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Wiebke said:
Hi!

Please have a read of these guides here. They should help you work around the problem. Make sure that you tell your biting piggy in piggy language that you love it first before telling it that its behaviour is not welcome - again in piggy language. Also train your piggies to come into a conveyance of some sort for the transport; that cuts down on the stress of being picked up (which is cutting very close to prey animal instincts).
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
" Biting" And What You Can Do
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Hmm. Okay. So I tried grooming myself (turns out I am not able to use my foot to groom my face) and my licking piggy, Zip, just stared at me and literally shook her head. I don’t think I’m a very good “piggy whisperer”.
 
Dog Cow said:
Hmm. Okay. So I tried grooming myself (turns out I am not able to use my foot to groom my face) and my licking piggy, Zip, just stared at me and literally shook her head. I don’t think I’m a very good “piggy whisperer”.
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You just mimic the washing motions with your hand, but if your piggy has kind of accepted you already they will find it rather strange. Piggies are not stupid.

You do not lick, just fondle and stroke your piggy in the areas where they get piggy kisses; that is usually accepted and understood by them. Like us trying to speak a kind of 'trade cavy language'. ;)
 
Wiebke said:
You just mimic the washing motions with your hand, but if your piggy has kind of accepted you already they will find it rather strange. Piggies are not stupid.

You do not lick, just fondle and stroke your piggy in the areas where they get piggy kisses; that is usually accepted and understood by them. Like us trying to speak a kind of 'trade cavy language'. ;)
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Ah okay. That’s much less difficult. I didn’t know my pigs are more flexible than I am, though.
 
Dog Cow said:
Ah okay. That’s much less difficult. I didn’t know my pigs are more flexible than I am, though.
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If you have a look at the pictures in the piggy whispering guide, they will show you how to go about it! :)
 
VickiA said:
None of mine will tolerate being touched on their rump. If you’re dealing with previously traumatised piggies you have to work with them to build their confidence again. Chin rubs are a first starting point. Then move on to stroking near the eye and top of head if permitted. Some piggies won’t ever allow more extensive petting than that.
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My pigs seem pretty freaked out when I give them chin rubs.
 
Okay, so lap time isnt really helping. My pigs just freeze and stay there. For at least one minite. Literally. And then they make a run for it and I'm chasing them around the room. Any tips?

Also, I need to clip their nails soon, and they hate that. The biting one bites while getting her nails clipped and continues to bite me for another few days after the nail clipping.

And this isn't just a new-guinea pig thing. I’ve had the biter for 3 years.
 
OK so it looks like you may have to go back to basics. Don't chase your piggies round the room it'll just make them more frightened. Put various hideys around the room for them to run into if they do freak out when having lap time and they can run into those and then you can pick them up in their hideys and pop them back in the cage. Also only have lap time for 30 seconds then pop them back before they freak out and slowly build it up over time. When they are in the cage, do they take veg from your hands? The prey instinct is very strong in a guinea pig and it looks like you may have to start to build up the trust again. With nail clipping time, wrap your biter up tightly in a towel with a paw hanging out, clip the nails, unwrap and repeat. It helps to have another person around while doing this, one to hold wrapped piggy and one to clip nails. Hope this helps!
 
Betsy said:
OK so it looks like you may have to go back to basics. Don't chase your piggies round the room it'll just make them more frightened. Put various hideys around the room for them to run into if they do freak out when having lap time and they can run into those and then you can pick them up in their hideys and pop them back in the cage. Also only have lap time for 30 seconds then pop them back before they freak out and slowly build it up over time. When they are in the cage, do they take veg from your hands? The prey instinct is very strong in a guinea pig and it looks like you may have to start to build up the trust again. With nail clipping time, wrap your biter up tightly in a towel with a paw hanging out, clip the nails, unwrap and repeat. It helps to have another person around while doing this, one to hold wrapped piggy and one to clip nails. Hope this helps!
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Okay. Yes, they take veggies from my hand. They run up to me in floor time, asking for veggies. It seems like they aren’t shy at all — until I touch them.
 
Some piggies never like being touched and so just don't want to be touched on a particular day. Betsy and Velvet usually LOVE cuddle time but were having none of it tonight. They just stayed in their hidey which was on the carpet. The other 3 wanted cuddletime but not these 2. They flatly refused to come out of the hidey even for melon (piggy crack). So I guess they were happily having their own party in the cuddly and I left them to it.
 
Found a solution! I turned a pigloo upside down!

They are really familiar with the pigloo — they had it since I adopted them. I flip it over and put a blanket and a piggy in. Then I carry them to their cage (which is still 6 square feet — we’re still working on the bigger one) It is the piggies’ new way of transport. I think they like it because it’s transparent so they can see what’s going on, but it also feels familiar and safe.
 
Dog Cow said:
Found a solution! I turned a pigloo upside down!

They are really familiar with the pigloo — they had it since I adopted them. I flip it over and put a blanket and a piggy in. Then I carry them to their cage (which is still 6 square feet — we’re still working on the bigger one) It is the piggies’ new way of transport. I think they like it because it’s transparent so they can see what’s going on, but it also feels familiar and safe.
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Well done! Very often it's the simple solutions that are the best! That is inspired! Love it! It's one of those "Now why didn't I think of that" moments!:doh:
 
We have had a psycho pig - she has been like this from a baby and she can really bite. Two years in and she is getting better, but in stressful moments we carry her on a towel which she savages, grabbing it and trying to throw it around. There is something about the texture which she seems to like chewing - may be worth a try. As we know each piggy is different!
 
My guinea pigs Eddie and Smores were from a 9 year old, who also got tired of them because she got a cat. They were so skittish when I got them (In May) you basically just have to earn their trust, which takes a while. I would suggest just sit by their cage and talk to them softly so they know to trust your voice, give them lots of treats (make them come up to you to get them), and if they run into their 'pigloo' don't lift it up because that is their 'safe place'. Guinea pigs are prey animals and they need to feel safe, instead of picking them up out of their cage from above (you seem big, tall and scary to them -like a bird coming down at them-) try picking them up so your hands are low to the bottom of the cage. If you're piggy doesn't want to be held and is acting really scared put it back because if they're already really scared and you don't put them back its even more traumatic for them. When I pick up my piggies I use a really soft fleece blanket because they feel secure and if they want to look they can look but if they want to try to hide from you they go into the fleece blanket. It took a long time for me to earn my piggies trust, but now one sleeps with his eyes closed on my lap cooing. The other trusts me a decent amount but nips at me too, I think its just his personality because he certainly trusts me but he's such a brat/bully, lol. Good luck with your taming! I hope something in here helps. <3
 
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