not rush into attaching a lead, give your pet time to get used to the harness. When you do attach a lead, I recommend it be a short one, just long enough to have about six inches on the ground and let him drag it around for a while. Make sure you are there to watch that it doesn't get caught up. It is best to have a lead without a knot or a loop on the end. Increase the length slowly. To get your pet used to the tension of the lead, put the harness on, walk by your pet, pat your pet and lightly hold the harness putting a little tension on it. Tension here is defined as a quick pull/release motion that can be repeated for a second or two. Don't linger too long on the pull, he will just fight against it, tell your pet "NO" and call him to you, then give him a treat. To begin walking, face your pig and take a step or two backwards. Gently pull on the lead, asking your pet to come to you and when he takes the slightest step forward, release and treat him immediately. Repeat it until he understands that a slight pull means move forward, at which point, you can label this action with a word like "come" or "walk on". Eventually, you will eliminate the treats. I do suggest, though, keeping treats handy in case a scary situation should arise and you need to encourage your pet to come to you for safety. It would seem like all of this is going to take forever, but it really moves along rather quickly and before you know it, you and your pet will be taking long walks together. |
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