Episode: 45/ Season 2 / September 5, 2023

Can My Pet Pig Comfortably Ride in the Car?

Does your pig like to ride in the car? Most pigs don’t. Pigs have a high fear instinct. That instinct in the wild is what keeps them alive. When we bring them into our world and introduce them to people things, like riding in a car can be very difficult for them if that skill hasn’t been practiced over time. It is very important to teach our pig to be comfortable in the car, and if they can’t get comfortable, we want them to at least tolerate it well. We don’t want to wait for an emergency to be their first time in the car. The younger the age that we teach them that riding in a car is safe the better. How will we get our pig in the car? Where will the pig ride? How do we desensitize our pig so it can and will ride in the car with us? Keep in mind that riding in a car is a skill learned over time. It is not a skill that pigs automatically want to do. It will take planning and effort to train a pig to ride in a car. If you are able, take your pig in the car once a week in a crate to help them feel safe in the car.

How will you get your pig in the car? I like to use a crate for my piglets because I can lift them into the car easily. I have a very low car so my bigger pigs can hop in themselves. If a pig is not able to hop into the car, ramp training is a great option. Ramp training is very easy. Bring the ramp in the house and sprinkle their favorite food on it and let them walk on it to get used to the feeling. Then slowly raise it with a pillow or cushion to elevate it a bit. Gradually raise the ramp so they get used to walking up the ramp. It will be different outside so plan for that. Take the time to really teach your pig how to use a ramp or a stool or whatever you are going to use to help them get in the car.

Where will our pig sit once they are in the car? A crate that is secured in the vehicle. There are a few different types of crates that can be used. Another option that can be used is to harness and leash the pig and let them just be in the vehicle with you depending on the drive. I wouldn’t use this option until the pig is very comfortable in the car. Many people hold their pigs on their lap. I do not suggest the driver do that but many people let a passenger hold the pig or let it sit in the passenger seat while they drive. Just be very careful because we want everyone safe in the vehicle. I’ve also seen people set up a bed or blankets or a big crate with blankets in the back of the vehicle if it’s a hatchback or SUV type vehicle and has the space that is still in the vehicle.

How do we desensitize our pig to ride in a vehicle? It is very common the first couple rides for the pig to have high anxiety and be squealing, panicking and moving around, or going to the bathroom. Have some compassion and try to start very slow. The more patient and slow you do this, the better the outcome will be. What I like to do is, put their bed or blanket wherever you decide you want them to be. It will make it less scary because it has their scent on it. Then I like to load it with really good treats and just let them be there. We are not going for a ride this time. We want to get them used to being in the car. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting the pig in the car. I like to immediately reward them and reward them a lot when they are doing something hard. Next they need to work on getting in and out. We want to teach them that they are not trapped in the car. Once they are comfortable it’s finally time to go for a very short ride. Do this several days in a row to get them used to this process. From there increase the ride time. Continue taking your pig in the vehicle regularly. At some point you will have to take your pig in the car for something so start now to get them comfortable so the day you need to get them to a vet fast it is easier for everyone.

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