Boys behaviour

DougalandDiego

DougalandDiego

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hi all,

Sorry I am posting a lot on the forum lately. My boys go through a stage where they seem to get on really well and stages where I’m contemplating whether to divide their c and c cage and let them live alongside each other. They are both 13 months old and have lived together since we bought them at around 8 weeks old. They live in a 3x5 c and c and have at least two of everything. I find that every other day I hear teeth chattering from them at the moment. It doesn’t last for long but it does usually end up in the submissive pig being chased into a litter tray.

I find it happens when they bump into each other (not all the time as sometimes they just rumble at each other and one goes the other way. What happens is they both freeze and if Dougal the submissive pig doesn’t move or squeal he is chased off by Diego and teeth chatters. I managed to catch a video of the sort of behaviour they are showing. After a few minutes and they’ve both calmed down they both go their separate ways.

I will attach the video but I’m not sure how good the audio is. Any advice very much appreciated.

 
Does that box hidey only have that one exit? If so, I would say that could be an issue. You ideally need two exits out of every hidey. All that looks like is that one is blocking the exit and the piggy inside wants to come out.

If it’s mild teeth chattering then it’s just mild dominance and not a concern in itself.
Do they both eat well? Both gaining weight?
 
Piggies&buns said:
Does that box hidey only have that one exit? If so, I would say that could be an issue. You ideally need two exits out of every hidey. All that looks like is that one is blocking the exit and the piggy inside wants to come out.

If it’s mild teeth chattering then it’s just mild dominance and not a concern in itself.
Do they both eat well? Both gaining weight?
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Sorry I should have said it has three exits two on each side as well as the one at the front so has two exits as one side is pushed up against the side of the cage. The pig on the outside of the house is my submissive pig (I’m pretty sure he’s the submissive pig) as it’s the other who chases and gets the pick of the houses! Yes both eat well - the dominant pig recently had a mild uri so lost a bit but isn’t losing anymore. When I check on them throughout the day they’re both resting/eating/drinking so it doesn’t appear that one is being bullied but not having guinea pigs before I just hate when they teeth chatter as it sounds so awful.
 
Siikibam said:
I’d possibly consider taking out that house and leaving them with the bendy bridges. Or putting in smaller boxes with two exits on them.
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Even if it has two exits? This is their cage so they have two of those houses but both have two exits that they can use...
 

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If there are no outright fights and no signs of bullying, then you are likely just seeing normal dominance and boar behaviour. Teeth chattering may sound horrible to us but to them it is normal behaviour and communication
 
Piggies&buns said:
If there are no outright fights and no signs of bullying, then you are likely just seeing normal dominance and boar behaviour. Teeth chattering may sound horrible to us but to them it is normal behaviour and communication
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Thank you for the re-assurance I will keep an eye on them!
 
DougalandDiego said:
It doesn’t seem to be just that hidey as it happens in different areas of the cage unfortunately 😫🤦🏻‍♀️
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It may just be usual assertion of dominance. Remember they’re still in their teenage months. Hopefully with time they will mellow more. My dominant boar will sometimes teeth chatter and chase his cage mate. But they’re okay and I know it’s just an occasional thing.

Just keep an ear out (not too much) and try not to worry.
 
Siikibam said:
It may just be usual assertion of dominance. Remember they’re still in their teenage months. Hopefully with time they will mellow more. My dominant boar will sometimes teeth chatter and chase his cage mate. But they’re okay and I know it’s just an occasional thing.

Just keep an ear out (not too much) and try not to worry.
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Thank you I will keep an ear out. I’ve been sat in with them for most of the evening and there haven’t been any fights but I just find they display quite a lot of dominant behaviour (chasing out of things/away from a certain spot/rumble strutting/teeth chattering).

thanks again🙂
 
DougalandDiego said:
Thank you I will keep an ear out. I’ve been sat in with them for most of the evening and there haven’t been any fights but I just find they display quite a lot of dominant behaviour (chasing out of things/away from a certain spot/rumble strutting/teeth chattering).

thanks again🙂
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Perhaps you’re watching them too much? 😁 Toffee quite regularly will try to chase Fudge out of hides. He doesn’t seem to do it as much now they have the same one in opposite corners. But prior when they had three boxes, he’d want the one Fudge was in. Sometimes he’d succeed and other times Fudge would stand his ground. He also chases him out the hay tray on the rare occasion. Otherwise they’re normal boars. Just like yours. Try not to see an issue where there isn’t one, it’ll stress you ☺️ Enjoy them and their manly behaviour 🤣 unless you see signs of it being anything other than that.

PS not fighting but dominance behaviour 🥳
 
I find the rumble strutting kind of funny. I know they're trying to be all manly and macho but obviously from a human perspective they are still so small and fluffy and cute!

Try to be reassured by the fact that it all sounds and looks like normal behaviour to everyone on here and you're doing all the right things on terms of their environment as well as keeping and eye on their weight and health.

Maybe rather than keeping yourself on high alert for danger, you could try to train yourself to look at what they are doing as something interesting to study in terms of observing their behaviour and learning about them (narrate what they are doing in David Attenborough voice?!). Then you can come back and share your findings with the rest of us.
 
Siikibam said:
Perhaps you’re watching them too much? 😁 Toffee quite regularly will try to chase Fudge out of hides. He doesn’t seem to do it as much now they have the same one in opposite corners. But prior when they had three boxes, he’d want the one Fudge was in. Sometimes he’d succeed and other times Fudge would stand his ground. He also chases him out the hay tray on the rare occasion. Otherwise they’re normal boars. Just like yours. Try not to see an issue where there isn’t one, it’ll stress you ☺️ Enjoy them and their manly behaviour 🤣 unless you see signs of it being anything other than that.

PS not fighting but dominance behaviour 🥳
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Thanks sorry I missed your post I didn’t get a notification! Yeah I think watching them too much is partly the issue so going to try and to do that as much! Thanks for the advice - I think sometimes like you said the problem is my submissive guinea pig stands his ground sometimes and that’s when the odd chase and teeth chatter happens.
Hopefully they calm down as they get older ! :)
 
LMPigs said:
I find the rumble strutting kind of funny. I know they're trying to be all manly and macho but obviously from a human perspective they are still so small and fluffy and cute!

Try to be reassured by the fact that it all sounds and looks like normal behaviour to everyone on here and you're doing all the right things on terms of their environment as well as keeping and eye on their weight and health.

Maybe rather than keeping yourself on high alert for danger, you could try to train yourself to look at what they are doing as something interesting to study in terms of observing their behaviour and learning about them (narrate what they are doing in David Attenborough voice?!). Then you can come back and share your findings with the rest of us.
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Ah that’s so lovely thanks for such a nice post. I definitely think unfortunately I’ve got a bit obsessive and paranoid about it. Thanks for the reassurance and I’ll keep you all posted! 🤣☺️☺️
 
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