# Would You Take Him Back?***UPDATE---Very, Very Happy Ending!***



## drdoolittle (Jun 28, 2012)

I sold one of my castrated male pot belly piglets this past Sunday to some people who knew what they were getting into-----they had had one as a housepet before.  It's now Thursday, and I got a call from the wife saying they were having problems with the piglet.  Apparently he is completely terrified of them, has bitten one of their children, and hasn't eaten anything since he left here.  They now have him locked in the bathroom where he is hiding behind the toilet.

The woman wanted to know if she could bring him back and get a different piglet (al the other piglets that have gone to new homes are doing great----one lady had even already taught her piglet to "sit", and that is this piglet's sister).  Anyway, the lady with the "problem" piglet wanted to know if I would take one of the other piglets inside overnight and see how he is acting and then if he seems nicer, they'll bring the other one back and exchange it.

I told her that was o.k. with me-----every pig has a different personality and I don't want the piglet they have to be unhappy.  My DH however said that I shouldn't take the piglet back because I have no way of knowing what the piglet has been exposed to and it could now have something that would make all my other pigs sick.  Also, we have no way of knowing if the pig was injured somehow at their home.  

Just wondering what eveyone else would do.


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## Royd Wood (Jun 28, 2012)

Nightmare - what would I do ?????????
My first thought was no but then what happens to the little guy and I'm sure your reputation will be rewarded further down the road as a responsible breeder if you take him back.
Sounds like somthing has spooked him bigtime.
My butcher has never called me to take one back  so I'm glad I do pork and breeding stock not pets.
Good luck


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## drdoolittle (Jun 28, 2012)

Yes, the main reason I'm taking him back is because I too worry about what would happen to him.  I don't think anything here spooked him----maybe just his personality?  I've had a piglet from the older litter in here all night and he's acting fine.  I'l probably just have to keep the one they're bringing back in a playyard in the front porch until he sells----or until a month has gone by.  Don't know if mom will take him back after that long though.

Any piglets we don't sell will go to the butcher---can't wait to see what the meat tastes like.  I hope this doesn't upset anyone, but being butchered humanely is better than getting passed from home to home or being neglected.


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Jun 28, 2012)

drdoolittle said:
			
		

> Yes, the main reason I'm taking him back is because I too worry about what would happen to him.  I don't think anything here spooked him----maybe just his personality?  I've had a piglet from the older litter in here all night and he's acting fine.  I'l probably just have to keep the one they're bringing back in a playyard in the front porch until he sells----or until a month has gone by.  Don't know if mom will take him back after that long though.
> 
> Any piglets we don't sell will go to the butcher---can't wait to see what the meat tastes like.  I hope this doesn't upset anyone, but being butchered humanely is better than getting passed from home to
> home or being neglected.


Take him back ! My friend sells her sled dog pups when they get out of control  (or an unplanned breeding.. etc. One year she was gonna race and 3 of her dogs got preg! LOL) And she tells them always that they can take them back, cause its better for her to have 2 many dogs then one of the dogs get totured their whole life or put in a pound.. etc etc. Because the owners dont want/like them.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jun 28, 2012)

I would take him back too.I agree with the above when they said that it might help your reputation if you do,butt I also think it is the right thing to do.

I understand your DH's concern but the odds are soooo small.


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## drdoolittle (Jun 29, 2012)

Well, I feel better about my decision to take him back.  My DH always goes to extremes when it comes to the animals-----he's just concerned about all the other pigs here, but I'm pretty sure the people only had the pig inside their home.  I just want them to have a pet they and their kids can really enjoy---and I have always told people I would rather take an animal back than for them to re-sell it or abandone it. 

Haven't heard from the people yet this morning, but the piglet I brought is doing just fine.  He's eaten out of my hand and seems content to lay on my lap or on the couch next to me or my boys.  Hope I can get the other one calmed down once he's back here.


