Advice Needed! - Boar companion?

5StarPigs

5StarPigs

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hello, so I am planning on getting Alfie a boar companion next month. Alfie is turning 2 on Jan 3rd. Since the shelters and pet shops near me do not do boar dating, I am more likely to get a gp that Alfie is not compatible with. So I am looking for advice on what age should the new gp be? Baby or adult? Also should I get a gp that has a similar personality to Alfie’s? Alfie is very friendly and will walk up to you in his cage whenever anybody enters the room his cage is kept in 🙂 He loves cuddles and pets. And lastly I am looking for some general advice on bonding two boars together, P.S the place where I will be getting Alfie’s new companion from has a 14 day return policy if things dont turn out. I know there are informative guides on this forum about bonding guinea pigs and I have gathered info from them, but would like straightforward typed on this thread answers to my questions and advice:D. If none of you would be willing to type out answers to my questions and general advice I completely understand, and goodnight as there will not be anymore threads from me tonight.


All answers to my questions and any advice is appreciated! Alfie says hello!
 

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Personally i would go for an adult. The reason for that is, the new boar has got through his teenage hormone spike years, and what you get is exactly what you will get.

There may be different opinions, and i have only bonded 1 pair of pigs before. Boar and sow.👍

You are better off reading the forum bonding guides than taking my advice really. Just make sure you keep the new boar seperate until you know he is 100% healthy ( nothing contagious going on for example)

Alot of petshop pigs carry ringworm, so just be cautious. Good luck
 
Thank you, and i somewhat agree to getting an adult as they have already gone through their teenage, hormonal months really and I guess it would be easier since Alfie is a full grown adult too? But we’ll just have to see as the place where I will be getting a boar from usually only has babies, but another place that I could get from has full grown adults.
 
Isabella_Loves_Guineas said:
Thank you, and i somewhat agree to getting an adult as they have already gone through their teenage, hormonal months really and I guess it would be easier since Alfie is a full grown adult too? But we’ll just have to see as the place where I will be getting a boar from usually only has babies, but another place that I could get from has full grown adults.
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It could be tricky to tell a full grown adult from a teenager, different pigs grow to different sizes. One way you can tell if they arw very young is if they have their fin sharp young claws still. Alotof petshop workers dont have a clue how old their animals are
 
My two are both pet shop but adoption section pigs. Old stock. I adopted them from 2 different shops. But male and female are normally easier to bond apparently.
 
I better go sleep. Its 3am here. You will get more advice tomorrow from people. 👍 it might go against and be better than what i have suggested( more experienced)
 
Yea, most petshop workers dont. So basically what your saying is young/baby guinea pigs have thinner claws/nails? The place where I will be getting from also lets you hold/handle their small pets so I guess I could tell if the boar is an adult or a baby by how developed his genitals are? Also thanks for replying to this thread so quickly
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Personally i would go for an adult. The reason for that is, the new boar has got through his teenage hormone spike years, and what you get is exactly what you will get.

There may be different opinions, and i have only bonded 1 pair of pigs before. Boar and sow.👍

You are better off reading the forum bonding guides than taking my advice really. Just make sure you keep the new boar seperate until you know he is 100% healthy ( nothing contagious going on for example)

Alot of petshop pigs carry ringworm, so just be cautious. Good luck
Click to expand...
SkyPipDotBernie said:
It could be tricky to tell a full grown adult from a teenager, different pigs grow to different sizes. One way you can tell if they arw very young is if they have their fin sharp young claws still. Alotof petshop workers dont have a clue how old their animals are
Click to expand...
 
Yep, genitals can help indicate age, although every pigs genitals vary they definitely help, and nails. Perhaps look for the biggest pig! And try asking about their temperaments, some workers will have no clue but you might be lucky enough to find someone who has noticed dominant behaviours with the piggies playmates. Can I ask where you're getting from? If it's a big chain pet shop, you're only going to find very young piggies, but if elsewhere you might be able to get older ones particularly from rescues. Be careful, check the piggy over thoroughly for signs of illness, and definitely remember to check their gender to avoid mishaps! :) Good luck
 
When I was left with a lone boar, like you I read everything I could to help decide what was best.
In the end I opted for neutering and 6 weeks later he acquired 2 sow wives.
Bonding took about a minute as Tamar, the mother, decided his cage was better than hers and moved in followed by her daughter Merab.
Titus had no objections at all to this arrangement.
It worked well and he was a very happy boy.

