NEW GUIDE - Guinea Pig Identity and Society

[Wiebke]

For those who are interested, I have stickied a new article series that I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine in 2021/22 at the top of the Behaviour section. In it I am exploring what makes our pet piggies tick - how do they identify themselves as individuals and socially and how do their social species instincts survive/clash in a pet setting?

Here is the link to the new guide: The Herd, the Group and I: Investigating Guinea Pig Identity and Society

I have also stickied a chapter of the series as a special guide. It is the one that explains the group establishment/re-establishment with the inevitable dominance after any arrival, bonding/re-bonding, losses, a change in leadership or changes to the territory/cage or a cage move - which in the most hormonal teenage boars also can just mean a cage clean.
Reacting to group or territorial changes: Dominance and group establishment/re-establishment

 

[Wiebke]

bump

 

[Hannah_xx]

I thought I’d take a ‘quick look’ into your new guide but found myself submersed into it, that I thoroughly read the whole lot and found it to be extremely interesting and informative! I was reading it and comparing it to my 3 herds (2xs 1 sow and a husboar, and 1x 2 sows and a Husboar). I knew about their herd dynamics but never really thought about it in great detail about how interesting it all is!
So thank you Wiebke I REALLY enjoyed the article

 

[Wiebke]

I thought I’d take a ‘quick look’ into your new guide but found myself submersed into it, that I thoroughly read the whole lot and found it to be extremely interesting and informative! I was reading it and comparing it to my 3 herds (2xs 1 sow and a husboar, and 1x 2 sows and a Husboar). I knew about their herd dynamics but never really thought about it in great detail about how interesting it all is!
So thank you Wiebke I REALLY enjoyed the article

I am glad that you have enjoyed it. Piggy group dynamics are truly fascinating and well worth watching and thinking about. Sadly, guinea pigs are still mostly seen as children's pets and not as a domesticated species in their own right.

 

[ScrufflesRules]

After recently keeping a solitary animal (hamster), I discovered how freeing it was not to be trapped in a pet-ownership 'cycle', and only have to worry about one lot of veterinary costs, but I deeply missed the herd dynamics of guinea pigs and their adorable 'piggy trains'.
I always kept boar pairs for their crazy antics, and I'd love to go back to them in the future.
As always Wiebke- a beautifully written, incredibly informative guide.

 

[fluffysal]

I too was only going to skim through it but was hooked and read it all properly as it was fascinating.

 

[piggieminder]

I was going to give it a quick skim too! I've read it 3 times and am picking up something new each time.