Help!

[PopandBurrito]

Hi! i got two guinea pigs yesterday, pop (or popcorn) and burrito. Burrito is much more adventurous than Pop, and yesterday, he was definitely the dominant one. But today, pop has been much more controlling but still much more shy of the humans. He's taken control of the food bowl and nicked the box his brother had claimed. I had taken pity on Burrito and took him out of the cage for some more bonding time, Pop had run to hide in the built-in hidey hole and Burrito ran to the box, which i moved to get him out. he seemed pretty terrified, though, since he's not completely used to being held, so I put him back in. He ran to the other hole with his brother before returning to the box. neither came out for ages, till Pop got some hay from by the entrance of his hole. As i'm writing this, they have both come back out, thinking i'm not in the room, whereas before they were fine with me sitting reasonably close to the cage, with no sudden noises or movement. How can I gain their already minimal trust back, and can someone tell me how i can prevent pop from bullying his brother, and vice versa?

 

[Piggies&buns]

The key with Male guinea pigs is a big cage - at least 150cm x 60cm and two/three of every item (two food bowls, two water bottles and hay piles, and two, three or even four hidey houses) as this will prevent the dominant piggy hogging the best houses etc. Boars kept in a cage smaller than this can often end up falling out over a lack of space. It is also essential with boars that you always respect their hierarchy and handle the dominant piggy first. If you handle the submissive piggy first, then it can make the dominant piggy feel the need to then over exert his dominance. Your boys will need to establish their hierarchy and relationship in a new environment, and particularly, I’m assuming they are young, once they get to their teens (4-14 months of age).

You should acquaint yourself with normal dominance behaviours which occur between two boars, so that you don’t misinterpret normal behaviours for bullying and can identify if actual bullying occurs. The important thing is do not panic, step in and separate them if they are only displaying normal dominance. If you do this, then you interrupt their processes and can cause a problem. The only time you separate Male guinea pigs is if a full on blood drawing fight occurs, or if there is a genuine issue with bullying suggesting a deep problem within their bond.

In terms of handling, the fact you only got them yesterday means that you need to take your time. We generally recommend leaving them for several days/a week without handling them and instead just let them settle in. Once you do start to handle, you need to do it slowly. Guinea pigs are prey animals and most don’t like being touched, picked up or handled, so you need to take things very steady. I’m going to link in some guides below to help you

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
Guinea pig behaviour can sometimes seem worrying to us but @Piggies&buns has given you excellent advice and linked some very useful threads.
It does take time for guinea pigs to settle into a new environment and a lot of patience before they truly relax and trust us.
We would love to see pictures of your boys

 

[PopandBurrito]

The key with Male guinea pigs is a big cage - at least 150cm x 60cm and two/three of every item (two food bowls, two water bottles and hay piles, and two, three or even four hidey houses) as this will prevent the dominant piggy hogging the best houses etc. Boars kept in a cage smaller than this can often end up falling out over a lack of space. It is also essential with boars that you always respect their hierarchy and handle the dominant piggy first. If you handle the submissive piggy first, then it can make the dominant piggy feel the need to then over exert his dominance. Your boys will need to establish their hierarchy and relationship in a new environment, and particularly, I’m assuming they are young, once they get to their teens (4-14 months of age).

You should acquaint yourself with normal dominance behaviours which occur between two boars, so that you don’t misinterpret normal behaviours for bullying and can identify if actual bullying occurs. The important thing is do not panic, step in and separate them if they are only displaying normal dominance. If you do this, then you interrupt their processes and can cause a problem. The only time you separate Male guinea pigs is if a full on blood drawing fight occurs, or if there is a genuine issue with bullying suggesting a deep problem within their bond.

In terms of handling, the fact you only got them yesterday means that you need to take your time. We generally recommend leaving them for several days/a week without handling them and instead just let them settle in. Once you do start to handle, you need to do it slowly. Guinea pigs are prey animals and most don’t like being touched, picked up or handled, so you need to take things very steady. I’m going to link in some guides below to help you

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

Thank you! I will keep this in mind!

 

[PopandBurrito]

Welcome to the forum.
Guinea pig behaviour can sometimes seem worrying to us but @Piggies&buns has given you excellent advice and linked some very useful threads.
It does take time for guinea pigs to settle into a new environment and a lot of patience before they truly relax and trust us.
We would love to see pictures of your boys

Hi! thanks and I will post some pics later since they are currently sleeping and I haven't really taken many yet