What Does This Behaviour Mean?(2 Boys)

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AngusandDougal

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Hi, so a few days ago I brought home 2 male pigs from the pet shop. I was told they are between 8 and 12 weeks old. I have owned guinea pigs before but never the combination of 2 males and want some advice on their current behaviour. When I bought them they were in a cage at the pet shop with 2 other males but I’m guessing now it is just the two of them they are figuring out who is boss, Dougal (who is slightly larger) has been mounting Angus for 5/10 seconds at a time before Angus is shaking him off and running away only to be chased and mounted again. He is also doing a bit of bum shaking and chirping while Angus is not. I have done some research into this but what I want to know is if it is normal for Angus to be fighting back a bit? I think Dougal is clearly going for dominance but is it normal for Angus to be nipping at his face, running away and shaking him off when he’s mounting him or does this mean that Angus is not accepting Dougal as in charge? How long will it take before one of them comes out on top? And how will I know if this means they are not accepting each other and need to be separated? Any advice would be very helpful!
 
AngusandDougal said:
Hi, so a few days ago I brought home 2 male pigs from the pet shop. I was told they are between 8 and 12 weeks old. I have owned guinea pigs before but never the combination of 2 males and want some advice on their current behaviour. When I bought them they were in a cage at the pet shop with 2 other males but I’m guessing now it is just the two of them they are figuring out who is boss, Dougal (who is slightly larger) has been mounting Angus for 5/10 seconds at a time before Angus is shaking him off and running away only to be chased and mounted again. He is also doing a bit of bum shaking and chirping while Angus is not. I have done some research into this but what I want to know is if it is normal for Angus to be fighting back a bit? I think Dougal is clearly going for dominance but is it normal for Angus to be nipping at his face, running away and shaking him off when he’s mounting him or does this mean that Angus is not accepting Dougal as in charge? How long will it take before one of them comes out on top? And how will I know if this means they are not accepting each other and need to be separated? Any advice would be very helpful!
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Hi! Your boys are currently establishing a group hierarchy in new territory. The actual dynamics depend on how dominant both boys are and how well they mesh. The behaviour is still well within the bounds of normal. Angus is obviously not a total walk-over and tell Dougal that he has his limits. The dominance phase lasts around 2 weeks on average, but you will see a renewal once the boys' testicles start descending and they enter the hormonal teenage months. Only then is it going to decide whether the two will be able to live together or not in their adult identities.
Please take the time to read our behaviour guides, which have been linked into the previous post.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi! Your boys are currently establishing a group hierarchy in new territory. The actual dynamics depend on how dominant both boys are and how well they mesh. The behaviour is still well within the bounds of normal. Angus is obviously not a total walk-over and tell Dougal that he has his limits. The dominance phase lasts around 2 weeks on average, but you will see a renewal once the boys' testicles start descending and they enter the hormonal teenage months. Only then is it going to decide whether the two will be able to live together or not in their adult identities.
Please take the time to read our behaviour guides, which have been linked into the previous post.
Click to expand...
Thank you that’s exactly the kind of advice I was looking for!
 
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