They’ve only been together off and on a few hours during last week. Today is the day I’ve been able to have them be together for a long period of time since I’m in school and work.
My oldest is sleeping in a hide while the baby is laying right outside of one of the entrance right now. I’m just nervous to leave them alone and don’t want to do it to quickly, but I also don’t want to do it to slowly either.
I really just don’t know if they’ve figured out the hierarchy yet. I can’t really tell if one has submitted yet.
Please take a deep breath. Your boys are firmly bonded. You haven't mentioned a single red alert behaviour.
The younger one sleeping outside the hut is normal behaviour. Boss gets the prime choice of denning nook and baby wanting company will sleep as close as they are allowed to. An older piggy will often insist initially on 'privacy zone' around them that the youngster has to respect and be generally more stand-offish during the post-intro group establishment stage in order to enforce their kudos in a non-aggressive way.
Piggies don't sleep curled up with each other all the time. They may have an occasional cram up together but usually they either have their preferred hidey or cosy or they nap close to each other.
They are wired to sleep individually in nooks and tunnels in thick undergrowth vegetation close to each other if they are part of a group but they don't have a nest, warren or den, unlike rats, rabbits or hamsters.
Sub-teenage youngsters will sleep close to the adult/guardian that takes them on after weening until they become more confident and secure in themselves.
Piggies that sleep together usually have either an emotional dependency issue or they have gone through a traumatic experience together. But it is not something you judge a good bond by.
It's the human-driven 'cuteness' factor of snuggled up piggies from social media hits that is sadly responsible for so many misconceptions on social media.
Please also be aware that every meeting that you interrupt is an aborted bonding attempt, which is very frustrating for the piggies and as a result counterproductive rather than helpful because they have to restart the whole complex but instinctive bonding process from scratch. Piggies don't do 'play dates' and 'tester meetings' - it's always all or nothing for them.
It's the human owners' fear of fights that is behind the short meetings, no dominance allowed bonding method, which cuts right across the guinea pig social instincts.
Here is our step by step bonding guide:
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated Bonding Dynamics and Behaviours
The post-intro group establishment phase, which actually takes up the longer part of the ca. two weeks full bonding process:
Reacting to group or territorial changes: Dominance and group establishment/re-establishment
Reading body language and understanding behaviours:
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A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours (the quickie version)
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Guinea Pig Behaviours in their Context (the in-depth guide to how to read and understand situational behaviour)
How to better understand the dynamics between your two boars and how they are going to develop when your boys hit teenage:
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars (includes a list of dos and don'ts)
Please take a deep breath and sit back and enjoy your two boars making a home together over the next two week while they establish a new mini-group in their shared territory. They are bonded and they are not going to fall out now.
