Snapping and biting. Please help.

[JEFF&JOJO]

Hi there. We rescued a boar from a rescue a couple of months ago. He is about 1.5 years old and lived with a family before and was handed in as their circumstances changed. At the rescue he was described as friendly and laid back and they seemed to have no real problems handling him. Since we have had him we have given him plenty of space to settle and gain our trust. The only problem is we can hardly handle him at all as he tries to snap and bite all the time. He loves having his chin and head rubbed and he comes over and seems to love when you do it and then all of a sudden he just turns his head and snaps or bites out of nowhere! He also bites if you try to pick him up and I have never been able to. He has broken the skin a few times on me and the children. So I am really scared to handle him and don’t know what to do. None of my other piggies have ever done this. He seems happy and healthy otherwise so it’s a bit of a bummer. Any advice welcome. I’ve read all the posts on biting but not sure what else to do. Thanks

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! It is a slow journey when you deal with piggies with previous issues.

Please invite him into the group you are leading. Tell him that you love him. If he misbehaves, assert your authority and the go back to tell him that you love him. Always start and end with reassuring that you want him to belong. This is exactly how savvy piggies integrate difficult ones into their group.

It is very easy to class a guinea pig that is playing unresponsive = uninteresting prey as laid-back.
The good news is that your boy is now trusting you to tell you how he feels. It is actually a big step forward. Not it is up to you to define what is acceptable behaviour in your group and what not - but do so in guinea pig language. Your boy will get that much more quickly than if he has to figure out human behaviour. As long as you frame any issue as a dominance question inside your group, he will instinctively understand it as that is how he is wired to see the world.

Take the time to read this guide here. You should find it very helpful. I know it sounds whacky, but as a number of forum members with nippy problem piggies have found out, it really works and has put their relationship with their own piggies on a much better and happier footing for both sides.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

 

[Pigwhisperer]

When he suddenly turns his head and snaps - that sounds like my Silk - that's what she does if you get too close to her front paws which she hates being touched. If I was to rub her chin it could trigger that reaction. Might it be a similar thing?

(For claw trimming I have to kind of support the foot underneath so I'm not actually holding it.... takes ages because she knows what I'm doing and wriggles like mad but we get there.)

 

[Wiebke]

When he suddenly turns his head and snaps - that sounds like my Silk - that's what she does if you get too close to her front paws which she hates being touched. If I was to rub her chin it could trigger that reaction. Might it be a similar thing?

(For claw trimming I have to kind of support the foot underneath so I'm not actually holding it.... takes ages because she knows what I'm doing and wriggles like mad but we get there.)

It is more like touching an area that is out of bounds for that piggy. Yours has likely had a bad experience involving her paw at some point.

 

[JEFF&JOJO]

Hi! It is a slow journey when you deal with piggies with previous issues.

Please invite him into the group you are leading. Tell him that you love him. If he misbehaves, assert your authority and the go back to tell him that you love him. Always start and end with reassuring that you want him to belong. This is exactly how savvy piggies integrate difficult ones into their group.

It is very easy to class a guinea pig that is playing unresponsive = uninteresting prey as laid-back.
The good news is that your boy is now trusting you to tell you how he feels. It is actually a big step forward. Not it is up to you to define what is acceptable behaviour in your group and what not - but do so in guinea pig language. Your boy will get that much more quickly than if he has to figure out human behaviour. As long as you frame any issue as a dominance question inside your group, he will instinctively understand it as that is how he is wired to see the world.

Take the time to read this guide here. You should find it very helpful. I know it sounds whacky, but as a number of forum members with nippy problem piggies have found out, it really works and has put their relationship with their own piggies on a much better and happier footing for both sides.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

I will read that. Thank you so much! I’ve just been a bit down about it because I feel like I’m not enjoying him so much as I’m nearly scared of him, yet my other ones have been so friendly and I trust them, if you know what I mean. Maybe I did touch somewhere he doesn’t like though I do just stay around his head and ears as I know they prefer that. I just worry because I don’t now how I would ever clip his nails or check over him! I will persist and of course I don’t really know how he was treated in the past and he was kept on his own Thank you so much as always!

