Dominant Or Just Not Very Nice?

[hidey_hi]

Hi,

My dominant sow, Pirate, really doesn't seem to be very kind to Strawberry sometimes. Today I got them out for a cuddle when the duvet was scrunched up on the bed, and Strawberry crawled onto it and 'discovered' a little nook which she curled up in. Pirate walked over and squished herself right in behind Strawberry making her look really uncomfortable. They never snuggle together normally, it seemed just to be envy. Also, recently if I've taken Strawberry out for a cuddle before Pirate (I make sure I'm quite fair with this and alternate which one I take first), when Strawberry returns to the cage Pirate sniffs her all over as if to say 'you've been with the human, haven't you?'. Even if I give Strawberry a chin rub she comes over and pokes her nose into my hand. She's the same with everything - never mind the rest of the food, she wants what's in Strawberry's mouth. Never mind the other hidey, she wants the one Strawberry's comfortable in. And I've just seen her walk over to a new hidey I'd created which Strawberry was resting in, poke her nose in it to see what was up, and urinate quite deliberately next to it. Why is she such a cow?

 

[hidey_hi]

I've just read Wiebke's advice about having two of everything - I do have two hideys but not two bowls etc., so maybe that's a place to start. I can't make another one of me though! Am I supposed to give the dominant one cuddles etc. first, or should I be encouraging equality? I'm a teacher, so doing the former doesn't sit well with me!

 

[Wiebke]

Please have two of everything, hideys, bowls etc. and please observe the existing hierarchy when dealing with guinea pigs. Top piggy always gets served and cuddled etc. first. That then leaves the bottom piggies to get their own space and slot to enjoy. That is following proper piggy etiquette!
The trade off for the perks like first feed and safest/cosiest bedchamber is that the survival of the group as a whole in difficult situations and times is the responsibility of the top sow; she is the one who makes the crucial decisions, usually based on experience and charisma to keep the group together and alive - all of which make her the least expendible group member.

Some rather dominant piggies can be a bit of a pain in the neck, though, especially around the time they come into season about every two weeks.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sow-behaviour.38561/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/biological-facts-and-guinea-pig-society.109062/

 

[hidey_hi]

Blimey! Thanks - I definitely didn't know that about serving the top pig first. Now that I think of it, if I do cuddle Strawberry first she's always really fidgety really quickly, as if she doesn't want to be there, and she actually won't take food from my hand until Pirate's taken her piece. This is the kind of information all new guinea pig owners should be getting, and yet the books don't go into it in nearly enough depth. What fascinating animals.

 

[Wiebke]

The interest in keeping guinea pigs is sadly usually just focused on how to make the most of them as cuddly pets, but not on their very developed and intricate social life, as comparatively few people get to actually see it - and even less to appreciate it! There has been recently a bit more scientific interest, but it is still pretty minimal compared to other species.

Several observations are mine after I have finally been able to realise my dream of having a working group of guinea pigs and trying to keep them in a pet setting that allows them to still function as a full group over several years. It is fascinating to watch all the different dynamics develop over time, but it can also give you major headaches when things go wrong.

 

[Freela]

I agree with two of everything if there is conflict over specific items. My pigs are fine sharing a pigloo (they will either go in together or will take turns without it being an issue) and are fine sharing a water bottle, although Linney (dominant pig) clearly gets to use it whenever she wants it and will run Sundae off if she is drinking when it enters Linney's head that she would also like a drink. Sundae comes right back when she is done. There is conflict over the food bowl if there is only one (Sundae will drag it around in an attempt to hide it, and Linney doesn't appreciate that too much.) So we provide them with two food bowls. Sundae typically drags one into the pigloo when she is in there, but beyond that they typically will just eat from whichever one is closer. As for who is handled first, holding the dominant pig first is a good suggestion. Mine don't seem to mind who is picked up first, but they do not like to both be held by the same person at the same time. They prefer one-on-one time with the human. We've learned the hard way that there will be snapping/biting/general unhappiness if both pigs have to share the same human at the same time. So I typically take them out separately, or we have an 'assembly line' with the kids, where everyone holds a pig and then hands them down the line. That way the kids all get to spend one-on-one time with each pig too, which both the kids and the pigs enjoy!

Just to add... I really enjoy the social interaction between the guinea pigs and envy the setting that Wiebke has with multiple pigs in a functioning social group. That must be fascinating! We are limited to a pair because we have to keep them easily mobile (for the summer months, we move between home and cottage very frequent and need the cage/animals to be small enough to be broken down, packed, and reassembled very frequently and to fit into both home and cottage spaces without being in the way.) But I've had two pairs of pigs over the past six years (Linney and Frenzy, and then after Frenzy passed away Linney and Sundae) and have really loved watching their unique relationships and how they react and behave. One thing both Frenzy and Sundae learned quickly was that Linney's the boss. Always. LOL!