How tame are your piggies?

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_Lu_

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Hi,

I'm just wondering how friendly your Guinea pigs are with you? Do they run up to the bars when you enter the room, do they willingly climb on you during playtime, etc...?

Our 4 boys are still rather timid - we've had them nearly a month now - and I'm just wondering how realistic we're being with our expectations for eventually having tame piggies.

That said, they're getting noticeably more used to us each day :o) They do still run and hide at first, but come out of their hides quicker each time - especially if there is food!

Thanks for any responses :)

Oh, and also - how much food (in regards to 'how many carrots', 'how many broccoli florets', 'how many lettuce leaves') should you feed each piggie a day? I'm worried we're over-feeding our little dudes!
 
The rule is one cup (like the baking cup measurement) Of veg per day per piggy. So if you have 4, you will need 4 cups between them.

Ive had my boys nearly 8 months, they now dont ALWAYS run away like I'm a crazy piggy murderer when i open my bedroom door and will sometimes venture out when I'm stood as long as I'm not too close or actvily watching them.

That said, i do believe my boys are a pretty special case. Most piggies become tamer faster than my two.
 
I have Oliver who promptly falls asleep on my lap and will happily toddle over too me... And penny who is completely terrified of me...!
Majority of the pigs I have at the moment will happily run up to the bars for food and a nose rub but when I open the doors they back off a bit...
Taming them down can take alot of effort, time and food... So be patient... :))
x
 
All my girls hate to be picked up and will run away. I have had Peronel for three years and she runs the quickest to get away!
 
I've had my two boys for 4 months now and they're putty in my hands :)) Just by getting them out everyday and cuddling them, mine had never been fed "proper" food they didn't know what anything was so food didn't work with mine, just being calm and gentle and letting them get to know me and my smell and how I taste :)) Now instead of "Quick run away!" I get "Oh its you". Tonight I got home late and they're supposed to get fed dead on ten so they shouted at me rolleyes
 
@ flintstones - Awwh, can you come over and tame mine to do that?! So cute :)

We're soon moving to a larger house - which means we can get the C&C cage out. I'm really hoping that they'll get even less timid being in there, as they will be out in the open.

Although, at the moment the bar spacing on the C&C cage is too small for our three month old babies, as they can almost get their heads through it! Very scary to watch - and yep, it's standard size! We also seem to have a jumper, so we'll wait until that one gets too old to do that too.

Thanks for all the responses everyone. I think we'll get there with our four boys eventually - the signs are promising :)
 
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Reggie is a rescue that ive had just over a year and he is very tame, responds to his name, and the rustling sounds of me making dinner or going in the fridge lol

Ronnie who i have had for bout 3 weeks is only a baby, he is a little timid but gives you that look as if to say I'm not sure whether i trust you yet lol!

However i do love the feeling in the morning when i come downstairs to loudly wheeking piggies excited for their brekkie.

And when i come in from work them seem to welcome me with really big wheeks. x
 
I've had mine 10 weeks now, the youngsters run up to me when I take their food in the morning to the cage & wait there, squeaking excitedly whilst I give them a piece in turn before putting the rest in their bowl! :)) Little Daisy even stands still whilst I pick her up rolleyes but the Mummy pig is much harder to catch as she is more nervous.
 
I've the girls over 2 months now, neither of them like being picked up (Poppet especially hates it), but Nuggit loves a fuss and once Poppet is on my lap she snuggles right down and purrs happily.
Still both very jump though, but then again they are riddled with ringworm so that speaks for itself really!
Always wake me up when they want brekkie and always shout at me when tea is late =D little darlins they are.
 
I heard sneaky wheeks! Every night before i give them there veggies i poo clean. I then go and wash my hands and leave the veg (that i prepared before poo picking, on my way to bed,) beside the cage. I came round the corner to my door (that was closed so they couldnt heard me) and they were wheeking away! I never heard it before. :)

And dont get me wrong, ive tried everything. They have floor time, get handled twice a day, seperatly for 10 minutes each time. Lap time was carefully introduced using coseys and towels to cover them. (they fidget if i leave it longer) I work 2/3 days a week, when i get home from work I'm straight in my room, and most other days i spend all day in there studying. Accept for getting lunch and dinner and maybe 2 hours in the evening with the parents. Mine are just wosses. :) Still, progress :D
 
well McMac has started to come up to the front of the bars when he thinks there is food around :)) Still a little timid. Today I put my face level to his and he sniffed my nose (was worried he might try to nibble it) and he seemed quite confident untill I talked to suddenly and he shot off and made me jump out of my skin rolleyes but he came back and kept checking out my nose for a little longer :))
Oh and when I go to pick him up he will run around his cage a little but I try to be gentle and not move to quickly and he sort of gets used to it then I slowly wrap my hand under his belly and pick him up :D
 
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I was looking at my video's and Patrick does have another -

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHpqexWdNlU[/ame]

Unfortunately he doesn't do this anymore as the only thing I give him now is horrible syringes :(.

This is Fred and Wilma - they walk round the room, well I top there hay up then return to there cage.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHqZ9He4KWM[/ame]

Pebbles my miniature dog -

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_hsNBAFjPs[/ame]

And Milo responds to his name -

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdCSwbIYqbQ[/ame]

Even Esme allows me to pat her in the cage now I openly admit to filming my Guinea Pig's way to much :)) - my apologies but they are cute!

