Walking The Pig

[Wigwig]

I discovered today that Archie wants to go on walks.
Basically we have a little wire thing that my mother made to protect a tree (not in use yet) and its big enough to put archie in, so we can have him round the back with us. This thing is not suitable to be left unattended, as its very light etc, and he cant stay in it for more than 30 mins as it really is tiny (but thats enough time for him to eat the grass that it covers. He has a box in there too so he can hide. It has no bottom or top.
But today, he hauled the mesh up and headbutted it up (he loves doing this with everything, he is like a bull), and kept trying to come out, so we let him out and he was jumping around on us for cuddles but kept jumping off again and trying to explore, and we were moving the cage to better grass slowly but he was really enjoying this and so we ran along with him setting the pace and he was like a dog, he ran really far and was exploring when he stopped.
So as he enjoys these small walk/runs (big for a guinea pig though) I would like to be able to let him do it more, The mesh thing is not ideal, although it keeps him safe, its very hard on my back bending while holding just slightly above the ground so it doesn't catch, and as its just wire, I don't want him to hurt himself bumping into it or anything.
I have read harnesses are very bad for piggys, but is that because people are pulling them along? I just want him to be able to roam for a short time without getting into trouble, the outdoors where I live, he cannot be left alone (complicated).
Is there any better way of being able to take him for walks or is the cage thing the best solution?

 

[PiggySmitten]

I don't know much about this but I have read that the piggies can break their backs in those harnesses so I would never try one. I don't think the danger would just be owners who pull (although obviously that's not good). Pigs are flighty and might suddenly jerk for no obvious reason and you may not react in time.

I think I gave a rough idea what you are describing cage wise and it does sound a bit risky as you say in terms of potential hurting your piggies.

I know you need to always be there to supervise but I think you still need to look at either a bigger "proper" run or you can let him run free in the garden as long as you can properly fence off all round the edges so you can be sure he can't accidentally escape.

Depending on your budget, and your storage space, there are lots of choices. You can buy metal runs which come in 8 panel packs so you can configure as you want and even add another pack to make a bigger run (they often come with a net cover but you needn't put that on if you are going to be there all the time). They tend to be quite cheap. They are easy to store and sound like they might work for you if you want to make quite a decent sized area secure.

 

[Lilly]

I use one of those 8 panel metal runs. They're sold for dogs but work great for piggies. Because they fold, really easy to set up, take down, carry and store. I store mine folded and upright against a garage wall. And they are quite inexpensive as runs go.

 

[piglet_and_rogers_mama]

Hello, I would avoid any kind of leash or harness; like a previous poster said it can really damage their backs. Same goes for any kind of wheel, whether it be a plastic balls like hamsters and gerbils can use to roll around the house, or even one of the wheels that stay in the cage. They are not safe for pigs because of the way their backs bend. If you want to get your pigs out, I would try to make a piggy-proofed enclosure where they can run around safely (obviously supervised just in case!). Good luck, it can sometimes be a challenge to find a way to ensure they can get enough exercise and freedom safely.

 

[Ayla]

any type of strain pulling up on your guinea pig's back can harm it in drastic ways i really advise against it

 

[Sarah from Chucklebunnies]

The wire runs do not have to be in one piece either, you can buy panels you put onto the lawn with thick wires to push down between them vertically to fasten them together. It is a bit like fencing, which you can make in whatever shape you like and it has the advantage that you can sit on the ground inside the area you have fenced off and let your piggy explore around and over you. Ours is black wire and very strong, it does take a bit of storing, it has been amazingly useful over the years and I can't recall where we got it from. It was supposed to be in a octagon to start with, but we bought a second set of the run and so can almost completely enclose the middle lawn space in our garden. I can recommend it, it takes a bit of faffing about with before you get good and quick at putting it up, but it is incredibly good for outdoor times with your piggy.