INTRODUCING 2 BOARS--- CALM MY OVERPROTECTIVE SELF

[Acation]

Hi there, I've recently adopted a second boar (i dont know how old he is, but he's really tiny, about the size of my hand) and i introduced him to my current boar (which is about 6-7 months old). I put both in a neutral place with some food and watched with a towel at hand. Bacon (the oldest) did all the expected rumblestrutting and mounting and I watched closely for about an hour or 2. I then decided the new cage I bought for both would be a good place to keep bonding. Bacon kept rumblestrutting all the time, running around the baby and pushing him but no agression or teeth chattering. The baby hid a lot but i thought that it was because he was still spooked about being in a new place. This was yesterday.
Today, since the rumblestrutting started to escalate into Bacon furiously rubbing his nose on the baby's butt (which at first i thought he was bitting him cuz the baby was complaining) I decided to try the "Friends that bath together stay together" strategy and it calmed him down for a while. But now he really seems to be bothering the baby since he starts rumblestrutting and the baby starts whinning really loud (specially when he rubs his bum). I don't know if this is expected or not, since I dont really have that much experience introducing guinea pigs, but from i've seen Bacon let's him eat, they sometimes lay together, when i took Bacon out he cried for the baby and the baby always runs to him when he can.... except Bacon imediatly starts rumblestrutting, laying on him and pushing him around, and the baby just starts weeking hard. I'm worried that in a couple of days they start really fighting because a while ago Bacon laid on the baby and he got bit back cuz of that. Any help welcome! >^<

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there, I've recently adopted a second boar (i dont know how old he is, but he's really tiny, about the size of my hand) and i introduced him to my current boar (which is about 6-7 months old). I put both in a neutral place with some food and watched with a towel at hand. Bacon (the oldest) did all the expected rumblestrutting and mounting and I watched closely for about an hour or 2. I then decided the new cage I bought for both would be a good place to keep bonding. Bacon kept rumblestrutting all the time, running around the baby and pushing him but no agression or teeth chattering. The baby hid a lot but i thought that it was because he was still spooked about being in a new place. This was yesterday.
Today, since the rumblestrutting started to escalate into Bacon furiously rubbing his nose on the baby's butt (which at first i thought he was bitting him cuz the baby was complaining) I decided to try the "Friends that bath together stay together" strategy and it calmed him down for a while. But now he really seems to be bothering the baby since he starts rumblestrutting and the baby starts whinning really loud (specially when he rubs his bum). I don't know if this is expected or not, since I dont really have that much experience introducing guinea pigs, but from i've seen Bacon let's him eat, they sometimes lay together, when i took Bacon out he cried for the baby and the baby always runs to him when he can.... except Bacon imediatly starts rumblestrutting, laying on him and pushing him around, and the baby just starts weeking hard. I'm worried that in a couple of days they start really fighting because a while ago Bacon laid on the baby and he got bit back cuz of that. Any help welcome! >^<

Hi! Please take a DEEP breath! You can't bond piggies without the inevitable dominance behaviours because that is how they establish a working hierarchy and a group identity, which is at the very core of their society.
DO NOT interfere while the dominance is still well in the mild to to moderate range, as yours.
DO NOT separate boars once you have started bonding as they need to start right at the beginning again and will never get any further in the bonding process than saying 'hello, how are?' if you interrupt them all the time at the first sign of friendly interactive behaviour, like bum sniffing.
As hard as it is, you need to sit by and leave your boys to it; unlike you, they have got the manual provided by their instincts. Only separate if their are full-on fights, which you can't miss because their intensity is on an entirely different level as you are currently seeing.

Please take the time to read this guide here; you will find it very helpful in understanding what is really going on and for judging whether your boys are still playing in the normal league or not; so far they are definitely playing in the lower leagues!
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

PS: 'Buddy baths' while still unfortunately widely touted as the ultimate 'fail-safe' bonding tool especially by people who have never done any bonding themselves do not contribute to the bonding outcome in any positive way other than delaying the bonding process and additionally stressing out the piggies in our dozen years of forum experience.
They only have a place where two riled up and testosterone pee soaked teenage boars had a near fall-out in acrimonial cricumstances (usually as teenagers); removing the stink sometime after the split and before a re-introduction after a calming down overnight separation in those circumstances is helpful. But you are nowhere near this!

PS2: if you are still worried, leave your boys together overnight in the bonding pen, but please don't split them up again unless they have a proper fall-out with all the trimmings!

 

[PiggyPoo]

From what I’ve learned, you need to leave them to it unless it turns really nasty.

I’m sure they’ll work it out. All you can do is follow the advice above. Good luck xx

 

[Acation]

Hi! Please take a DEEP breath! You can't bond piggies without the inevitable dominance behaviours because that is how they establish a working hierarchy and a group identity, which is at the very core of their society.
DO NOT interfere while the dominance is still well in the mild to to moderate range, as yours. DO NOT separate boars once you have started bonding as they need to start right at the beginning again and will never get any further in the bonding process than saying 'hello, how are?' if you interrupt them all the time at the first sign of friendly interactive behaviour, like bum sniffing.
As hard as it is, you need to sit by or leave your boys to it; unlike you, they have got the manual provided by their instincts. . Only separate if their are full-on fights, which you can't miss with their intensity, which is on an entirely different level as you are currently seeing.

Please take the time to read this guide here; you will find it very helpful in understanding what is really going on and for judging whether your boys are still playing in the normal league or not; so far they are definitely playing in the lower leagues!
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

PS: 'Buddy baths' while still unfortunately widely touted as the ultimate 'fail-safe' bonding tool especially by people who have never done any bonding themselves do not contribute to the bonding outcome in any positive way other than delaying the bonding process and additionally stressing out the piggies in our dozen years of forum experience.
They only have a place where two riled up and testosterone pee soaked teenage boars had a near fall-out in acrimonial cricumstances (usually as teenagers); removing the stink before a re-introduction in those circumstances is helpful. But you are nowhere near it! \

PS2: if you are still worried, leave your boys together overnight in the bonding pen, but please don't split them up again unless they have a proper fall-out with all the trimmings!

Thank you very much! I've had a feeling they're hitting it off well since they've had no fights, the little one is getting to eat and they seem to be enjoying each other's company. Sometimes new moms just get kinda scared because everything is new to us and we don't really know what's normal and what isn't. Hearing someone else's opinion really makes me more at ease. Thanks again! <3

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you very much! I've had a feeling they're hitting it off well since they've had no fights, the little one is getting to eat and they seem to be enjoying each other's company. Sometimes new moms just get kinda scared because everything is new to us and we don't really know what's normal and what isn't. Hearing someone else's opinion really makes me more at ease. Thanks again! <3

Please read the guide; it will take you through all the bonding stages with pictures, videos and typical behaviours to expect.

All the best! I know how hard it is to bond when you have never experienced social interaction before. Not interfering is much tougher when you are on tenterhooks.

 

[ThePiggieHouse]

You are doing fine hun. By all accounts your boars are finding out about each other and being to accept one another, it just takes time and patience... watch and read as many videos as you can about male bonding. But sometimes even with all the info in the world two boys won't respect one another, and, you'll know when they don't... when a real fight kicks off it's like nothing you've ever seen (think like a true cat fight) what ever you do- don't try to break it up without gloves... I did as a gut reaction and it was the worst mistake ever and my hand was bitten deep.