Question about a shy piggy

Guinea Whisper

Guinea Whisper

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I just recently bought a young guinea pig that is only several months old, and I'm not quite sure how to tame her. In the past, I've had a method to taming my pigs that has worked every time, but I've never purchased a guinea pig this young before. The taming methods I use seem to be having the opposite effect; handling her seems to be making her more afraid of me. I've decided to back off and slowly introduce myself, but I worry that I've made a rather negative first impression. Have I already blown it, or can I recover from this? If so, how?
 
The first thing you could do is to get her a friend. Piggies are herd animals and need to be with their own kind. You’ll really see her come out her she’ll than. They also learn from what other (older) piggies are doing.

Secondly, when did you get her? You should give her time to settle in. You can handle her a little daily and slowly build up the time. Cover part of her cage so that she feels safe, and give her some boxes or hides to hide in.

Thirdly, read the pig whispering thread. It’s very useful in helping you interact with your pig using their language.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
 
She already has two older piggies to keep her company, and I purchased her three days ago.

Thanks for posting the guide, I'll give it a read.
 
When we got my boys (they were 10 weeks) I put on a zip hoodie and tucked them inside the hoodie up against me, that way they had some ‘shelter’ and I could reach in and chat to them and just stroke their noses over and over. After about a week, Finn was trying to stretch out and roll himself over in the hoodie, so that combo of cover and handling at the same time definitely worked for me. Oggie was won over with handling and food!

Maybe get your new piggie out for handling with one of your older ones on your lap too. The older one being so calm might make the little one realise that you’re an okay person 🙂
 
I have just rescued a shy guinea pig. Her exact age is unknown but I suspect around 1-18 months as she’s fully grown and we know she’s a young guinea pig.

She’s fine when I have her out for cuddles but runs away from me when I go in to the guinea pig room.

I’m following the advise in the threads you’ve been pointed to and she is slowly coming out of hiding but you have to take it at their pace. 3 days is not long at all. It took a year for my Ellen to stop hiding from me and she still doesn’t like to be stroked in the cage x
 
I'm following this advice, and now she will walk up and sniff my fingers when I place my hands in the cage. She still won't let me pet her, but I'm seeing definite improvements. Thanks for the advice, all of you.
 
Patience is the key. It could take months or years. Sniffing is a good step 😁
 
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