Meet Merlin, the 180-pound US pet pig who uses 25 buttons to demand food, call his owners and express anger, earning a Guinness World Records title and millions of online fans

A 180-pound pet pig in California has found an unusual way to make his wishes known, using 25 sound buttons to communicate with his owners. Merlin can request food, ask to go outside, call his family and even express frustration when things do not go his way. His owner, Mina Alali, began training him when he was just 2.5 months old, gradually introducing buttons linked to everyday words and commands. Four years later, the pig has become a social media attraction, with videos of his interactions drawing millions of views and his Instagram account earning a Guinness World Records title.How Merlin uses 25 buttons to communicate with his familyMerlin's communication system is built around a set of 25 buttons placed on the floor of his family's home. Each one plays a particular word or expression, allowing him to signal what he wants without making a sound himself. The vocabulary includes simple responses such as yes and no, requests for food and phrases connected to his feelings.Some of the buttons are used to call his owners, Mina Alali and her fiancé, whom Merlin refers to as Mommy and Daddy. Others allow him to ask for playtime or indicate that he wants to go outside. The system has become part of his everyday routine, with Mina sharing recordings of his interactions online.Merlin can request vegetables and ask for snacks, sometimes shortly after finishing a meal. His owners have also recorded moments when he becomes frustrated after being refused something he wants. In those situations, his behaviour can include shouting and slamming doors.Mina Alali began training Merlin when he was just 2.5 months oldMerlin joined Mina's household in March 2022, fulfilling her long-standing wish to own a pig. The early months required considerable adjustment. He was vocal, frequently squealed and had not yet learned the behaviour expected of a household pet.Mina started introducing commands when he was around 2.5 months old. Over the following four years, she developed his ability to respond to different sounds and use the buttons. Guinness World Records reported that the training relied heavily on patience and positive reinforcement, with food serving as a particularly effective reward.Pigs are highly motivated by food, which made treats useful during the process. Mina also found that Merlin could become stubborn when something did not go his way. She has compared some of his reactions to those of a young child, particularly when he becomes impatient or frustrated.Before adopting Merlin, Mina had attracted attention online by teaching her bearded dragon, Mochi, to follow commands commonly associated with dogs. Videos showing the reptile responding to instructions such as come, wait and high five helped her build an audience of more than a million TikTok followers.The pig became an Instagram record holder with 1.1 million followersMerlin's button-based communication gradually became the focus of Mina's social media accounts. Videos showing him asking for food, calling his owners and reacting to everyday situations attracted viewers interested in his unusual behaviour. By March 2026, his Instagram account had accumulated approximately 1.1 million followers. Guinness World Records recognised him as the pig with the most followers on Instagram, giving him a record title that extended his popularity beyond social media.Mina told Guinness World Records that people increasingly recognised Merlin when they took him out. She and her fiancé have joked that walking him through public places feels like being accompanied by a major celebrity. His online presence has also brought attention to the way pigs interact with people. Mina has said she wants viewers to recognise that pigs have emotional and intellectual abilities that are sometimes overlooked when they are regarded primarily as livestock.Merlin behaves like a household pet despite weighing 180 poundsAlthough he is considerably larger than many people might expect from a pet described as a mini pig, Merlin shares several habits with domestic dogs. He is trained to walk on a lead and regularly accompanies his owners on trips around town. He also enjoys spending time indoors, particularly in the air-conditioned California home.His routine includes breakfast and dinner, with fresh fruit and vegetables used as treats during training. When he wants to go outside, he can press the corresponding button. Merlin also lives alongside several other animals. His household includes a dog, a pigeon, another bearded dragon and three rats. His buttons give him a way to request attention from his owners or signal that he wants to interact with his animal companions.Mina has described how Merlin sometimes gets himself trapped in the laundry room after becoming annoyed. The family may hear the door stopper make a noise before discovering where he has gone. He has a button for saying that he is mad, although his owners do not always need it to understand his mood.Why Mina says keeping a mini pig requires more than trainingMerlin's popularity has also given Mina an opportunity to discuss the responsibilities involved in keeping pigs as pets. Merlin weighs around 180 pounds, or 82 kilograms, illustrating how much larger these animals can become than prospective owners might anticipate.Mina has pointed out that some pigs are eventually rehomed because their owners were not prepared for their adult size. Many people expect them to remain below 100 pounds, even though weights above that are common. Merlin's training eventually helped him pass an assessment to become a certified therapy pig through the American Mini Pig Association, according to the Guinness World Records.From a talking pig to a different understanding of animal behaviourFor Mina, Merlin's popularity is closely connected to her interest in demonstrating what pigs can learn and how they express themselves. She has described him as an animal with a broad range of emotional responses, including happiness, frustration, anger and confusion. The buttons do not mean Merlin speaks in the same way as a human. They provide a method of associating particular sounds with actions, requests and situations. His ability to use them has developed through repeated training and interaction with his family.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.