In the end everyone does what is best for their own circumstances and the piggies.

Keep us posted
 
Isabella_Loves_Guineas said:
Hello, so I am planning on getting Alfie a boar companion next month. Alfie is turning 2 on Jan 3rd. Since the shelters and pet shops near me do not do boar dating, I am more likely to get a gp that Alfie is not compatible with. So I am looking for advice on what age should the new gp be? Baby or adult? Also should I get a gp that has a similar personality to Alfie’s? Alfie is very friendly and will walk up to you in his cage whenever anybody enters the room his cage is kept in 🙂 He loves cuddles and pets. And lastly I am looking for some general advice on bonding two boars together, P.S the place where I will be getting Alfie’s new companion from has a 14 day return policy if things dont turn out. I know there are informative guides on this forum about bonding guinea pigs and I have gathered info from them, but would like straightforward typed on this thread answers to my questions and advice:D. If none of you would be willing to type out answers to my questions and general advice I completely understand, and goodnight as there will not be anymore threads from me tonight.


All answers to my questions and any advice is appreciated! Alfie says hello!
Click to expand...

If you cannot date your single boar, the best is to look for a baby boar. Spend some time in the morning or later afternoon when guinea pigs are more active and look for a more submissive boy at the back of the group that is less likely to challenge Alfie when he hits the teenage months; don't go for looks. Also look which piggy the little boy you are choosing is interacting/hanging out with most.

Please make sure that you double-check the gender before putting them next to each other for a few hours in a divided pen for Alfie to get used to a little neighbour so they can meet through the bars. Sometimes a lively baby or two can frighten a single piggy. Make sure that the little one can't get his head stuck. Acceptance/rejection of babies generally happens very quickly; it can be a matter of mere seconds or minutes, but generally less than half an hour.

Since pet shop babies are at an age where they are desperate for company and guidance, we recommend to waive a quarantine but rather treat both piggies if there is a contagious health issue.
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)

Your plan B in a case of failure would be two little boys living next to Alfie to give him companionship and stimulation through the bars if he is too afraid of other piggies.
If he completely ignores your little boy and does not interact then you have unfortunately got one of those thankfully rarer singles that have lost the ability to perceive themselves as a guinea pig anymore and that define themselves as human. In this case, they very much rely on you for their social needs. You may want to take back the little boy to the shop or keep him on with a companion on his own to prevent the same happening to him. ;)
 
Thank you, I will look for a baby boar that is more content and relaxed so it is less likely to challenge Alfie. Also I have a question, since Alfie is the bigger and older one would he be most likely to become the dominant one? Also, if the guinea pigs were peacefully interacting, eating, and sleeping together, would that mean Alfie has accepted the new pig?
Wiebke said:
If you cannot date your single boar, the best is to look for a baby boar. Spend some time in the morning or later afternoon when guinea pigs are more active and look for a more submissive boy at the back of the group that is less likely to challenge Alfie when he hits the teenage months; don't go for looks. Also look which piggy the little boy you are choosing is interacting/hanging out with most.

Please make sure that you double-check the gender before putting them next to each other for a few hours in a divided pen for Alfie to get used to a little neighbour so they can meet through the bars. Sometimes a lively baby or two can frighten a single piggy. Make sure that the little one can't get his head stuck. Acceptance/rejection of babies generally happens very quickly; it can be a matter of mere seconds or minutes, but generally less than half an hour.

