purchasing another pig!

[mackie]

after the recent loss of my baby boy, al, i’ve been deliberating whether to purchase my remaining boy, giblet, another companion. on one hand, i feel as if he is still grieving the loss of his brother & may need time to process it. & on the other hand, he needs another companion to avoid feelings of loneliness or depression. it helps their emotional stability, provides adequate social interactional opportunities to keep them happy, & gives them emotional stimulation. some studies say that on an emotional level, (emphasis on the emotional) having a cage mate can prevent them from falling ill due to depression related causes (e.g. lethargy, inappetence) by making them more happy & motivated! by preventing these common harmful symptoms, illness may be less likey to occur. (disclaimer: this is JUST a theory among peers & people that study behavioral health in rodents) although only a couple studied support this theory, there might be some truth to it. after careful consideration, & deciding that there are far more advantages in doing so, i’ve come to the conclusion to purchase another cage mate for him. i’m opting to buy one from a breeder not too far from my location (she’s about a 30-40 minute distance from me). after an excessive amount of questions & retrieving information regarding her litters, i’ve chosen one to take home on 7/10/21! i’m not going to reveal any information about the one i chose, except that he is PERFECT. i’ll reveal him to the community as soon as i get him! after he is home for a couple days, i do plan on doing some ‘bonding sessions’ between them on neutral territory to help the avoidance of them getting feelings of uncomfortableness, aggression, or timidity. i’m planning on keeping them in separate cages, too (only temporary. until there is no discombobulating feelings between them or their habitat). i’m so overly eager to meet him and introduce the both of them! there’ll be VERY precautious care as he starts to settle in to his home. i’m introducing my dog to him, too. it’ll lift her spirits to see another baby she can look after.

 

[Wiebke]

after the recent loss of my baby boy, al, i’ve been deliberating whether to purchase my remaining boy, giblet, another companion. on one hand, i feel as if he is still grieving the loss of his brother & may need time to process it. & on the other hand, he needs another companion to avoid feelings of loneliness or depression. it helps their emotional stability, provides adequate social interactional opportunities to keep them happy, & gives them emotional stimulation. some studies say that on an emotional level, (emphasis on the emotional) having a cage mate can prevent them from falling ill due to depression related causes (e.g. lethargy, inappetence) by making them more happy & motivated! by preventing these common harmful symptoms, illness may be less likey to occur. (disclaimer: this is JUST a theory among peers & people that study behavioral health in rodents) although only a couple studied support this theory, there might be some truth to it. after careful consideration, & deciding that there are far more advantages in doing so, i’ve come to the conclusion to purchase another cage mate for him. i’m opting to buy one from a breeder not too far from my location (she’s about a 30-40 minute distance from me). after an excessive amount of questions & retrieving information regarding her litters, i’ve chosen one to take home on 7/10/21! i’m not going to reveal any information about the one i chose, except that he is PERFECT. i’ll reveal him to the community as soon as i get him! after he is home for a couple days, i do plan on doing some ‘bonding sessions’ between them on neutral territory to help the avoidance of them getting feelings of uncomfortableness, aggression, or timidity. i’m planning on keeping them in separate cages, too (only temporary. until there is no discombobulating feelings between them or their habitat). i’m so overly eager to meet him and introduce the both of them! there’ll be VERY precautious care as he starts to settle in to his home. i’m introducing my dog to him, too. it’ll lift her spirits to see another baby she can look after.

Hi!

All the best! The ideal time to get a new companion for a piggy that is eating and drinking and can cope with being on their own is 1-4 weeks.

If you bring home a baby, then please be aware that they have such an overwhelming need of belonging, that you need to introduce straight away. Especially boar bondings always have to be done in one go anyway; guinea pigs don't do playtime. For them, every meeting is basically a frustratingly aborted full-on bonding session that forces them to start right back in square one again.

Please read our bonding advice re. intros and also the chapter on baby intros. We have added some videos and lots of pictures of social key behaviours. You should find it very helpful.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[Siikibam]

Any under the age of four months really need companionship and a sense of belonging. So bonding needs to happen soon as the newbie is home. I would strongly advise against introducing your new piggy to your dog. There really is no need for them to interact, and you don’t want to scare the newbie either. They’re different species with different needs and communication.

Can’t wait to see the new addition. PS did you consider trying rescues near you? I know they’re not as many in US as here. But at least choosing his own friend would be the ideal. Have a plan B in case newbie causes an earthquake when he enters his teen months. How old is Giblet?

