is it normal for my guinea pig to be nearly a year old and still bite whenever i pick him up?

[mylothepig]

my guinea pig is around nine months and behaves quite badly. he is a single living male pig and he bites a lot. whenever i put him on my bed to bond with him he runs to the edge and tries to jump off. whenever i pick him up or give him my hand to smell he bites me. yet i don’t think he does this on purpose. i can always feel his tongue trying to lick but it’s as if his teeth get in the way. should i be concerned and take him to the vets? i don’t know how to tame his behaviour.

 

[Wiebke]

my guinea pig is around nine months and behaves quite badly. he is a single living male pig and he bites a lot. whenever i put him on my bed to bond with him he runs to the edge and tries to jump off. whenever i pick him up or give him my hand to smell he bites me. yet i don’t think he does this on purpose. i can always feel his tongue trying to lick but it’s as if his teeth get in the way. should i be concerned and take him to the vets? i don’t know how to tame his behaviour.

Hi and welcome!

Please be aware that guinea pigs are social group animals. A single guinea pig lacks the social interaction from a strictly hierarchical group, so by default they will transfer their own needs and framework onto you.
You have to respect that it is not just you who has certain expectations about your relationship with your pet, but that your pet has very much its own social expectations that it will project onto you.

At the moment you are dealing with a typical teenager at the stage of seeing how far he can push the limits of the group and its hierarchy - which means that he is trying to push you as far as he can, you being his group.

Please take the time to read these links here so you understand better what is going on and how you can deal with him in his own language and mindset by a spot of piggy whispering instead of telling him off in ways that do not make sense to him and punish him for something he doesn't perceive as a wrong.
You will find that the piggy whispering tips are surprisingly effective because you are tackling the problem from his perspective and not from yours, as a fair number of forum members can attest from their own encounters with problem piggies.

Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Who is the boss - your guinea pig or you?