New pig being the more dominant one?

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New Born Pup
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One of my boar brothers died and, because they were so close and I worried about the impact on my surviving pig, I brought home a new pig the day after it happened (older pig did have plenty of time with his brother's body and is eating and vocalising as normal). The new one is four months and in his previous home he was being picked on by cagemates, so I thought he would be a good choice for my large, sweet, middle-aged boar who is very nurturing and dominant in a non-aggressive way.

They had a rough start together, with the new pig teeth chattering and my older pig getting a tiny nip on the nose (after that he was springing back into my lap every time I tried to put him on the floor), but after being moved to a cosy cat bed, they then miraculously fell asleep with noses almost touching an hour into the intro (very adorable). My older piggy then managed to have some eye licking and ear nibbling sessions and it seemed the hierarchy was maybe settled! The night seems to have passed uneventfully, but we've had some chattering from new pig today and he actually flew at older piggy, though didn't bite. The issue is that when new pig scares my older pig, the latter displays submissive behaviours instead of standing firm, so it must be really confusing for new pig? New pig seems quite confident and not scared of humans.

Is this all going to settle down soon? There's been no real biting and no fighting. I know it's wrong to anthropomorphise animals, but I can't help feeling sorry for my poor older pig - he seems on the one hand really keen to make friends, but then scared of new pig on the other (approaching him, then backing away). When he first saw new pig he was making friendly, happy noises of curiosity, and then it turned out the stranger didn't like him!

Can't deny it's been a strenuous few days and I feel so sad about my older piggy's loss (and ours, of course). Any advice appreciated!
 
Make sure they have a big enough space and two of everything, hides with multiple exits. How long have they been together?
They may still be working things out, you should give them a chance. I know how tough it is, really, I thought my older boy was never going to take in this rowdy 7 week old but now almost a month later they are best friends.
My old boy still is not interested in getting close and personal and often gives him a teeth chatter or kick if he does too much but they live fine together.

I would recommend you just keep an eye out, as it sounds like normal dominance but there is also only so much a piggy will take. You can also look out for signs of bullying. He may be trying to prove a point, and he is also near his teenager months so it is not surprising he is a bit more boisterous.

Best of luck, I hope things settle down and your boys get on x
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Bonds In Trouble
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
 
Thank you 😊 I appreciate it - yes, I will definitely give them a chance. I think it could be really nice for him to have a bouncy young playmate (his brother was rather staid, bless him, except when the Emeraid would come out and then we'd see a whole new side to him...).
This is where I shamefacedly admit that their first meeting was just yesterday (I see I didn't make that clear), so I guess there's still everything to play for. I'm sure my big piggy is more resilient than I give him credit for, but he is so expressive and communicative that my heart breaks a little for him!

Great to hear about your boys, and that's very sweet. I think I'm just aiming for them to be peaceful companions - to have someone who understands them as only another guinea pig can!
 
Here they are yesterday, by the way, tired out after basil and pugilism! New pig is tiny compared to my big Texel boy.
 

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posthistorytocome said:
Thank you 😊 I appreciate it - yes, I will definitely give them a chance. I think it could be really nice for him to have a bouncy young playmate (his brother was rather staid, bless him, except when the Emeraid would come out and then we'd see a whole new side to him...).
This is where I shamefacedly admit that their first meeting was just yesterday (I see I didn't make that clear), so I guess there's still everything to play for. I'm sure my big piggy is more resilient than I give him credit for, but he is so expressive and communicative that my heart breaks a little for him!

Great to hear about your boys, and that's very sweet. I think I'm just aiming for them to be peaceful companions - to have someone who understands them as only another guinea pig can!
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Trust me I am going through a similar situation, but my new piggy is the one I feel bad for, the first day I was expecting instant friends but we are 2 weeks in and they are just roommates. Aside from the occasional playtime together my older piggy is very to herself and my younger piggy just tries so hard to be close to her and interact but she wants nothing to do with her unless it’s on her terms lol and that’s usually when it’s veggie time and she wants more than her fair share.
 
posthistorytocome said:
Thank you 😊 I appreciate it - yes, I will definitely give them a chance. I think it could be really nice for him to have a bouncy young playmate (his brother was rather staid, bless him, except when the Emeraid would come out and then we'd see a whole new side to him...).
This is where I shamefacedly admit that their first meeting was just yesterday (I see I didn't make that clear), so I guess there's still everything to play for. I'm sure my big piggy is more resilient than I give him credit for, but he is so expressive and communicative that my heart breaks a little for him!

Great to hear about your boys, and that's very sweet. I think I'm just aiming for them to be peaceful companions - to have someone who understands them as only another guinea pig can!
Click to expand...
But trust and believe when I took the younger one out for weight and grooming, little Miss pig squealed for her and watched right at the front of the cage until she was returned.
 
TheLittlePig said:
But trust and believe when I took the younger one out for weight and grooming, little Miss pig squealed for her and watched right at the front of the cage until she was returned.
Click to expand...
That's adorable, I liked reading that. I think there's a lot of piggy communication we don't pick up on, so even if your younger one isn't getting a positive response, she'll still be getting some interaction 😊

The boys are getting on much better. And my big pig is not showing any signs of depression - I've been catching him popcorning even. Cautiously optimistic!
 
Unfortunately, I discovered some pretty nasty bite marks on my texel pig yesterday, which explained why he'd been subdued for a little while. I also increasingly witnessed the new pig flying at him for no obvious reason, so he will be going back to the rehoming place. I feel very guilty and ambivalent about this, partly also because he is a really lovely pig with humans, but we don't have the space to have two large enclosures, whether separately or side by side.

My question now is: does it make sense to bring home a baby boar, to make sure my texel boy has company asap, or should I try neutering so we can adopt a female pig? The big downside is the six-week wait, particularly since we'll be on holiday in that time. We have a petsitter coming in every day and a friend may be able to visit too, but I don't know if the isolation is worth it, though the match would be much surer to work. Could anyone offer any insight or advice?
 
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