Lastly, please double check the sex of the new piggy before you bring him home. What you don’t want is piggies getting pregnant because of missexing. All the best
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[Swissgreys]

You have already had some excellent advice from some of the Forums most experienced members.
However I wanted to add please do not introduce your dog to the new guinea pig.
Dogs and piggies are very different species, and there is absolutely no benefit to them 'socialising' or sending time together.
This simply places your piggy at risk of being frightened (at best) and being injured (at worst).

 

[mackie]

yes ma’am. i’m not getting him another companion until the 10(in 16 days) he’s been dealt other losses & does not appreciate being by himself for too long. i’m going to give him the 16 day time frame to grieve the loss of his brother. i’m keeping them in a separate cage for a couple of days & only letting supervised interactions happen due to my pig’s behavior the last time i introduced him to babies. i already planned on introducing them immediately upon arrival. for a bonding session, i usually take them to a neutral ground, put piles of hay in the area, & let them roam. i do not interfere, & i only intervene if he starts getting pushy towards the others. if he becomes too frustrated or uncomfortable, i take him out and put him in his normal area or cage. he always gets aggressive (i’m only using aggressive for lack of a better term. he’s not necessarily harmfully aggressive towards them.) for the first 1-2 times he meets other cage mates, & then he acts totally okay. that’s why i’m saying i’m going to allow multiple bonding sessions to ensure he is going to be gentle & accepting during the times i am not supervising him. it took a couple of tries for him & al to get along. although it’s typical for one bonding session to be enough for most, it’s not definitive for all. mine is more stubborn & is very territorial. once he understands the concept of the baby being his cage mate, he almost immediately accepts the baby & is so friendly towards. for him, he HAS to get supervised visits before allowing full-on daily interaction, or sharing a cage, due to his past behavior, as a safety precaution for the baby, & due to the fact that he is a lot bigger than the baby is. so if he WAS to get aggressive or territorial, i’d need to stop him. (he’s done it before) therefore multiple sessions are a must in my particular case.

 

[Swissgreys]

yes ma’am. i’m not getting him another companion until the 10(in 16 days) he’s been dealt other losses & does not appreciate being by himself for too long. i’m going to give him the 16 day time frame to grieve the loss of his brother. i’m keeping them in a separate cage for a couple of days & only letting supervised interactions happen due to my pig’s behavior the last time i introduced him to babies. i already planned on introducing them immediately upon arrival. for a bonding session, i usually take them to a neutral ground, put piles of hay in the area, & let them roam. i do not interfere, & i only intervene if he starts getting pushy towards the others. if he becomes too frustrated or uncomfortable, i take him out and put him in his normal area or cage. he always gets aggressive (i’m only using aggressive for lack of a better term. he’s not necessarily harmfully aggressive towards them.) for the first 1-2 times he meets other cage mates, & then he acts totally okay. that’s why i’m saying i’m going to allow multiple bonding sessions to ensure he is going to be gentle & accepting during the times i am not supervising him. it took a couple of tries for him & al to get along. although it’s typical for one bonding session to be enough for most, it’s not definitive for all. mine is more stubborn & is very territorial. once he understands the concept of the baby being his cage mate, he almost immediately accepts the baby & is so friendly towards. for him, he HAS to get supervised visits before allowing full-on daily interaction, or sharing a cage, due to his past behavior, as a safety precaution for the baby, & due to the fact that he is a lot bigger than the baby is. so if he WAS to get aggressive or territorial, i’d need to stop him. (he’s done it before) therefore multiple sessions are a must in my particular case.

This is all well and good, but have you actually taken on board any of the expert advice and support offered?
Have you read the linked guides?

 

[mackie]

@Swissgreys that is completely correct, there is no benefits for allowing them to interact among other species. although, as i had a commenter say this exact same thing to me on a previous post, my reason for this is i find it beneficial in reducing the risk of my dog becoming aggressive towards them. let me explain:
dogs are natural predators, especially small animals. their instinct has dulled due to domestication & interactions between other common house pets. if a dog can learn to be domesticated, this implies a dog can learn to control, or ‘dull’, their hunting tendencies. allowing my animals to participate in social interactions helps them get used to each other. my gp is definitely not afraid of her. he RUNS to her & begs to be let out if she’s near. she has formed a sort of ‘motherly’ figure towards him. dogs are very curious creatures, & very different from rodents. studies state that dogs tend to get more aggressive & build tension between them & their alleged “foe” due to not being able to explore their curiosities. there are proper ways to introduce the different species’. it’s highly recommended to only permit these visits if it is supervised by a trusted person(a neutral person. someone that both of parties trust) it helps get her used to them & explore her curiosities in an emotionally positive & healthy manner. their visits are 100% ALWAYS supervised. it’s also not likely that diseases & infections can transmit between the 2. if both animals are in good health, it is perfectly safe(i’m not denying that it’s not possible. it’s not common, though) it’s not right to look at JUST the physical benefits, or deeming it ‘bad’ if there aren’t any. there are multiple EMOTIONAL benefits for both species

