Intention matters (not at all)...
Positively Pigs
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4y ago
“A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer.” -Seneca Ah, intention. Philosophers have been musing for ages about intention and whether intention matters. It's a lovely thought, right? And I suppose amongst humans, one could argue that there may be some truth to Seneca's ruminations. When it comes to our porcine friends however, I think that there is no greater folly than assuming that intention has any bearing on behavior.  Forget about intention. We need to talk about reinforcers.  (While there are certainly a whole host of various thi ..read more
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Aggression and the Maturing Pig; the role of ontogenetic shifts in behavioral responses to threatening stimuli.
Positively Pigs
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4y ago
​When we talk about pigs and aggression, one of the topics that invariably arise is the idea that as a pig matures, you will start to see an increase in aggression. By about 1-2 years, conventional wisdom tells us that the pig will start to challenge anyone who appears 'weak’, strangers, etc, as the pig tries to move up the ranks of the herd. Is this really what’s happening though? A critical analysis of pig behavior tells us that pig aggression is likely much more complex. Ontogenetic shifts in behavior may play a considerable role in what we currently attribute to maturity-related aggressio ..read more
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Understanding Dominance (part III) - Dominance Aggression vs. Conflict Aggression
Positively Pigs
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4y ago
When we talk about dominance aggression in pigs, there is often a combination of traits that seem to lend to this description easily. These pigs usually seem confident and will actively approach people, only to charge, snap or bite at the last moment. It's easy to assume this type of pig must be dominant, because a fearful pig certainly wouldn't actively approach a person, would it? Well, probably not. But what about a conflicted pig?  Let's say I'm a new pig parent. I've done my homework and have read that pigs, because they are herd animals, often try to become dominant towards people ..read more
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The snapping, swiping, biting piglet...
Positively Pigs
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4y ago
We all know that a pig is essentially the equivalent of a toddler. And what do toddlers do? Touch EVERYTHING. A pig uses their mouth and nose just like a toddler uses his hands. Of course, we don’t necessarily want Piglet to bite and nose everything in his path, but using punishment isn’t always the best way to discourage these behaviors either. I receive a lot of questions from people with new piglets who are worried because the piglet snaps when they try to touch his face. Is the piglet being dominant? Aggressive? What possible reason could a piglet have for biting and snapping when their ow ..read more
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Recognizing defensive strategies and their accidental reinforcement...
Positively Pigs
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4y ago
​ A common problem that pig owners face is a pig that becomes defensive – barking, lunging and perhaps snapping. It can occur in a variety of situations, but frequently happens when a pig is lying in his bed, so for now, let’s consider that scenario. Let’s remember too that any behavior that is being repeated is a behavior that is (somehow) being reinforced.   “But” you say, “I certainly don’t reinforce this behavior!”   Is it happening repeatedly? Yes?   “But” owner A says, “I don’t give the pig treats for that behavior!” … “But” owner B says, “I punish him so he knows he shoul ..read more
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Understanding Dominance (part II)
Positively Pigs
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4y ago
​One of the central tenets of dominance theory, with any animal, is that we should model our own behavior off of that of another animal in order to effectively “speak the animals’ language” so that they understand us. Whether we utilize dominance theory or not, it is easy to appreciate the notion that acting like a conspecific might be worth trying (especially if we are at our wit’s end, dealing with a problem pig). However, if the goal is to behave like a herdmate would, we must ensure that our actions truly are “what another pig would do.” Fortunately, there is a significant amount of resear ..read more
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Understanding Dominance (part I)
Positively Pigs
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4y ago
​One of the central issues with dominance theory is that by definition, it only works if you are right there to control the animal. Dominant animals get priority access to food, mates, etc… so do the submissive animals just always have to wait their turn? Certainly not. In actual dominance hierarchies, the non-dominant animals often develop alternative strategies in order to secure food and mates. Across species, males that are not the dominant member of the group still find ways to mate with females and pass on their genes. They just learn to be sneaky, to wait until the dominant male is othe ..read more
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We're All Gamblers at Heart...
Positively Pigs
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4y ago
​Pigs can be incredibly challenging pets… and once they have learned a few bad behaviors they can seem downright impossible. As we all know, pigs are exceptionally smart and can also seem unbelievably stubborn; successfully changing behaviors can be time-consuming and frustrating. On top of that, often when we try and change a behavior, it seems to get even worse! Today I'll be addressing extinction events and variable ratio of reinforcement - understanding these concepts will go a long way in helping us maintain our resolve, and hopefully sanity, as we work through problem behaviors with ..read more
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Two pigs are better than one… just not for the reasons you’ve heard (part 1)
Positively Pigs
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4y ago
(Author's note: there are likely several factors that influence aggressive tendencies of individually-kept pigs - this is part one) ​ ​In the wild, a social animal like the pig depends upon it’s herd mates for detection and defense against predators, as well as other important social-feedback functions. A lone herd animal in the wild has little chance for survival. While we are quick to acknowledge that pigs are herd animals when we use it to justify dominance theory, for some reason, we forget that the most vital element of herd formation is protection from predators; and that essential knowl ..read more
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Effects of Handling Differences on Weanling Pigs
Positively Pigs
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4y ago
In a fascinating study of young pigs, researchers found that pigs that were pushed away when they tried to make physical contact with a handler did NOT show a decrease in their attempts to continue to make contact. However, these pigs DID show an increase in frustration-based behaviors. The potential implications of this finding with regard to how we deal with problem behaviors in pet pigs is significant. In this study, Repeated Handling of Pigs During Rearing. I. Refusal of Contact by the Handler and Reactivity to Familiar and Unfamiliar Humans, researchers looked at pig behavior in the ..read more
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