Big yawn while being held.

[J&C2023]

Hello,
I am very new to owning guinea pigs. We have had our two boars for a week now, they are both around 9 weeks old. We try to hold them when we can but not for too long because I want them to learn that we are not a threat and we will always put them back when they have had enough. Today I held Chandler and he was perfectly fine being with me, he was sniffing around me and seemed really relaxed and then he did a big yawn, so I decided to put him back in his cage because whenever I have read about guinea pigs yawning they say it's a sign of aggression, is this always the case? Or do guinea pigs yawn when they are relaxed? (Sorry for the stupid question like I said I am really new to this and I want J&C to be happy.) I feel as though I have so many questions to be honest but I hope someone can shed some light on this first one.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello,
I am very new to owning guinea pigs. We have had our two boars for a week now, they are both around 9 weeks old. We try to hold them when we can but not for too long because I want them to learn that we are not a threat and we will always put them back when they have had enough. Today I held Chandler and he was perfectly fine being with me, he was sniffing around me and seemed really relaxed and then he did a big yawn, so I decided to put him back in his cage because whenever I have read about guinea pigs yawning they say it's a sign of aggression, is this always the case? Or do guinea pigs yawn when they are relaxed? (Sorry for the stupid question like I said I am really new to this and I want J&C to be happy.) I feel as though I have so many questions to be honest but I hope someone can shed some light on this first one.

Hi

Yawning can be both a sign of tiredness or a defensive 'stay away from me, or...' gesture. It is on the fear-aggression spectrum and usually made by the weaker piggy. It is not an aggressive gesture.

You may find this link here helpful: A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours

 

[Lorcan]

There's a 70% chance one of my pair yawns every time he goes to get out of bed (he'll also stretch out all four limbs while he does it, which I never get tired of watching lol). They're just sleepy, I'm yet to see any sign of problems accompanying it. Far more likely you're just seeing a sleepy yawn.

 

[fluffysal]

Mine yawn and have a good old stretch all the time, it's exhausting being so cute

 

[Merab]

Hello,
I am very new to owning guinea pigs. We have had our two boars for a week now, they are both around 9 weeks old. We try to hold them when we can but not for too long because I want them to learn that we are not a threat and we will always put them back when they have had enough. Today I held Chandler and he was perfectly fine being with me, he was sniffing around me and seemed really relaxed and then he did a big yawn, so I decided to put him back in his cage because whenever I have read about guinea pigs yawning they say it's a sign of aggression, is this always the case? Or do guinea pigs yawn when they are relaxed? (Sorry for the stupid question like I said I am really new to this and I want J&C to be happy.) I feel as though I have so many questions to be honest but I hope someone can shed some light on this first one.

There is no such thing as a stupid question here.
We’re all about learning so our piggies have the best possible life.
My piggies yawn when they wake from a nap, then they nod off again.
It’s the context that tells you if it’s aggression or feeling secure.
I think you made the right decision to put Chandler back - it’s always best to err on the side of caution