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## Royd Wood (Jun 29, 2012)

Oh yes that piggys definitely calm even with that lioness looking on and lickin her lips   whats the other little runt next to piggy  only joking Dr
Lets just hope they apreciate what your doing for them (I'm sure they will)


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## greybeard (Jun 29, 2012)

Does she want her pruchase price refunded?
(charge a ..............  're-stocking' fee)

Ba da dum! (I'll be here all week folks--don't forget to tip the waitress..)


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Jun 29, 2012)

greybeard said:
			
		

> Does she want her pruchase price refunded?
> (charge a ..............  're-stocking' fee)
> 
> Ba da dum! (I'll be here all week folks--don't forget to tip the waitress..)


Lol, boo, we dont want you here! And we dont tip


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## drdoolittle (Jun 29, 2012)

Well, even though the older piglet was priced a little cheaper, I'm not going to refund any money.  It's much more work for me to have this little guy up at the house instead of with his mom and siblings.  

Don'tcha' just LOVE the big, bad guard dog?  That's our chihuahua, Princess.


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Jun 29, 2012)

drdoolittle said:
			
		

> Well, even though the older piglet was priced a little cheaper, I'm not going to refund any money.  It's much more work for me to have this little guy up at the house instead of with his mom and siblings.
> 
> Don'tcha' just LOVE the big, bad guard dog?  That's our chihuahua, Princess.


LOL! Shes so scary./..


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## Cornish Heritage (Jun 30, 2012)

> My DH however said that I shouldn't take the piglet back because I have no way of knowing what the piglet has been exposed to and it could now have something that would make all my other pigs sick.


Yes you should take the piglet back & you should put him in quarantine for 30 days. Your hubby is perfectly correct to be concerned. That piglet could have picked up anything whilst away. This means that the chances of you selling him in the future is unlikely as you will not want him the house where your other pigs are etc. Quarantine means keeping him completely separate which is not healthy for a pig but I wouldn't take the risk here.

Pigs are susceptible to human diseases so if that family has a nasty cold the piglets could bring it back with him. 

I'm sorry but I just don't get why folks want to keep pigs in the house. Especially ones with young kids. Maybe I am missing something but pigs are not like dogs in many respects. Goodness if we had a young piglet in here for our kids to pull on etc that poor thing would bite too. Now our LB's are very docile & our kids do go out & run the bellies of the mature ones in the pastures but that is different. In all honesty I do not think I would replace the pig - I would give the lady a full refund & tell her that you don't think that her situation is suitable for a pig at this time. If you do give her a replacement, be prepared for her to call you again in 4-5 days! Just like a dog, once it bites, it will bite again. I would not rehome the piglet she is bringing back - too much of a risk - into the freezer he needs to go. Pigs are smart & once they learn a habit they do not forget it. 

We give our customers strict instructions to *NEVER *hand feed their piglets. It is SO dangerous. A pig's teeth are so sharp & I don't care how docile a pig is if you have food in your hand, one day that pig is going to mistake your hand for food & chomp down on it. Maybe PB's are a completely different breed but I have a hard time believing that. 

No offense meant here to anybody - I know many, many folks enjoy pet pigs. 

Liz


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## drdoolittle (Jul 1, 2012)

Well, the people brought the piglet back this afternoon-----after the husband called and said he had made the decision not to have a pig while their children are so small.  

So, they didn't get another piglet, and I refunded half of what they paid for him and told them that if they would give me their address I would send them the other half if and when I sold the piglet. 

They said not to worry about refunding the other half of the money and were very apologetic about the situation.

I still intend to re-sell the piglet----he seems just fine to me.  He hasn't tried to bite any of us----other than kind of nibbling on my fingers (he didn't eat the entire time they had him, but ate half a banana for me).  He seems perfectly calm---only squealing when picked up---which is quite normal.  Pigs don't enjoy being picked up or squeezed/hugged.  They do enjoy laying next to a person though, and he even likes his belly rubbed after only being here a few hours.

