Biting Piggie

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Guinea Slave

Guinea Slave

Adult Guinea Pig
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i wanted to say thank you to @Wiebke for her amazing informative posts on nipping piggies. One of my newish adopted girls has found her paws and been very dominating with us humans, deciding that nipping would enable her to get her way. I read wiebkes excellent thread and decided to try the nose up trick, shoving my nose under her chin and lifting her head up.

The reaction was amazing, she stopped immediately. She gently tried to nip today, almost half hearted and I did the same, and I am pleased to say we just had more cuddles and no nipping just lots of praise and gently rubbing around her eyes.

Such a small gesture clearly means a lot in piggies speak, thank you! X
 
Thank you, @Guinea Slave ! It is great to have such feedback!

Like with all animal whispering approaches, there is no magic involved, just careful observation of how guinea pigs interact naturally with each other and then using that body language to interact with your guinea pigs in a way and a social frame that they instinctively understand. "Whispering" is very effective with all mammals living in social groups.

All the other approaches I have come across have always been human based "naughty behaviour" reactions, which at the worst are traumatising and at the best rather confusing for guinea pigs and other animals because why should they be punished for doing something that is natural for them?
Putting it in terms of "this behaviour is not welcome/accepted in the group I (the human) am leading" makes the whole issue perfectly clear in one fell swoop without having to resort to unpleasantness and without letting a piggy get away with inappropriate dominance behaviour.
If you combine the dominance with reassurance of the piggy being welcome in your group (ear and eye stroking), it will resolve the whole problem in a very amicable, easy way. You have established a hierarchy, which is essential for any guinea pig interaction, and have at the same time made clear that you want your guinea pig to be welcome and cherished within that hierarchy.

Here are some more "piggy whispering" tips, which especially help with settling in shy guinea pigs: How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

I have always been fascinated by guinea pig social interaction. For me, they are piggies first and foremost, and cuddly pets only to the degree they enjoy it themselves.
 
Guinea Slave said:
i wanted to say thank you to @Wiebke for her amazing informative posts on nipping piggies. One of my newish adopted girls has found her paws and been very dominating with us humans, deciding that nipping would enable her to get her way. I read wiebkes excellent thread and decided to try the nose up trick, shoving my nose under her chin and lifting her head up.

The reaction was amazing, she stopped immediately. She gently tried to nip today, almost half hearted and I did the same, and I am pleased to say we just had more cuddles and no nipping just lots of praise and gently rubbing around her eyes.

Such a small gesture clearly means a lot in piggies speak, thank you! X
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Glad it well
 
I have found @Wiebke 's thread about biting invaluable. My Mollie (who is big and brash) was a real biter. It was a real shock as I'd never had a biter before. She's never going to be a cuddly pig, but using the tips in the thread we have come to an understanding of each other and biting has almost become a thing of the past.
It's always great to hear other people's feedback.
 
Wiebke said:
Thank you, @Guinea Slave ! It is great to have such feedback!

Like with all animal whispering approaches, there is no magic involved, just careful observation of how guinea pigs interact naturally with each other and then using that body language to interact with your guinea pigs in a way and a social frame that they instinctively understand. "Whispering" is very effective with all mammals living in social groups.

All the other approaches I have come across have always been human based "naughty behaviour" reactions, which at the worst are traumatising and at the best rather confusing for guinea pigs and other animals because why should they be punished for doing something that is natural for them?
Putting it in terms of "this behaviour is not welcome/accepted in the group I (the human) am leading" makes the whole issue perfectly clear in one fell swoop without having to resort to unpleasantness and without letting a piggy get away with inappropriate dominance behaviour.
If you combine the dominance with reassurance of the piggy being welcome in your group (ear and eye stroking), it will resolve the whole problem in a very amicable, easy way. You have established a hierarchy, which is essential for any guinea pig interaction, and have at the same time made clear that you want your guinea pig to be welcome and cherished within that hierarchy.

Here are some more "piggy whispering" tips, which especially help with settling in shy guinea pigs: How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

I have always been fascinated by guinea pig social interaction. For me, they are piggies first and foremost, and cuddly pets only to the degree they enjoy it themselves.
Click to expand...

Thanks wiebke, fascinating! I would love to some day become an animal behaviouralist, just watching and observing is one of the most rewarding things about them. These three are all sisters and work together as a team, they rarely bicker and snuggle together at night but each have a totally different personality and a role in the group. They are lovely to be around.
 
Guinea Slave said:
Thanks wiebke, fascinating! I would love to some day become an animal behaviouralist, just watching and observing is one of the most rewarding things about them. These three are all sisters and work together as a team, they rarely bicker and snuggle together at night but each have a totally different personality and a role in the group. They are lovely to be around.
Click to expand...

It is fascinating to watch the various personalities and dynamics. You suddenly realise that guinea pigs are not at all simply and straight forward.

My Triplets are also very different in personality and outlook! At times, they can bicker quite a bit, though! Bedo and laid-back Angharad are the acting peacekeepers in that group to keep the sisters on an even keel.
 
I was too scared to put my face in his face (I don't want to get bit in the face). But, I used the nose trick, lifting his chin with my finger. It stopped his biting within a few days and now he only gently bites when he wants to be let down. It really worked like a charm!
 
Wiebke said:
It is fascinating to watch the various personalities and dynamics. You suddenly realise that guinea pigs are not at all simply and straight forward.

My Triplets are also very different in personality and outlook! At times, they can bicker quite a bit, though! Bedo and laid-back Angharad are the acting peacekeepers in that group to keep the sisters on an even keel.
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I'm so lucky with mine, they just don't bicker, even when in season, I have never had such a happy little group. I was going to get them a neutered male as I like the combination but they are so content I don't want to upset them! They are about 18 months old now so I am hoping it will continue. Trixie is bold and checks out everything first, definitely the leader, Mischief is as per her name but seeks out the food and lunar is the nibbler and the most nervous and last to come out. She is their early warning system! However she is not at all nervous when there is food around so I think it's a ploy! Sometimes when they are being particularly vocal and scheming together we call them the Witches of Eastwick after the film, but to be fair they are lovely friendly girls.
 
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