Backing off/scared of pup

[RingoGerald]

Good morning all,

We recently got a young boar pig, Gerald as a companion for Ringo who is around 4 years old. His little friend who he had been with for 4 years recently passed. We was told Gerald was around 8 weeks old. In suspected him to be a little younger due to size & weight.

They’ve been together now for two weeks. Everything seemed to be fine. They’ve been getting along fine. Gerald just wants to cuddle up to Ringo.

Yesterday afternoon, I noticed Ringo backing away from Gerald when ever he walked towards him, almost like he was scared of him. They’ll sit side by side and have no issues at they hay rack or food bowl. Neither pig is showing any signs of aggression at all. No teeth chattering, lunging or anything like that, Ringo will make the little whining noise and the odd purr and rumble strut when walking away.

Is this something anyone’s experienced in the past? Is it something I should worry about?

Many thanks for any advice you can provide. I’m currently working a run of night shifts so I may not reply for a number of hours.

 

[pig in the city]

I have never experienced this but l wouldn't be worried. It all sounds pretty good at the moment. Remember that things may flare up when the baby gets older but hopefully they will be friends for life

 

[Wiebke]

Good morning all,

We recently got a young boar pig, Gerald as a companion for Ringo who is around 4 years old. His little friend who he had been with for 4 years recently passed. We was told Gerald was around 8 weeks old. In suspected him to be a little younger due to size & weight.

They’ve been together now for two weeks. Everything seemed to be fine. They’ve been getting along fine. Gerald just wants to cuddle up to Ringo.

Yesterday afternoon, I noticed Ringo backing away from Gerald when ever he walked towards him, almost like he was scared of him. They’ll sit side by side and have no issues at they hay rack or food bowl. Neither pig is showing any signs of aggression at all. No teeth chattering, lunging or anything like that, Ringo will make the little whining noise and the odd purr and rumble strut when walking away.

Is this something anyone’s experienced in the past? Is it something I should worry about?

Many thanks for any advice you can provide. I’m currently working a run of night shifts so I may not reply for a number of hours.

Hi and welcome

How big is your cage; have you everything in twos and have you only got hideys with two exits?

It could be that your little one has stood his ground forcefully when cornered and Ringo is very cautious as a result of that. As there are no signs of outright hostility, I would not worry at this stage, but it may be worth checking the whole body of both boys for biting scabs, especially the rump and neck.

I have come across the very occasional case where a baby took over dominance at the end of the dominance phase and did repeatedly bite their adult companion, but where it happened rather surreptiously and - because the adult was a rather fearful pigsonality that sould not stand their ground when the chips were down - it ended in bullying by the more dominant baby. Rare, but it can happen and worth checking for signs of it.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[RingoGerald]

Hi and welcome

How big is your cage; have you everything in twos and have you only got hideys with two exits?

It could be that your little one has stood his ground forcefully when cornered and Ringo is very cautious as a result of that. As there are no signs of outright hostility, I would not worry at this stage, but it may be worth checking the whole body of both boys for biting scabs, especially the rump and neck.

I have come across the very occasional case where a baby took over dominance at the end of the dominance phase and did repeatedly bite their adult companion, but where it happened rather surreptiously and - because the adult was a rather fearful pigsonality that sould not stand their ground when the chips were down - it ended in bullying by the more dominant baby. Rare, but it can happen and worth checking for signs of it.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Thank you for your response.

They’re currently in a 120 x 60cm cage. This is the cage Ringo shared with George 4 years. He was always happy in the cage with George before he passed.

We have fleece curtain hideys in opposite corners along with 2 hay racks ect.

I’ve checked both pigs over and can see no signs of any nipping or bitting.

I have noticed when Gerald goes up to Ringo, he tried to sniff/lick around his mouth and chin.

He has been Ringos little shadow for two weeks until this and does panic if you take Ringo away from the cage or during floor time. This is why it worried me slightly.

Ringo was recently diagnosed with a slight calcium buildup by the vets and was on metacam for a short period. Could this be related at all? His metacam stopped on Friday and I noticed this behaviour Friday afternoon.

Many thanks for you help

 

[RingoGerald]

I have never experienced this but l wouldn't be worried. It all sounds pretty good at the moment. Remember that things may flare up when the baby gets older but hopefully they will be friends for life

Thank you. Fingers crossed this is just a little spell and it’ll pass

 

[RingoGerald]

Thank you for the above links. I’ve found them very informative. Ringo has settled down a little now and doesn’t seem to back off as much when Gerald approaches. Ringo was always the submissive pig with George so I can imagine being the big pig around town is a new experience for him and he’s finding his feet.

Thanks again