 

[mackie]

This is all well and good, but have you actually taken on board any of the expert advice and support offered?
Have you read the linked guides?

yes ma’am. i do review the advice & take it into consideration while caring for my babies

 

[mackie]

@Swissgreys that is completely correct, there is no physical benefits for allowing them to interact among other species. although, as i had a commenter say this exact same thing to me on a previous post, my reason for this is i find it beneficial in reducing the risk of my dog becoming aggressive towards them. allowing my animals to participate in social interactions helps them get used to each other & become friends. my pig is definitely not afraid of her. he RUNS to her & begs to be let out if she’s near. she has formed a sort of ‘motherly’ figure towards him. dogs are very curious creatures, & it’s good to get them socialized to prevent my dog from having any tension or aggressive behaviors towards him. some studies suggest that dogs tend to get more aggressive & build tension between them & their alleged “foe” due to not being able to explore their curiosities, thus creating ‘boundaries’. if these boundaries, (whether it be a physical boundary or emotional boundary) are crossed, it may ‘set off’ or frustrate my dog. this may result in alarming behaviors that may seem frightening to my pig. there are proper ways to introduce the different species to one another. allowing my animals to interact allows them to establish neutral territory & trust between the 2 of them. it’s very highly recommended to only permit these visits if it is supervised by a trusted person(a neutral person. someone that both parties trust) it helps get her used to them & explore her curiosities in an emotionally positive & healthy manner. their visits are 100% ALWAYS supervised carefully. if i thought my dog is causing a dangerous environmental setting for him in any shape, way, or form, she’d not be allowed near him. my dog is an emotional support dog. she’s the most gentle dog i’ve met, to humans & animals

 

[mackie]

Any under the age of four months really need companionship and a sense of belonging. So bonding needs to happen soon as the newbie is home. I would strongly advise against introducing your new piggy to your dog. There really is no need for them to interact, and you don’t want to scare the newbie either. They’re different species with different needs and communication.

Can’t wait to see the new addition. PS did you consider trying rescues near you? I know they’re not as many in US as here. But at least choosing his own friend would be the ideal. Have a plan B in case newbie causes an earthquake when he enters his teen months. How old is Giblet?

Lastly, please double check the sex of the new piggy before you bring him home. What you don’t want is piggies getting pregnant because of missexing. All the best
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Any under the age of four months really need companionship and a sense of belonging. So bonding needs to happen soon as the newbie is home. I would strongly advise against introducing your new piggy to your dog. There really is no need for them to interact, and you don’t want to scare the newbie either. They’re different species with different needs and communication.

Can’t wait to see the new addition. PS did you consider trying rescues near you? I know they’re not as many in US as here. But at least choosing his own friend would be the ideal. Have a plan B in case newbie causes an earthquake when he enters his teen months. How old is Giblet?

Lastly, please double check the sex of the new piggy before you bring him home. What you don’t want is piggies getting pregnant because of missexing. All the best
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[mackie]

@Siikibam i plan on properly introducing them as soon as i arrive home from getting the baby. as for the dog, i only allow social interaction to reduce tension between them. dogs can become quite aggressive to unrecognizable animals. my dog is allowed limited access (only supervised) to all of my pets. it’s true the communication & emotional needs are different. it’s not for bonding purposes, it’s solely to get my dog used to them so she can be trusted around them. it gives her a chance to meet them & become friends. it also provides a good opportunity to learn to be gentle & caring for these amazing creatures. my dog is an emotional support dog & is absolutely in no way a threat to any of my animals.

 

[Tigermoth]

yes ma’am. i do review the advice & take it into consideration while caring for my babies

The expertise on this forum is incredible. Weibke has come to the rescue of countless owners who have got in a mess. The advice you have had comes from decades of learning. Putting boars together and separating them again achieves nothing apart from stress. Each time they come together they have to begin the power struggles again. You need to read the guides and follow them. Give yourself a few free hours. Neutral territory. No hides. Put the pigs together, watch and wait and let them get on with it. Once settled, into their very clean cage. Job done. Any “considering” of alternatives is not in their best interest.

