Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a miniature pig as a house pet? If so, then I have all your wonders solved. Meet Earl, my 3-year-old miniature pet piglet who is a house-trained animal living in the country! He loves food and sleep. He’s not just any regular pig. He is a 70lb handsome hog who will win his way to your heart!
Diet of a Pig: Oink Oink
Earl loves all types of food ranging from his pig pellets, veggies (peppers are his favourite), apples and bananas, to anything that he can find in the house. Despite the fact that we have 4 other dogs, Earl has earned his role as King of the Castle. He has been around my dogs for so long that he has even started to sound like them, and by that I mean a bark coming out of his mouth sometimes! If there is ever any food that falls from the supper table, Earl is the first one to vacuum up the leftovers. He is extremely smart and if you call his name from the other side of the house, you can hear his hooves trotting as he runs on the wooden floor. He has a tremendous sense of smell, and can track down food in the cupboards, which is why we have to put childproof locks on them. Before we had the locks, Earl used to explore the cupboards, and the evidence of the flour or crackers would be left on his snout.
Earl is even a money thief, as he likes to snort through my jeans and attempt to eat my cash! I can never leave any goodies on the floor, because he will find it and eat it. Seriously, what a pig! He also loves attending family birthday parties because he knows there is going to be cake.
Sleep ZZZ
Earl loves to sleep. He has a big crate to sleep in his OWN room (yes he is that spoiled), but if he sees an open spot on the couch he will hop right up beside my dad and watch TV together. When he was just a baby, his favourite stuffed animal was Babe the pig!
Whenever I am home from school, Earl always makes the perfect cuddle buddy. Who needs a boyfriend when you have a pet pig? If I am sleeping and my door is shut, he will root at the door until I let him in because he knows there is a big bed in there. He has become spoiled over the years, and has upgraded to the bed whenever he can get a chance. Earl even has a favourite ticklish spot on his belly, and if you scratch him in the right spot, he will literally tip over and be sound asleep and snort away!
Potty Trained
Earl is extremely clean when it comes to his bathroom routine. He has a litter box in his cage, but he also does his business outside in the grass or snow (although he hates the snow). Whenever he goes outside, he goes to the washroom in the same spots every time.
This is a picture of him when he was jus a couple months old with his first snowfall. He squealed because of the cold!
Rub a Dub Dub: Pig in the Tub
Earl loves his Sunday bath time because he gets pampered. My mom bathes him every Sunday, which is his favourite day of the week.
When it is nice and hot in the summer, he loves swimming in the river water to cool down and even likes to show off his bathing suits at the beach.
Pig in the City
When Earl escapes the house life and goes for walks or car rides, he wears a harness and leash like a dog. He isn’t just any regular pig. He has special privileges as he has had the opportunity to go on many road trips. When I was in first year, he visited my residence Bouckaert Hall when he was just a baby. He has traveled to the beach, fall fairs, parks, and he has even made it to the big city of Toronto. Speaking of Toronto, he is also a Blue Jays fan! ;)
Internet Famous
Earl has taken over the internet over the past year. He earned his appearance onto Laurier’s homepage last year as he was representing Laurier in his swag sweater. He was even interviewed and featured in the online Toronto publication Get Leashed Magazine. Check out the article here!
Sadly, Earl has more Instagram followers than me. He has nearly 6K followers and is constantly gaining more. My sister Jennifer Dawson monitors his account and updates his fans on what he is up to. Since he is a BIG deal on social media, his Instagram name is “pigdealdawson.” He also has a pretty big wardrobe in his closet (yes, he has his own closet!), so check out his fashion these days on Instagram @pigdealdawson!
If you are thinking about purchasing a house-trained pig, make sure you do your research. I have heard countless stories where people paid a lot of money when they thought they were buying a teacup, or miniature pig. Little did the owner know that the “teacup” pig was just a baby pig, and grew drastically over the first couple months after purchasing. Regardless of if it is a pot bellied pig or a miniature pig, you need to give them just as much love as you would with any other pet! Now, go and give Earl an extra Instagram follower @pigdealdawson and make his day!