Advice about our girls

[FirstTimePigs]

We have two girls coming up to a year old. They have separate hideys in their C&C enclosure and generally do their own thing. However when we get them out of the cage, the more outgoing one will come and deliberately antagonise the other one. Today, she even started antagonising me as I was stroking the quieter one. Is this normal? And is there anything we should do to discourage this?

The protagonist is in many ways incredibly sweet, if an atypical, pig - coming out to greet us when we get in demanding chin tickles and the like. In the evening she will sit alongside me on the sofa like a little dog (though squirms if held). The other is a more typical pig - prey like tendencies but lovely and calm to cuddle.

The girls live indoors in a 3x3 C&C enclosure and we put them out in a garden run when we are around at home to keep an eye on them. TIA.

 

[Wiebke]

We have two girls coming up to a year old. They have separate hideys in their C&C enclosure and generally do their own thing. However when we get them out of the cage, the more outgoing one will come and deliberately antagonise the other one. Today, she even started antagonising me as I was stroking the quieter one. Is this normal? And is there anything we should do to discourage this?

The protagonist is in many ways incredibly sweet, if an atypical, pig - coming out to greet us when we get in demanding chin tickles and the like. In the evening she will sit alongside me on the sofa like a little dog (though squirms if held). The other is a more typical pig - prey like tendencies but lovely and calm to cuddle.

The girls live indoors in a 3x3 C&C enclosure and we put them out in a garden run when we are around at home to keep an eye on them. TIA.

Hi

Dominance behaviours in these circumstances are not unusual; especially not in teenagers (like yours are). They can also be stronger when a sow is about to come into season or is in season - and those can be occasionally stronger in teenagers. There could have been a bit of a spat going on before you picked up them up.
As long as the interaction is in the milder to medium range you have to accept it to a degree and not interfere.

You may find the information in these links here helpful to work out what exactly is going in your case. All behaviour has a situational context.
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts) (includes chapters on sow dominance behaviours and sows in season)

Who is the Boss - Your Guinea Pig or You? (how to deal with uppity piggies in their own body language and social framing)

 

[FirstTimePigs]

Thank you so much - really interesting guides. I guess we will need to let the girls have their teenage spats. However the Who's the Boss article is also thought provoking - the dominant one does love having her chin pushed up and stroked.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much - really interesting guides. I guess we will need to let the girls have their teenage spats. However the Who's the Boss article is also thought provoking - the dominant one does love having her chin pushed up and stroked.

Some piggies have a very soft spot under the chin and love having it or the underlip gently rubbed. When the chin comes down they have had enough.

It is a different thing to forcing the chin up in order to enforce a higher ranking. In this case, you are not providing pleasure but are communicating a clear social message. Piggies have a very nuanced and much more complex interaction and can well distinguish between the two concepts.