Even so, do you think that both piggies would benefit from interactions through the bars, just for the sake of companionship? That way, neither could get hurt or feel pressured to be with the other piggy.
Next door companionship is an option if you can provide that; as long as the little one is ok with it.
Some boars, especially those insecure in themselves or with socialisation deficits in early life, can unfortunately insist on abject surrender, which many piggies won't give - and the more they push, the less they will get it.
A bonding fail is always gutting. However, whenever you bring home a companion of your choice/on spec, you have to always have a plan B and be prepared to act on it. You can never predict how piggies get on when face to face even if the situation looks perfect on paper - I have a cupboard full
those t-shirts.
All of the hideys we used had two entrances, but Neville was really intimidating Little One (he was only sniffing and wanting to be friends, but he is four times bigger, so that could easily come across as threatening. The vet told us that Neville is fine, robust and healthy, and also that she hopes she won't see us again soon, for the sake of the guinea pigs! Now that we know that Neville is safe, and I have noticed nothing wrong about Little One, what do we do for the bonding situation?
We have an idea of putting a wire mesh divider in the hutch so that neither piggy is alone, but not together if they do not want do be - would that be acceptable in terms of guinea pig welfare and the need for company? Because Neville lived in a trio with his two brothers (it was a rare yet successful relationship) and when we went to pick up Little One, there were five of them, all living together in the same hutch. Might this mean that they need more company than just viewing through wire mesh?
I have also been reading up on bonding, and I did it the way Saskia from LA Guinea Pig Rescue did it (just putting them in a smallish neutral space and letting them sniff and climb all over each other and hoping for the best) but reading the PDSA guide to guinea pig bonding which says to do it very gradually, I wonder if I did it all horribly wrong. Which way is the best to bond?
It all comes down to whether the personalities involved gel or not at the bottom line. You cannot change personality or outlook. Any bonding at home is basically an arranged marriage with all the issues that can come with it. Guinea pigs live in a complex society and they are every bit as complicated as humans; after over 70 piggies and well over 100 bondings (successful and failed ones with my own piggies, not to mention forum bondings), I can attest that!
There is simply no fail-safe option nor are certain combos a guarantee for success; they only have a higher overall success rate but that never says anything about your specific bonding. It is the same as saying that you are much less likely to catch Covid when doubly vaccinated but it won't say anything about it whether you yourself are one of the minority that catches it. Statistics can only give trends.
A small bonding space will give you results more quickly as to whether a bond is working or not - ideal for the speed dating Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue offers with their timed slots. An experienced bonder develops an instincitve feel in which direction dynamics are going because they can pick up on the very subtle signals in the interaction.
However, speed dating only covers initial acceptance. Hammering out the hierarchy usually takes longer and may even take a night in the (somewhat larger) bonding pen until you are sure that your piggies have come to an agreement. The full establishment of a working group takes about 2 weeks - the post-intro dominance phase is very often overlooked although it is a period when many initially positive bonds can stumble and fail when both sides cannot come to a mutually satisfactory agreement.
Very slow intros should only be considered with highly fear-aggressive piggies to help them push through by doing intros only as far as they can bear and for as long as the companion is still willing to play ball. Even then, a bonding may not come off.
In all other cases, every meeting is basically an aborted bonding session and highly frustrating for the piggies involved because they cannot proceed to the next stage. From my own experiences, the mounting frustration adds another stress factor. Especially boars have to always start back in square one every time they meet. If they do not match, then they won't match wichever way you do the bonding.
If at all possible, a bonding should be done in one go until they can settle together or not. With piggies over 4 months of age, you can allow them to spend more time as neighbours with interaction through the bars in the run up and then do the full formal bonding. For younger piggies, the need for companionship comes before everything else.
But as soon as you notice any negative dynamics (especially any persistent over the top behaviour that is clearly stressing out the other party; like insisting on total submission long after it has already been given repeatedly), then please abort; things won't improve once the dynamics have turned sour in my own experience. Once piggies have made up their mind that they do not suit, then you have had it. Full stop.
PS: whatever you decide, please give both boys time to settle down and heal. Right now, they are both massively shocked and shaken themselves.
The problem with your baby is that he is currently at an age when he is desperate for a guardian to take him under his wing, socialise and teach him until he turns into a teenager - which your boy was not doing. If you find that he is struggling with just being just a next door piggy consider alternative solutions.