I must also add they weren't always like this and all of them happily come over to be patted but it does take time for them to come!
 
_Lu_ said:
Soooooo cute! I'm going to have to start stalking your posts to see more videos :D
Click to expand...

I just reuse the old one's ;) - my video's mainly consist of Patrick crying when squeaking now :)).

Most of the tricks I didn't teach them either that's just what they do but they are all tame and will greet you when you the enter the room and allow you to pa t them.
 
I feed twice daily too. Luigi and Bella I've had the longest and they still run away from me! Though they wheek like mad whenever they hear the fridge door open. Peppa is my youngest and she's such a sweetie. She runs up to me, loves chin tickles and really enjoys being stroked and cuddled :) I guess different piggies have different temperments?
 
Dottie is extremely tame, she comes over to the bars and lifts her head up for chin rubs or plonks herself down when I stroke her! :) Mabel is a lot more timid when in her cage, but she does let me stroke her-on occasions! Once she's out she'll happily enjoy cuddle time. Finley is the same, he's getting used to me stroking him in his cage and prefers chin rubs only! But once he's out on my lap he is a cuddle monster! :)) He'll fall asleep on you as long as he has somewhere to rest his head rolleyes
 
Jake I have had the longest and he is very tame! Can stroke him in the cage, good for snuggles!
Lentil is tame when you pick him up but in the cage he only likes his head being stroked but he will stand up against the bars
Loki is a bit wiggly but he is only young, but he'll stand up against the bars
Sky will let you stroke him in the cage and loves falling asleep on you.
Radley is only 4 wheeks so no
Bounty is mental when he is out of the cage he'll have fit-like moments and likes to bite! but he loves having his chest tickled!
 
After keeping rats that ..run up to you climb all over you..big culture shock with piggies who seem to want to get away from you. I havnt had them too long ..also not been well & after op cant get down yet to handle them..they will **** be wild by the time I'm up & running again my sister is feeding them but is busy so cant spend too much time up there with them..But in answer to your question...work in progress..
 
I recently trained one of mine to give me a nose-butt before he can have the food and it is most wonderful thing, I put my face at his level and hold the food in my hand, and in order to get a bite I say gently ' nose-butt'. Even when they eat I put my head in the bowl with them and give them little kisses.
My guinea pig was extremely nervous of me for a long time as well, so it just proves how much time it takes.
 
Willow was my tamest piggy. She would come up to me and expect me to pick her up :) Her cage mate Dobby is more timid, but since Dobby was bonded with Bella, she's become more tame. Bella is so timid! Fermi is also very tame, but her twin, Luna, is very skittish. All three of the boars are skittish too, though Bob is more tame than Enrico and Fluffy.
 
we've had our two girls for 4months now and I would say that Fudge is more tame than truffle and is definitely the nosey/toublemaker :)) they will come to us and take food from us now and you can stroke them but only when they feel like it. They are quite happy to sit on our laps with food but it can take a few attempts to catch them in their cage especially truffle so she's now nicknamed "F1 truffle"!
 
mine are not as tame as I would like them but although they all hate being picked up, they do enjoy (apart from fudge who is being rebelious again) cuddles. I cant stroke them unless I hold them although flash who is the most timid of all 4 if I am careful will permit me to tickle his chin, but he has to be in the right mood.

They all come to the front and shout at me for food :)) and they do like me talking to them, also they like the OH talking to them but for the most part they are independant piggies.

When I clean out the pen crystal chatters he teeth at me :o but not all the time, she will come over and walk round me and on me then back to standing to one side chattering - I think she is telling me to hurry up and get the veg in the pen :))
 
My girls are now 2yrs 8mths and they let me do 'pretty girl' strokes (which means i'm about to stroke their heads.
They run up and down the ramp and jump off it when i mention the word GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN SPAGHETTI :))

Time and patience, don't worry some piggies will always be timid, then some are really out there and bold x)
 
Our two girls are now 11 weeks old and Lottie is incredibly cheeky and playful.
Shes the one whose always out making mischief and as soon as she sees/hears me she comes out squeeking so loud at the top of her voice.
When I reach in to pick her up she reverses and squeals in protest! Once I have her on my lap though she seems to enjoy it.

Bonnie is the quiet one.She runs in her sack if she thinks I'm going to pick her up but again once shes out she enjoys a cuddle.

Lottie is definately the leader, poor Bonnie has to put up with her pecking her bottom but shes learnt to vocally tell her to go away sometimes.
 
Isn't it funny how one seems to be the leader. Fudge is definitely the leader out of our two and is the more confident when we clean them out, she's always right there seeing what's going on and she seems to have developed a bit of a friendship with the brush!
 
It usually shows with me that the longer I have had the piggie the tamer he/she has become. I have got a cue word 'yummies' which i tell them when its veg time at night, and they all come running out of bed/iglu's etc wheeking high pitched and running to the side of the run for food.

Saying that, some of my most tamest piggies hate being caught for a cuddle, even after a year and a half together.

I think it all depends on personality of the pig (some of my rescues i have no idea of there past so can be harder to tame), it also depends on how much time you spend with them, and i think also where they live. Ive tended to find, indoor pigs tame much quicker.

Be patient, it takes time and patience. It wont be long, you will soon have friendly. happy and tame pigs.

x.
 
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