I believe that those people's house was just way too chaotic for a pig (three small children, a boxer and 2 chihuahuas).  I don't see him having an attitude issue, I think he was just really scared and the wife was probably nervous when dealing with him and the pig sensed that making him even more freaked out.

Anyway, for now the piglet is in a play-yard in our front porch with food and water and a nice little dogbed and a towel.  I suppose I should keep him up at the house for the 30-day quarantine----by then he won't need to be with Momma and can just go in the pen that is just for weaned piglets.


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## drdoolittle (Jul 1, 2012)

Uh-oh, now I'm kind of worried.  

My DH was out in the porch with the piglet and called me out there saying, "Come here, now I'm really ticked!"
I went out there and he said, "Watch this," and started petting and rubbing the pig all over----the pig LOVED it!  Now my husband is saying, "Maybe God brought this piglet back to us for a reason----maybe he's a really special pig."  

Kind of makes me think of "Babe".  I may now have a pig here that is actually a pet----which means he's here for no other reason than that we like him.  This is especially contradictory to how my DH views all my other "livestock" (pigs, goats and chickens).  He doesn't want to keep any that don't pull their own weight----the chickens give us eggs/chicks to sell, the pigs produse piglets to sell or butcher and the goats produce kids to sell.  What is this world coming to?!?  

Don't get me wrong, we both love all our animals and care for them extremely well-----just wonder where this is going.  I'm pretty sure DH would NEVER suggest we have a housepig-----but the farmer's wife in the movie "Babe" probably never imagined in her wildest dreams that her husband would try to herd sheep with a pig, let alone win the trials!

I will be sure to post any crazy updates and I will post pics of the little guy tomorrow.


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Jul 2, 2012)

drdoolittle said:
			
		

> Uh-oh, now I'm kind of worried.
> 
> My DH was out in the porch with the piglet and called me out there saying, "Come here, now I'm really ticked!"
> I went out there and he said, "Watch this," and started petting and rubbing the pig all over----the pig LOVED it!  Now my husband is saying, "Maybe God brought this piglet back to us for a reason----maybe he's a really special pig."
> ...


How is this a bad thing?  You get a housepig !! :


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## Goatherd (Jul 2, 2012)

> "Maybe God brought this piglet back to us for a reason----maybe he's a really special pig."


Take the hint.


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## Pearce Pastures (Jul 2, 2012)

So glad you have him back and he is happy.  My son sooo wants a pig (we read Charlotte's Web last year and he was adamant that we needed one to go with the pet tarantula----spider has since died since she was almost 10 years old but he still wants a pig).  I told him he could as soon as he buys the property next to us and builds his own barn


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## Cornish Heritage (Jul 2, 2012)

LOL! Glad it all worked out for you & that the people were very reasonable - that makes a huge difference. 

Happy Monday everyone 

Liz


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## drdoolittle (Jul 29, 2012)

About a week and a half ago I got a call from a family looking for a pot belly piglet for a mainly indoor pet.  I only had 2 piglets left from the younger litter, the one that is the topic of this thread and his brother.  The family came out, and suggested that this little guy (I had been calling him Nathan) would probably be the best choice----he was quite a bit smaller due to his week w/o food.  They ended up choosing him!

Got a call last night:  Nathan is doing just wonderfully at his new home!  They have taught him to sit and walk on a leash and he is potty-trained!  They just are completely in love with him and stated that he has been the easiest pet they've had----much easier to housetrain than a puppy!  I am so thrilled that Nathan's story had such a happy ending after that questionable start.  

Oh, his brother also got to go home with a family the very next day!!!


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## minipig (Jul 29, 2012)

Just reading this thread and I'm so happy it worked out. Hope you won't miss your housepig too much though!


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## Cornish Heritage (Jul 30, 2012)

Glad it all worked out for you & them 

Liz


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## Pearce Pastures (Jul 30, 2012)

That is great to hear!


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