Since pet shop babies are at an age where they are desperate for company and guidance, we recommend to waive a quarantine but rather treat both piggies if there is a contagious health issue.
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)

Your plan B in a case of failure would be two little boys living next to Alfie to give him companionship and stimulation through the bars if he is too afraid of other piggies.
If he completely ignores your little boy and does not interact then you have unfortunately got one of those thankfully rarer singles that have lost the ability to perceive themselves as a guinea pig anymore and that define themselves as human. In this case, they very much rely on you for their social needs. You may want to take back the little boy to the shop or keep him on with a companion on his own to prevent the same happening to him. ;)
Click to expand...
 
Will definitely keep you guys posted
Merab's Slave said:
When I was left with a lone boar, like you I read everything I could to help decide what was best.
In the end I opted for neutering and 6 weeks later he acquired 2 sow wives.
Bonding took about a minute as Tamar, the mother, decided his cage was better than hers and moved in followed by her daughter Merab.
Titus had no objections at all to this arrangement.
It worked well and he was a very happy boy.

In the end everyone does what is best for their own circumstances and the piggies.

Keep us posted
Click to expand...
 
Isabella_Loves_Guineas said:
Thank you, I will look for a baby boar that is more content and relaxed so it is less likely to challenge Alfie. Also I have a question, since Alfie is the bigger and older one would he be most likely to become the dominant one? Also, if the guinea pigs were peacefully interacting, eating, and sleeping together, would that mean Alfi has accepted the new pig?
Click to expand...

Hi!

With a baby boar Alfie would be the dominant one although that can always be challenged when a baby reaches the teenage months.

Bonding is not quite as straightforward as what you would like it to be. Please read the guide and watch the videos.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Sorry about not being able to cater to your convenience, but it has taken me over a week to write and update the guide; it is far too complex to boil down to just two simple sentences since every bonding is unique and entirely depends on the personalities involved and the dynamics that result from that. All I can do is give you an insight in what is possible, what to roughly expect at each stage and how you can judge whether things are going well or not. You are not dealing with a cake recipe; you are dealing with personalities and how they react off each other, which is unfortunately never predictable and rather quite a bit more nerve-wracking to sit by and watch.
 
I was approaching this situation from a totally different angle. I just thought by getting an adult boar, they are both in adulthood. No worries about the young one growing up and challenging. On paper this looks like a good theory, in reality this is obviously wrong. I'm sorry to the o.p for advising you wrong
 
Its fine, atleast I know to go for a baby boar now, that is more relaxed and submissive,

SkyPipDotBernie said:
I was approaching this situation from a totally different angle. I just thought by getting an adult boar, they are both in adulthood. No worries about the young one growing up and challenging. On paper this looks like a good theory, in reality this is obviously wrong. I'm sorry to the o.p for advising you wrong
Click to expand...
 
I have read the guide, just wanted some extra advice and tips 🙂. It is completely fine and I understand you not being able to make it so straightforward, the guide being how detailed and wonderful as it is i bet it took ages to write!
Wiebke said:
Hi!

With a baby boar Alfie would be the dominant one although that can always be challenged when a baby reaches the teenage months.

Bonding is not quite as straightforward as what you would like it to be. Please read the guide and watch the videos.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Sorry about not being able to cater to your convenience, but it has taken me over a week to write and update the guide; it is far too complex to boil down to just two simple sentences since every bonding is unique and entirely depends on the personalities involved and the dynamics that result from that. All I can do is give you an insight in what is possible, what to roughly expect at each stage and how you can judge whether things are going well or not. You are not dealing with a cake recipe; you are dealing with personalities and how they react off each other, which is unfortunately never predictable and rather quite a bit more nerve-wracking to sit by and watch.
Click to expand...
 
One question before i go. What cage size are you going to have? Just make sure its 140x60 minimum. You will have to convert that to feet i think
 
Can I please remind our UK members that a neutering op in New York City by an exotics vet costs about $1000-1500 (ca. £800-1200) - yes you have read correctly! Now prop your chin back up again and wipe your watering eyes, please.
You can recommended a UK neutering op at £50-150 quite casually, but please keep in mind that things in other countries are very different. If I do not mention it as an option, there is usually a very good reason for it!
 
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