Nipping Guinea Pigs

[Andrea Viggiano]

Hello!
I need a little help, my two young Guinea pigs have developed this habit of nipping people's hands. They'll do it when I try to refill their hay and food or even when they're being held. For being as small as they are they've got pretty strong bites and I was looking for any advice on how to teach them that people are not food

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

Please take the time to read through these guides here. You will find them very helpful! it is not a matter of food, but of dominance. the guides will show you how you can establish your dominance in piggy language (you can call it cavy whispering if you want to show off), so you can then tell them what is acceptable behaviour in the group you are leading and what not.
Yours are a lovely pair, but they are currently trying to push their boundaries, as all teenagers are wont to!
" Biting" And What You Can Do
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

 

[Andrea Viggiano]

Hi and welcome!

Please take the time to read through these guides here. You will find them very helpful! it is not a matter of food, but of dominance. the guides will show you how you can establish your dominance in piggy language (you can call it cavy whispering if you want to show off), so you can then tell them what is acceptable behaviour in the group you are leading and what not.
Yours are a lovely pair, but they are currently trying to push their boundaries, as all teenagers are wont to!
" Biting" And What You Can Do
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

Thank you ! (:

 

[Bubs]

Hello!
I need a little help, my two young Guinea pigs have developed this habit of nipping people's hands. They'll do it when I try to refill their hay and food or even when they're being held. For being as small as they are they've got pretty strong bites and I was looking for any advice on how to teach them that people are not food

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There isn't much you can do about it it's one of their defenses all you can do is stop what you are doing because you are doing something they don't like

 

[Andrea Viggiano]

There isn't much you can do about it it's one of their defenses all you can do is stop what you are doing because you are doing something they don't like

They don't do it anymore I think they were just still really young and thought fingers could be food

 

[happy_piggy]

If your hands smell like food, they may smell that and think it is food. My guinea pig nibbles my hands and fingers a lot, but never hard enough to bite.

 

[BossHogg]

Moved to correct area.

 

[VickiA]

There isn't much you can do about it it's one of their defenses all you can do is stop what you are doing because you are doing something they don't like

@Bubs there are ways of teaching piggies acceptable behaviours. Please read this thread " Biting" And What You Can Do which explains different types of biting and how to deal with it. If followed, this advice really does work.