Piggy passed, bonding help.

[2Pigs2Many]

My boy Teddy and I are both very depressed over the passing of his brother Smores Tuesday morning... I have had them both for a little over 3.5 years now, they were housed together for the first 1.5 year of their life until they had a falling out which led to me having their cages side by side where they would lay next to each other and bite the bars to interact and eat hay together. They loved each other and knew each other was there, they would say hi and Teddy even got Smores to start chirping at night. Teddy is a super friendly pig, he knows his name and comes when called and he always has so much energy but recently he is sitting next to the bed with his brother's smell on it and looks really upset. He is still eating/drinking. I really need help finding a friend for Teddy and I feel stuck. I tune in to Scotty's animals and Saskia of LA GP Rescue and understand the process but if I am to adopt I don't want to find the wrong match up. Should I look for a young boar? Or will that cause trouble later down the line? Teddy is a very dominant pig by nature. Or, since he's been alone in the cage so long, should I attempt to find a pig to house side by side so they can still interact? I don't exactly like that idea but if it's for the best then it will have to be done. Each cage has a ton of space, so that's not an issue.

 

[Sakura the Piggy]

What I've noticed a good pair is a same-sex pair (we don't support breeding here) and if you can a mum and daughter or father/son is good. But in your case, if you live in California, in America near LAGPR bring Teddy, and Saskia can do bonding services.

 

[2Pigs2Many]

What I've noticed a good pair is a same-sex pair (we don't support breeding here) and if you can a mum and daughter or father/son is good. But in your case, if you live in California, in America near LAGPR bring Teddy, and Saskia can do bonding services.

I just watch their Youtube, I live in another state which there are no GP rescues nearby so I can’t have play dates. Would a young boar work well with Teddy or will they fight when the young one reaches puberty?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I am sorry for your loss
Character compatibility and mutual liking are the key to successful bond, age is much less of a factor. The piggies have to want to like each other. You absolutely can try a young boar. The youngster just needs to accept that teddy is the dominant and not challenge that. There will be dominance behaviours when the youngster becomes a teenager but that is totally normal, equally You cannot predict what will happen in the future though. you really do need to try to find a new friend to live in the cage with teddy. If down the line they fall out, then that is something that can happen but don’t let that worry you for now. More boar pairs make it quite happily than not

An alternative would be to have teddy neutered, have his six week wait and then find him a sow wife. The downside to that is that he will have a long time before he can live with another piggy again and if he is struggling being alone, then finding him a new friend sooner would be in his best interests

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

 

[Piggies&buns]

What I've noticed a good pair is a same-sex pair (we don't support breeding here) and if you can a mum and daughter or father/son is good. But in your case, if you live in California, in America near LAGPR bring Teddy, and Saskia can do bonding services.

Can I just say that unfortunately this isn’t entirely correct. Two piggies being related to each other is actually no guarantee of a successful bond - a biological father and son still can hate each other and fight.
Also, yes same sex pairs are fine (a group of females works well as females do live in strict hierarchy groups) but a neutered male/female bonding can actually be the most stable type of pairing.

 

[Wiebke]

My boy Teddy and I are both very depressed over the passing of his brother Smores Tuesday morning... I have had them both for a little over 3.5 years now, they were housed together for the first 1.5 year of their life until they had a falling out which led to me having their cages side by side where they would lay next to each other and bite the bars to interact and eat hay together. They loved each other and knew each other was there, they would say hi and Teddy even got Smores to start chirping at night. Teddy is a super friendly pig, he knows his name and comes when called and he always has so much energy but recently he is sitting next to the bed with his brother's smell on it and looks really upset. He is still eating/drinking. I really need help finding a friend for Teddy and I feel stuck. I tune in to Scotty's animals and Saskia of LA GP Rescue and understand the process but if I am to adopt I don't want to find the wrong match up. Should I look for a young boar? Or will that cause trouble later down the line? Teddy is a very dominant pig by nature. Or, since he's been alone in the cage so long, should I attempt to find a pig to house side by side so they can still interact? I don't exactly like that idea but if it's for the best then it will have to be done. Each cage has a ton of space, so that's not an issue.

Hi!

I am very sorry for your loss!

Personality comes a long way before age. Teddy is no longer a rambunctious teenager; his hormones have settled down a lot more over the last two years. that is where rescue dating comes in.

If you can access a dating rescue, then please make use of it - letting your piggy have a say in who they want to get on with massively enhances your chances of a successful and stable piggy bond; you come home with a new friend only if acceptance has happened. Experienced rescue bonders like Scott can usually pick up very quickly on whether an intro is headed in the right direction or not. The more you do it, the more you get a feel for the very subtle signs and the interpersonal dynamics, as I know from my own experiences.

Some UK rescues also offer residential or 'full' dating where a piggy will stay at the rescue for several days to meet up to three candidates and where the ensuing bond is stress tested to make sure that it is stable before you come to pick up your new pair/group; a boar bond achieved this way is generally as stable as any sow bond irrespective of the age of the boars. There is usually a waiting list at those rescues because it is a very time consuming process that not everybody can offer but it is the rolls royce of bonding and well worth waiting for.

Rescues usually have got more boars present than actually get adopted on the day. They will start with the most likely candidate on paper but then try others if the first attempt is not coming off. On average it takes 1-3 intros to find a new Mr Right for most boars. What you are looking for is a companion on the submissive/laid-back side but as boars generally mellow with age in the degree their testosterone output gradually fizzles out, a similar aged boar may also be a good option rather than a youngster that still has to go through his own teenage months.

Our boar guide contains a special chapter on finding companionship for single or bereaved boars with recommended rescue links for several countries: A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[Flutterby]

I am sorry for your loss xx