Will guinea pigs avoid walking/running off ledges?

[Mikatelyn]

Hi!
I've had my piggies for a few months, but I always climb into their pen, sit on the ground and let them come to me for treats and cuddles. Bolt will jump right into my arms and I can pick him up and walk around a little, Bandit isn't quite there, but will walk up into my hand and I can lift him a couple of inches. I'm not sure how tame they are compared to other people's definition of tame, but they eat out of my hands and I can pet them as long as I'm holding a treat. However, they run away readily.
I'd like to take them to the couch and sit, but I'm worried they'll run off and fall off the couch.
How do other people do couch time? Do you guys only take tame guinea pigs that don't run off? Mine are really fast when spooked, and any little thing can spook them. Do they naturally know to stop at ledges so they don't hurt themselves?
I'd love to hear how everyone else handles lap/cuddle/out of cage time with their piggies.

 

[Siikibam]

I would take them with a fleece that has their smell in it. And maybe put some hides there that they can sit in if they want to. Mine have never jumped off the chair, although the boys sometimes peaked over the edge. I just had my hand there to stop them.

 

[Piggies&buns]

A lot will be absolutely fine with lap time on a sofa but any piggy, no matter how tame, can spook - their prey Instinct doesn’t leave them - so there will always be a risk of blind jumps from scared piggies.

My personal experience - Mine don’t like being held or handled, they are absolutely fine to take food from me and will potter around me when I sit on the floor in the shed with them. I would not be able to sit at height with them because they would just run in a panic to get away and there is every chance they wouldn’t see the edge of a sofa and would fall.

 

[Mikatelyn]

Thank you both for your responses.
At the risk of sounding like a helicopter furbaby parent, I think I'm going to first try taking them onto a low to the ground bed where I can block 2 edges with walls, a 3rd edge with a pile up blanket, leave the 4th edge open but have a soft landing on the ground in case they decide to jump off.
Maybe this will be a good test to see how they respond to ledges. I see pictures and videos of people putting their piggies on tables or counters and the piggies look like they just stay put. I would be terrified to let my piggies do that! They are way too fast for me to put a hand out to stop them from plunging to the ground. Also, they run away if my hand moves towards them too quickly. I have to hold still, let them come to me and "potter around me" (I love this phrase @Piggies&buns, I'm stealing it!)

 

[PigglePuggle]

Always better to be cautious and avoid accidents, a spooked piggy could well fall of a table or couch- they dont see very well and havent evolved to be off the ground, fall hazards arent something they naturally look for, more likely to be looking upwards for predators.
If I have my piggies on the sofa and I'm not holding them directly then I sit on the floor in front just in case they make any sudden moves. But I only handle mine when necessary mostly, they are happy to take treats from me or even lick my toes if I'm in the big cage cleaning up poops, but strictly their rules and they prefer being on home territory, and at ground level!