Meet Merlin: the Vietnamese potbellied pig with a vocabulary and a Guinness World Record

Most toddlers express their tantrums with a scream and a stomp. Merlin expresses his tantrums using a purple button and by slamming the laundry room door. At 180 pounds, this Sacramento resident isn't your average social media star—he’s a Vietnamese potbellied pig with a vocabulary, a Guinness World Record, and a very specific demand for vegetables.

“I love him like I would my own child,” Alali, 28, told The Washington Post.

Merlin often communicates with Alali by pressing buttons she has designed and set up in their home in Sacramento. He will make simple requests with the buttons - like asking for a vegetable or an ice cube - but he also presses buttons labeled with emotions and asks for attention. One button says “Clap for Merlin.”

His ability to communicate - along with his stubbornness - has made Merlin, 4, an internet sensation. Guinness World Records said last week that Merlin’s 1.1 million followers earned him the distinction of having the “most followers on Instagram for a pig.”

When Merlin and Alali leave their house, Merlin is either on a leash or riding in a wagon (he outgrew his strollers).

“My fiancé and I joke that it’s like we’re walking next to Brad Pitt,” Alali said of Merlin’s fame.

Merlin celebrated his world record by strolling around the Sacramento area, where fans fed him vegetables and fruits. Merlin didn’t have his light-blue button that says “Happy” when he pushes it, but Alali said she knew he was pleased because he was relaxed and wagging his tail. He also shows his joy by smiling.

Alali's journey to becoming a pig owner began in 2019 when she adopted a bearded dragon named Mochi.She taught him to sit, wait and come to her. When Alali began posting Mochi’s tricks on TikTok in 2020, she gained thousands of followers.

Unsure of what career to pursue, Alali said she found her purpose in bringing animals into her home that others might not see as pets. Alali later adopted three rats and another bearded dragon, Muffy.

In March 2022, Alali saw a video of a cute pig and decided she wanted one. She adopted a miniature Vietnamese potbellied from a Northern California farm a few days later.

Merlin slept in a kennel his first night in Alali’s home but then started cuddling with Alali in her bed. He soon became the star of Alali’s social media accounts.

The path to pig stardom was paved by other famous house pigs, including Esther the Wonder Pig, who wore stylish outfits and was an internet darling about a decade ago. There was also Wellington, a miniature pig who thought he was a dog, who was adopted from a Maryland animal shelter last year.

Alali grew up in Davis, California, with more traditional pets - two dogs, two rabbits and a fish - so she had a learning curve when she adopted Merlin. Studies have shown that pigs possess 'cognitively complex' abilities in memory, problem-solving skills, emotions, and personality.

Alali quickly learned she needed a childproof lock on the food pantry to prevent Merlin from breaking in with his snout. And she found she no longer needed an alarm clock because Merlin would wake her up each day squealing at 6 a.m.

Alali figured out she could train Merlin to walk on a leash and use the bathroom outside as long as she rewarded him with food. She taught him simple commands, like “sit” and “wait.” He learned so fast that Alali decided to teach Merlin to communicate with buttons - a skill some dogs can learn with consistent training.

Alali recorded herself saying “hungry” onto a recordable button. When Merlin pressed it - producing the sound of her voice - she fed him oats.

Around the same time, Alali added a white button that said “outside.” Alali put on Merlin’s harness and leash before pressing the button to show him he could click it to use the bathroom outside, dig in the dirt or search the grass for food. Another button said “water,” which prompted Alali to fill Merlin’s water bowl.

Each button has a different color (pigs can distinguish some colors) and symbol. For example, the “outside” button has a drawing of a tree and the sun, and the button that says “thank you” shows a heart. Alali trained Merlin to press the latter after she gave him a treat.

After Merlin pushed the basic buttons - including “vegetable please” and “fruit please” to ask for a snack - Alali added some she found funny. One said “dance with me mommy,” which caused Alali to pick Merlin up and spin him in her arms. Because Merlin has grown to about 180 pounds, Alali had to retire that button. Another says “pay attention to me right now.”

“If he’s going to be pressing these all day,” Alali said, “I might as well get a chuckle out of it.”

Merlin squeals when he’s upset, wags his tail when he’s happy and gives Alali side-eye when he’s frustrated, Alali said. For when Merlin gets mad, Alali trained him to press the button that says “I’m mad.” She made different buttons for his other emotions in an effort to help him express himself, Alali said.

He can press buttons to ask to hang out with the rats - it says “bring out the rats” - or Alali’s pigeon, Al Capone. Merlin enjoys lounging on his side or belly while the other animals stand atop him. The only animals Merlin is aggressive toward are other pigs, Alali said.

The buttons are lined up against a wall in the kitchen. Alali said she trains him almost every day. One video of him pushing buttons has more than 26 million views.

Jose Biascoechea, a veterinarian in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, said Vietnamese potbellied pigs are smarter than most people think, but training one to express themselves with buttons takes a lot of work, patience and food.

“They’re definitely not a pet for everyone,” Biascoechea said. “They need to have a very dedicated owner.”

In addition to eating and sleeping, Merlin enjoys chasing Alali’s dog Maverick, popping balloons and playing with a blue tarp from Home Depot. He’s a certified therapy pig who sometimes visits assisted living homes, Alali said. Almost every night, he cuddles with Alali on the couch.

Merlin will be the ring bearer at Alali’s wedding in September. She has to work out the logistics, but Alali is sure food will motivate him to come to the altar.

Vietnamese potbellied pigs can live up to two decades, and Merlin might not be done growing - physically or intellectually.

Alali recently added a button that says “good job,” which Merlin pressed last week after Alali brought him Al Capone. On a kitchen shelf, she keeps a stash of unused recordable buttons, which she plans to use in an effort to keep adding to Merlin’s vocabulary.

She said she’s happy Merlin has so many fans who appreciate his smarts and sassiness. Her ultimate goal with his account remains the same: “more compassion and love for pigs.”