 

[JEFF&JOJO]

When he suddenly turns his head and snaps - that sounds like my Silk - that's what she does if you get too close to her front paws which she hates being touched. If I was to rub her chin it could trigger that reaction. Might it be a similar thing?

(For claw trimming I have to kind of support the foot underneath so I'm not actually holding it.... takes ages because she knows what I'm doing and wriggles like mad but we get there.)

Maybe I did, I’m not so sure, I do stay around his head and ears. And he seems to love it and then just takes a swipe out of the blue! I do t know how I will ever trim his claws Thank you.

 

[coco bean]

Hi one of my piggies is a bit like that.does your pig allow you to pick him up sometimes? Because when my pig doesn't want to be picked up he bites. Sometimes they just bite because they've had enough. I would recommend giving him a piece of veggie and then lifting him and holding him against your chest. Remember to wear a thick jumper! And just sit down you can put him on a towel on your lap and just calm him down.with my bity pig i hold him by the shoulders so he can't reach round and bite me and quickly move him from the cage to my chest. Maybe the reason he bites when you try to pick him up is because he previous owners dropped him or something?
Good luck
From lizy , Coco (bity) pig and Cookie (greedy) pig x

 

[JEFF&JOJO]

Hi one of my piggies is a bit like that.does your pig allow you to pick him up sometimes? Because when my pig doesn't want to be picked up he bites. Sometimes they just bite because they've had enough. I would recommend giving him a piece of veggie and then lifting him and holding him against your chest. Remember to wear a thick jumper! And just sit down you can put him on a towel on your lap and just calm him down.with my bity pig i hold him by the shoulders so he can't reach round and bite me and quickly move him from the cage to my chest. Maybe the reason he bites when you try to pick him up is because he previous owners dropped him or something?
Good luck
From lizy , Coco (bity) pig and Cookie (greedy) pig x

He does not like to be picked up but then neither does my other boy. I always let him go into a hidey and get him that way. He kinda always tries to bite no matter what! He does like to be stroked and likes chin rubs but then will just randomly try to bite you! Apparently he never tried to bite in the rescue so I’m not sure what we are doing wrong! Still taking it slowly to gain his trust. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Little Piglets]

I've run into an issue with a pig I got later than the rest that seemed to initially lack any real handling from the previous owner, and one thing he'll do is start to "nibble" on a finger when being held (which I don't like, licks are OK but not teeth). He's also the one that hit bone the other night when I accidentally poked him and he went full-on attack mode, hitting bone in the finger and everything.

As far as veggie treats go, give them to him/her when THEY are in the cage. Make them come to you. Don't say anything, unless you say something like "treat" beforehand.

IF/WHEN holding, choose your words carefully and be critical of their timing. If you are trying to "reassure" it when it's nibbling, guess what? It can/might do it more. IF you say something after the nibble and immediately place it BACK in the cage, guess what? It just got reinforced to bite more.

I've successfully taught 3 of my sows to "lick my cheek" as a response to "do you want to go back to your cage". If they lick, they immediately get placed back. No treats involved as the reward in their cases is going back. So if one nibbles or bites, it can reinforce THAT behavior just like a lick can when they want something they get immediately after. My other sow (she does the cheek lick too) will also put her right paw forward on an elastic band on an inside out toilet seat carpet I use to hold them on my chest/stomach IF she wants to go back to the cage. I then noticed she would preempt my petting her with the same gesture (being sneaky but her apparent desire clear at the same time) but I won't allow it unless I actually ask THEN she puts the paw forward.

IF you are trying to avoid a finger nibble, hold them with their mouths closest to your palm instead. They don't seem to bite on flat surfaces though their whiskers can feel the fingers. Also, consider using an intermediate piece of fabric (I use the toilet seat cover inside out) and that will add a buffer. Place it on your lap, stomach, etc. then pet them while on that. After 5 minutes, put them back. IF they behave ON the fabric of your choice, THEN give them a veggie treat. But NEVER give them a treat, reward, or what "they" want when biting. And since words are associated with actions (they don't speak English, they seem to listen to sounds in the words more than the content) for them, one poorly timed "I love you" will forever be linked to a bite, etc..