Pros and cons of pigs vs. dogs as pets, societal views, etc?

Question

Some links:
http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/pigs.html...
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/pigs/smar...
http://www.relfe.com/pigs.html

What do you consider as pros and cons of having a pig vs. dog as a pet (even if you've had neither)?
Here is my list: P - pig, D - dog, B - both
Pros:
P - very clean (look at link #2), does not bark,
D - highly loyal (perhaps more than pigs), easy to feed, protective
B - social, intelligent, playful, loyal

Cons:
P - lots of maintenance, costly, can be destructive, treatment may be tough
D - incessant barking can be annoying, needs lots of training, time and attention, you have to clean up after its messes

Based on the links, pigs are highly intelligent, as dogs are, yet different societies and cultures treat them very differently. In the US, dogs are valued as pets by many, yet serving up pig meat for dinner is also accepted. In Korea, dogs are accepted as food (http://www.seoulsearching.com/dogmeat.ht... Why do we differentiate so much between them?

Answer 1

There are a few other practical reasons pigs aren't often kept as pets in the US. First, they can get very large. Even pot bellied pigs get well over 100 lbs and often over 200 lbs. Very few vets treat them ( a friend of mine is an equine vet and is the only vet in our county that does). Many municipalities consider them livestock and ban them. Pigs also root and can cause a lot of damage to yards and homes.



Dogs and pigs require about the same amount of training, so training time should be under your both category. And not all dogs bark much, in fact some breeds bark very little (greyhounds, whippets and golden retrievers - I've owned several no barkers), so that's a big generalization. And pigs can squeal and shriek, they are not silent animals. You have to clean up after pig messes too.



I have a friend who does pig rescue and finds it virtually impossible to find adopters for her pigs because they are challenging pets.



I don't have anything against them, but I think pigs are much more challenging pets than most people realize and you have to have the right conditions to keep them. Dogs, because of the wide variety of breeds available, are more versatile and fit better into more people's lives.

Answer 2

Vietnamese pot belly pigs were theeeee pet to have in the 80s and then they grew up and weren't small little cuties anymore but huge eating machines that required their own bedrooms and plenty of backyard and ate hundreds of pounds of food a week.



On the other hand, they live long lives, are truly kind and sensitive creatures, respond well to any living conditions and are sharp and smart as can be.



Rather like a dog.

Answer 3

Alright. IDK what your thing with pigs are, but having spent the 1st few years of my like on a farm, I know that dogs are way better companions, and probably easier to take care of as well.

Answer 4

You really should do your own research paper.