Cousins

[CanadianCavy]

I have had two sows for 2.5 weeks. One is 3 months old and the other is 4 months old. I got them from the same breeder who had multiple litters within the a few months so they were living together before I got them. (aka the bonding didn't happen for the first time at my house).
As to be expected they are been quiet shy and skiddish and hide a lot but they are slowly getting more comfortable. The younger one is much more brave (I could tell right from the start) and is venturing out and popcorning in the evenings a ton.
Tonight she started putting her hackles up, slowly creeping around the cage and purring like crazy. Is this her being in season? Or is she trying to show that she is the dominant one of the two? Even though they have been together for some time now, I want to know all the signs to look for to make sure that they continue to be a good pair.

 

[Wiebke]

I have had two sows for 2.5 weeks. One is 3 months old and the other is 4 months old. I got them from the same breeder who had multiple litters within the a few months so they were living together before I got them. (aka the bonding didn't happen for the first time at my house).
As to be expected they are been quiet shy and skiddish and hide a lot but they are slowly getting more comfortable. The younger one is much more brave (I could tell right from the start) and is venturing out and popcorning in the evenings a ton.
Tonight she started putting her hackles up, slowly creeping around the cage and purring like crazy. Is this her being in season? Or is she trying to show that she is the dominant one of the two? Even though they have been together for some time now, I want to know all the signs to look for to make sure that they continue to be a good pair.

Hi and welcome!

Please firstly double-check the gender, as you should with all new guinea pigs. Mis-sexing is sadly far too common, even from people who know better. What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
Our illustrated sexing guide shows you exactly which less obvious areas to look at and feel for that are much clearer on the gender than the outside arrangement of the genitals. You are welcome to post a picture for confirmation but please expect to be asked to do a hands-on check yourself as sexing from pictures has got limits. And we refuse to leave sexing at the free-for-all guessing stage.
Sexing Guide

Rumblestrutting is a dominance behaviour that is practised by both genders. If your little girl is one, then she is indeed likely coming into season and may even be trying to assert her leadership. Who comes top is not necessarily based on size or age, but on force of personality or kudos, as I call it. It doesn't matter whether the two are related or not; it all depends on the interplay between the personalities involved in a group. Rivalry and squabbling is actually often bigger between sisters than unrelated sows in my own experience.
And here is our sow guide: Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
Here is our very detailed illustrated bonding and interactive behaviours guide, which also has a look at some more typical dynamics:
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Here are our settling in tips: Settling In And Making Friends With Guinea Pigs - A Guide

You can find all these links and more very useful ones in our New Owners guide collection that is addressing all the areas we get the most questions and concerns about: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides