Boars won’t let us handle them?

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AlfieAlvinGP

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We got 2 boars 4 months ago. They live in doors with us. We were very patient and gave them lots of time to acclimatise for a good while before handling. We used a piece of fresh fruit as treat on the first occasions when they let us get them out to hold on our knees but they have steadily got worse and try bite us now when we try get then. They were bought for my 7 year old who is very gentle and speaks very softly to them but she is frightened of them now and it takes a lot of effort to try get them out. Have we done something wrong?
 
AlfieAlvinGP said:
We got 2 boars 4 months ago. They live in doors with us. We were very patient and gave them lots of time to acclimatise for a good while before handling. We used a piece of fresh fruit as treat on the first occasions when they let us get them out to hold on our knees but they have steadily got worse and try bite us now when we try get then. They were bought for my 7 year old who is very gentle and speaks very softly to them but she is frightened of them now and it takes a lot of effort to try get them out. Have we done something wrong?
Click to expand...

Hi

You are in what we call the 'Why does my piggy suddenly hate me?' stage. It is actually a positive development because your boys now trust you enough to tell you when they are not happy.
You haven't done anything wrong, except from having the wrong expectations. Guinea pigs are not naturally born cuddlers, and if you allow your guinea pig the freedom to express themselves with you, the majority will tolerate a quick cuddle but may then either tweak you or your clothing, wiggle or teeth chatter to tell you when they have had their fill. All the videos on social media are unfortunately driven by what humans want to see and find cute or funny, so they never convey a realistic picture of ownership. Who wants to post videos of their piggies tweaking because they don't find being cuddled fun? - Yet that is what the majority of piggies are do if they are allowed to have a say.

Please take the time to read our piggy whispering guides to assert your love and authority in guinea pig terms but make clear which behaviours are not accepted in your own herd - in guinea pig social language and a hiararchical way, so your boys will totally get it.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
Who is the Boss - Your Guinea Pig or You? (how to stop unwanted behaviours without using force and unsuitable punishments)

Learning more about behaviours:
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours
" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)

Instead of cuddling, concentrate on enrichment interaction, which is how you can share the fun and how your daughter can be active doing things with your boys that are fun for all. There is so much more to ownership outside a lap cuddle... actually, the real fun starts generally off the lap! This should also help your girl to get over her fear of being tweaked.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

I would however recommend to not use fruit as a daily lure; the regular sugar and acidity are not good for them. There is quite a difference between edible and suitable fresh foods. Rather use a little fresh growing grass in the warmer months and a bit of their favourite veg or feed them their daily tablespoon of pellets by hand for learning a few tricks. Feeding time is a great occasion to turn it into enrichment time, as is exercise time.
Here is our diet guide: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

All these practical in-depth how-to information links are part of our extensive Owners's resource, which you may want to bookmark, browse, read and re-read at need although you are of course welcome to ask any questions you have at any time in our Care sections or post pictures and chat in our Chat sections.
Comprehensive Owners' Practical and Supportive Information Collection

I hope that this will help you?
 
You’ve definitely not done anything wrong. Most piggies don’t like being picked up and held.

I have had my current two boars for four years and my interaction with them is sitting on their shed floor and talking to them, letting them wander around me while they do what they want to do. They will come up to me, put their feet on my legs to see if I’ve got food for them, but they do not like to be held.
They will tolerate a few minutes of handling for their nail trims and weekly health and weight checks only.
 
We found the piggy whispering guides really helpful.

It can just take work. Ours aren’t (werent, RIP, Timmy) natural cuddles but my eldest son charmed his way in. He spent hours laying on the floor next to the cage. Timmy would come running over for a scruff of his head like a Labrador! He loved it. As soon as the rest of us went to stroke him he would run. (I put in lots of work so he let me catch him easily and tolerated cuddles but he positively revelled in them from my son). Jenny again loves him. It took work though but the piggy whispering definitely helped me in the early days.
 
I've had Meg for nearly 6 years and she still hates being picked up. She will go into a hidey to be picked up. If I have to do weigh ins I weigh her in the hidey, then weigh the hidey separately and work out her weight. If it's nail trim or health check time, I gently take her out of the hidey for those and she complains a bit but she needs nail trims and health checks so at those times it has to be a bit of tough love.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

You are in what we call the 'Why does my piggy suddenly hate me?' stage. It is actually a positive development because your boys now trust you enough to tell you when they are not happy.
You haven't done anything wrong, except from having the wrong expectations. Guinea pigs are not naturally born cuddlers, and if you allow your guinea pig the freedom to express themselves with you, the majority will tolerate a quick cuddle but may then either tweak you or your clothing, wiggle or teeth chatter to tell you when they have had their fill. All the videos on social media are unfortunately driven by what humans want to see and find cute or funny, so they never convey a realistic picture of ownership. Who wants to post videos of their piggies tweaking because they don't find being cuddled fun? - Yet that is what the majority of piggies are do if they are allowed to have a say.

Please take the time to read our piggy whispering guides to assert your love and authority in guinea pig terms but make clear which behaviours are not accepted in your own herd - in guinea pig social language and a hiararchical way, so your boys will totally get it.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
Who is the Boss - Your Guinea Pig or You? (how to stop unwanted behaviours without using force and unsuitable punishments)

Learning more about behaviours:
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours
" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)

Instead of cuddling, concentrate on enrichment interaction, which is how you can share the fun and how your daughter can be active doing things with your boys that are fun for all. There is so much more to ownership outside a lap cuddle... actually, the real fun starts generally off the lap! This should also help your girl to get over her fear of being tweaked.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

I would however recommend to not use fruit as a daily lure; the regular sugar and acidity are not good for them. There is quite a difference between edible and suitable fresh foods. Rather use a little fresh growing grass in the warmer months and a bit of their favourite veg or feed them their daily tablespoon of pellets by hand for learning a few tricks. Feeding time is a great occasion to turn it into enrichment time, as is exercise time.
Here is our diet guide: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

All these practical in-depth how-to information links are part of our extensive Owners's resource, which you may want to bookmark, browse, read and re-read at need although you are of course welcome to ask any questions you have at any time in our Care sections or post pictures and chat in our Chat sections.
Comprehensive Owners' Practical and Supportive Information Collection

I hope that this will help you?
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for all this advice. I will get reading again.
 
Piggies&buns said:
You’ve definitely not done anything wrong. Most piggies don’t like being picked up and held.

I have had my current two boars for four years and my interaction with them is sitting on their shed floor and talking to them, letting them wander around me while they do what they want to do. They will come up to me, put their feet on my legs to see if I’ve got food for them, but they do not like to be held.
They will tolerate a few minutes of handling for their nail trims and weekly health and weight checks only.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the reassurance.
Wiebke said:
Hi

You are in what we call the 'Why does my piggy suddenly hate me?' stage. It is actually a positive development because your boys now trust you enough to tell you when they are not happy.
You haven't done anything wrong, except from having the wrong expectations. Guinea pigs are not naturally born cuddlers, and if you allow your guinea pig the freedom to express themselves with you, the majority will tolerate a quick cuddle but may then either tweak you or your clothing, wiggle or teeth chatter to tell you when they have had their fill. All the videos on social media are unfortunately driven by what humans want to see and find cute or funny, so they never convey a realistic picture of ownership. Who wants to post videos of their piggies tweaking because they don't find being cuddled fun? - Yet that is what the majority of piggies are do if they are allowed to have a say.

Please take the time to read our piggy whispering guides to assert your love and authority in guinea pig terms but make clear which behaviours are not accepted in your own herd - in guinea pig social language and a hiararchical way, so your boys will totally get it.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
Who is the Boss - Your Guinea Pig or You? (how to stop unwanted behaviours without using force and unsuitable punishments)

Learning more about behaviours:
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours
" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)

Instead of cuddling, concentrate on enrichment interaction, which is how you can share the fun and how your daughter can be active doing things with your boys that are fun for all. There is so much more to ownership outside a lap cuddle... actually, the real fun starts generally off the lap! This should also help your girl to get over her fear of being tweaked.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

I would however recommend to not use fruit as a daily lure; the regular sugar and acidity are not good for them. There is quite a difference between edible and suitable fresh foods. Rather use a little fresh growing grass in the warmer months and a bit of their favourite veg or feed them their daily tablespoon of pellets by hand for learning a few tricks. Feeding time is a great occasion to turn it into enrichment time, as is exercise time.
Here is our diet guide: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

All these practical in-depth how-to information links are part of our extensive Owners's resource, which you may want to bookmark, browse, read and re-read at need although you are of course welcome to ask any questions you have at any time in our Care sections or post pictures and chat in our Chat sections.
Comprehensive Owners' Practical and Supportive Information Collection

I hope that this will help you?
Click to expand...
 
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