Standing Piggies (new Pig Owner)

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Lilybug123

Lilybug123

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Hi! I'm a new guinea pig owner and my piggy Dwight is about 8 months old. I was noticing when looking at other guinea pigs Instagrams ect. that many of them can stand on their hind legs for treats. Ive had Dwight for about 4 months now and Ive never seen him stand like that. Should I be concerned or should I leave treats high in his cage to see if he will try?
 
I have never encouraged it though one of mine would go on her hind legs if she thought there was food in it for her. The others only tend to do it when their front paws are on the cage bars or on the roof of their houses. I think its a bit too much weight to put on the back legs for no real gain
 
Some do some don't - two of mine stand on their hand legs and grip onto to the cage bars if they think they are going to get a treat - Honey will wait for you to give it to her and only lift up her face ( she's so lazy ) and Noodles would try and copy her sister and stand on her back legs but wasnt very good at it and could only do it for about a second and then would paddle her front paws frantically and plop back down:woot:
 
One of mine stands up occasionally, the other one doesn't. Sometimes I'll hang treats higher to make them stretch a little more for something, but beyond that, I don't encourage it. If they're happier on all fours, I say let them be.

The other reason for hanging some treats higher is that Comet rarely gets off all fours. So that way, it stops him hogging all the treats, because it's too much effort for him.
 
Two of my girls will 'meerkat' if I'm taking too long with the food! But the other only goes on her hind legs if she can have her fronts up on something
 
Same here. I have one who stands up occasionally and not just for food, she just does it if something takes her interest, she's quite good at it in fact. I have had nine piggies and she's the only one I remember doing this. I did have another who attempted to (under her own will and no prompting) and could manage a split second or so. It amused me as she was a large-built podgy piggy and didn't look like she should at all :)

I don't think you should try to get them to do this, it may be uncomfortable for those who don't naturally stand up.
 
Both of my boys are terrible for this, if they think for a single second there's food int it, up they go! One of them routinely topples over backwards doing it too because he's an idiot, so I don't think you should encourage it just in case you have idiot pigs like mine who are likely to injure themselves trying! lol As other have said, some pigs do it naturally as mine do, some don't, it's just personality based I think, like a lot of pig behaviours!
 
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I have 2 who regularly sit up and beg, and 2 who never do.
I don't encourage it, but it is very cute when those that can do it choose to do it (Eddi and Lucy).
 
Mine only seems to stand up and beg with their front feet on something (usually the bars at the front so they are as close as possible to the treat they hope to receive!) The only other time I see them on their hind legs only is to wash their little faces. I've never seen any of them stand on their hind feet up high for any length of time (though out hamster will stand there like a meerkat with her front paws at her side- it's hilarious!) It sounds like it's something some guinea pigs can and want to do, but it's not universal and I don't think there's any harm if they don't do it naturally.
 
3 of my 4 stand up, it has never been trained it happened naturally. I'm not a big fan but can't really stop them, Cissy has fallen on her bum before and it terrifies me that she could hurt her spine.

I wouldn't encourage it either if I were you, wish I could stop mine from doing it lol!
 
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I have 7 piggies and only one of mine stands up and begs for his food. He stands on his c and c grids and bites them until I give him veg. He has also been known to stand up like a meerkat in the middle of the cage but he is the only piggy I have ever owned that has done this.
One of my other girls likes to put her front paws on her cage mates back when it is dinner time and they know the veg is coming.
I wouldn't be concerned if I was you as each piggy is different and has different personalities. If they stand they stand, if not I am sure they have other quirks.
 
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Please be aware that all those online videos do by no means reflect normality. There are a lot of people showing off their cuddly and begging piggies with a special trick, raising unrealistic expectations in new owners.

Standing on the back feet for begging is something that is very cute if you have a beggar like this, but it is NOT what guinea pig habitually do. Enjoy your guinea pigs like they are with their own personality quirks and do try to put them into mold they are not suited to. ;)

If you want to do the best for your piggy and your own enjoyment, please get him a same sex companion, so your piggies can express the full range of normal guinea pig behaviour and be happy in a firm relationship.
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