Not sure if this is the right forum but i am worried about my friend's guinea pig, is there such a thing as playful biting?

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one of my (21M) friends (20M) guinea pigs is shaking them off, and generally seeming to not want to be touched when this is happening. my friend will continue to pet them, which consistently leads to him getting bitten. he says he can teach him not to bite, but i feel like the biting is a clear sign that they aren't enjoying it. he thinks the shaking off is popcorning and the biting is due to excitement. to clarify, these are not at all gentle or affectionate nibbles and seem very aggressive to me, friend has bled quite a few times and has many scars from these bites. they bite after about 15-30 seconds most of the time. they are both regularly handled upside-down/ without supported legs which i know is bad (friend thinks its fine because they know his scent and usually dont struggle/exhibit obvious stress) , so i am worried that my friend is badly misinformed on how to properly handle them, i am an animal lover and want to make sure they aren't accidentlly mistreating their pets. thanks for any help.
 
I’m sorry to hear this.

I’d be inclined to agree from what you have described - severe bites meaning they don’t like it.

Handling them in an unsafe manner is of course not good.

Piggies who are scared don’t always struggle - they stay still through fear.

I’ve added a guide below which explains more

Wiebke

Thread '" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)'

1 Serious defence bites
- On edge, spooked or cornered
- During cuddle time
- During bonding
2 Nibbling and accidental bites
3 Tweaking
4 Nipping other guinea pigs


Biting can be a worry or a problem for new owners, especially those with small children. However, there are some very different issues lumped together under the broad umbrella of “biting”, sometimes with fatal consequences for the poor, misunderstood and not appropriately handled guinea pig that...
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Piggies&buns said:
I’m sorry to hear this.

I’d be inclined to agree from what you have described - severe bites meaning they don’t like it.

Handling them in an unsafe manner is of course not good.

Piggies who are scared don’t always struggle - they stay still through fear.

I’ve added a guide below which explains more

Wiebke

Thread '" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)'

1 Serious defence bites
- On edge, spooked or cornered
- During cuddle time
- During bonding
2 Nibbling and accidental bites
3 Tweaking
4 Nipping other guinea pigs


Biting can be a worry or a problem for new owners, especially those with small children. However, there are some very different issues lumped together under the broad umbrella of “biting”, sometimes with fatal consequences for the poor, misunderstood and not appropriately handled guinea pig that...
  • Like
Click to expand...
Thanks for the help, I'll try bring it up. Someone they seem to trust quite a lot on guinea pigs has told them this, and taught them that these signals are good, whenever they are bitten they hold down the pig's head until they "say sorry" (i don't know what this means) then they go again. They think the biting is excitement from playing and that this will teach them to not bite. I have tried to bring up the unsafe handling but i usually get dismissed before i can really make much of a point but i'll try sort that one out aswell.
 
Oh dear.

No, nothing they are doing is right or appropriate. To the piggies, holding their head down is not a friendly behaviour. Biting is them trying to defend themselves from where they don’t feel safe.
They then go still as their defence of biting hasn’t worked and they are terrified .

It all sounds a very sad way for them to be being treated

The guide below explains how to speak to them in their language

Wiebke

Thread 'Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips'

1 Understanding Prey Animal Behaviour
- Unresponsive prey reflex
- Flight reflex
- Fight reflex (defence bites)
2 How to Avoid Predatory Behaviours
- Scent
- Flow of chatter
- Sudden movement and noises
- Looming and staring
- 'I am not seeing you'
3 Piggy Whispering
- 'I want to be friends with you'
- 'I invite you into my herd'
- 'I love/care...
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I fully agree with @Piggies&buns .

Here is some helpful information on how guinea pig prey/defense animal instincts work:
Wiebke

Thread 'Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips'

1 Understanding Prey Animal Behaviour
- Unresponsive prey reflex
- Flight reflex
- Fight reflex (defence bites)
2 How to Avoid Predatory Behaviours
- Scent
- Flow of chatter
- Sudden movement and noises
- Looming and staring
- 'I am not seeing you'
3 Piggy Whispering
- 'I want to be friends with you'
- 'I invite you into my herd'
- 'I love/care...
  • Like
 
Guinea pigs don't enjoy being pinned or dangled any more than a person would, ie not at all. They generally don't bite, so if they are biting hard, it is a very very clear sign that they are being terrified by being handled this way. Guinea pigs are not flexible or robust in the way humans and dogs are. They have big stomachs, long fine rib bones and rigid, fragile spines. They need to be properly supported when being held. They will be injured or even killed by being dropped, even from a small height, so are justifiably frightened of being picked up and handled roughly. They should be held with the same amount of care as you would a human baby, and indeed, the two are similar, with short, weak, unsupportive limbs and a big, heavy head. They are herd animals who need to graze most of the time, so they do not spend time playing the way a dog or cat would. The most they do to interact is to gently groom each other for short periods of time. Humans should seek to understand and imitate guinea pig behaviour so that their pet feels understood and comfortable. It is very important not to over handle small animals like guinea pigs and rabbits because they do not like it at all. Some of the carnivores, like ferrets, my enjoy more hands on playing, but guinea pigs are completely different to these animals in their needs. Good luck, I hope you can change your friend's behaviour ❤️
 
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