How do you encourage exercise?

[Newtopiggies]

Our two piggies, who have been with us about 3 weeks now, just don't seem to want to exercise! They've got a 4ft double decker hutch which they're in from mid-afternoon to mid-morning, and spend most of their day in a 5ft run, so they're not lacking in room, but they tend to just hide the entire time. In fact the only real exercise they seem to get is when we try and catch them!
I guess they're still just nervous, but is it likely to get better, and how do we encourage them out? Even when we feed them they tend to drag the food in to somewhere they can hide. The greedier, more dominant one of the two (they're both boars) will come out more, but the smaller one will hardly come out from his hiding place at all. This is despite the fact that once we've caught them (which they hate), they seem to love being handled, so it's not like they're desperately shy.

 

[annette]

Give them time three weeks is still early, just spend as much time as you can with them and they will soon get to know you. All my pigs have been like this wehn I first got them, and now all of them will sit in their cages when I walk past without running away and hideing.

 

[annette]

Meant to add that although my pigs all have large cages I take them out everyday and put them in what I call the play pen I always put old cardboard boxes, tubes, paper bags etc in there that they can play with, I find when I put them in the playpen they all run around exploring and popcorning, so might be worht setting something like this up for your two.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! Your piggies are still new. Please be aware that guinea pigs are prey animals and frightened of huge open, empty spaces. Give them time to get used to their new home.

You can help them with dotting hides all over the place to use as safe bases for exploration (ideally about 1 foot apart, so they can see the next one well; guinea pigs only react to movement over larger distances). Tunnels, cardboard boxes with door openings etc. will do. Peg old beach towels over the top of the run to give them a feeling of protection, which will encourage them more to go out. Birds of prey are one of the main predators of guinea pigs; that instinct runs deep! Make sure that they have access to a dry, warm, hay filled space all day where they can be safe from all weathers.

For pick up, you can train them to go into a tunnel, cosy, padded shoe box with one end cut off etc. to lift them up without having to catch them. Gently shoo them towards a corner where you have placed the conveyance. Invent a special ritual (mine is "walkie walkie walkie" call with its own little distinctive cadence) and praise them lavishly for every little thing they are doing right. They will catch on as soon as they realise that this method is a lot less stressful. It can take from a few days to a few weeks. Place a little treat at the back of your shuttle and let them get comfy with it first for a day or two, so they will like going in.

Here are more tips on how to deal with skittish, unhandled new piggies from our reference section, which has more informative threads for new owners: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36239