The issue with the dog is a moot point. It should never be allowed access to your pigs. Your dog is a dog and a pig is a snack.

 

[Siikibam]

Could you explain how they would both benefit emotionally from these meetings?

As for putting together and separating, that is not the correct way to do things. Your boy just sounds full on but you need to leave them together and see it through first time. Bonding and then separating is stressful for them and it means they have to start again each time after they’ve been separated.

The guides on bonding behaviour are invaluable. I think unless you’ve seen extreme dominance behaviour or any of the worrying signs then you should really leave them to it. They can spend the night in the bonding area if it would make you feel better. Your boy sounds like he wants to be dominant rather than it being aggression. He won’t hurt the baby either. You may even be surprised that it’s the baby who doesn’t like him. But hopefully that won’t be the case.

All the best with the bonding. How old is he again?

 

[mackie]

@Tigermoth as i mentioned before, the dog ‘issue’ is not problematic IF strict supervision & precautions are in place. some people prefer not to, & that’s completely okay. it being a ‘moot’ point is completely understandable. it is debatable, & people do tend to feel differently on the matter. as many people do not take the time or don’t see it as necessary to introduce them. there are no physical benefits for it, i completely agree. it does provide them bonding benefits, although obviously it’s not necessary. my piggies are under no physical or emotional stress. as i mentioned before, he’ll RUN to her & cry until i let them be around each other. as i commented on one of my past posts, my piggies are able to free roam around my house (there are a couple limitations) maggs is a tiny dog, so she can not cross the barriers i set up. regarding my particular situation, i find it helps a lot for them to befriend one another. this is my personal opinion on the matter. kindly & respectfully, i’m not up to arguing about it. there are articles & studies that suggest it is healthy for them to be introduced as opposed to being kept completely separate. simply, i feel it help them get used to each other & reduces any possible tension my dog may experience towards him. & yes this community is a very good site to get helpful information, suggestions, & tips. i always try to my best to follow the tips & suggestions to improve his life the best i can. although some things, it’s better to agree to disagree. i’m no longer going to entertain this matter, as i’ve already stated the way i feel on it & why. i honestly do appreciate the concern & the advice. thank you

 

[mackie]

Could you explain how they would both benefit emotionally from these meetings?

As for putting together and separating, that is not the correct way to do things. Your boy just sounds full on but you need to leave them together and see it through first time. Bonding and then separating is stressful for them and it means they have to start again each time after they’ve been separated.

The guides on bonding behaviour are invaluable. I think unless you’ve seen extreme dominance behaviour or any of the worrying signs then you should really leave them to it. They can spend the night in the bonding area if it would make you feel better. Your boy sounds like he wants to be dominant rather than it being aggression. He won’t hurt the baby either. You may even be surprised that it’s the baby who doesn’t like him. But hopefully that won’t be the case.

All the best with the bonding. How old is he again?

i’m not entirely certain of the age of him. i’m assuming maybe 7m old. he is definitely not an adult. & as i stated, i only used the term ‘aggression’ for lack of a better term. i agree, he is probably being more dominant than aggressive. it’s definitely him, not the cage mates. i’m positive of it. he’s tried to go after them a couple time. i tried to make him stop, he didn’t behave so i had to separate them. i’m aware that it’s better to keep them in the same area consistently to help the bonding process. although as i mentioned in an earlier reply, i HAVE to separate him due to his agression & dominant tendencies. he bullies them until he gets used to them. he always does good after a couple of bonding sessions, though. thank god for that! i’d rather not leave them in the same area at night due to the fact i’ll be sleeping, therefore not supervising him. as for them not being able to be friends, i strongly disagree. my animals are best friends already bonded to the each other’s hip <3

to answer the first question, there are multiple emotional benefits for the dog. including (not limited to) letting my dog become more comfortable & used to him so she does not get anxious or excited around him. if she is used to seeing him, she’ll not be so excited. therefore preventing her from accidentally trampling him, being too rough, or getting too loud. it also helps her associate him as a pet, not a foe. this can help by making her realize that she needs to act in accordance to a kindly, gentle behavior. she is very curious of him. i find it more healthy to introduce her to him & let her curiosity tame itself rather than deny her curiosity. that can easily turn into aggression towards him. i do this to allow her to become more comfortable in a healthy way.
as for my piggies: i only allow maggs a couple of minutes to sniff/see them & that’s it. some days i might her lay on the floor beside them & she usually goes to sleep. if she’s calm & collected around them, the piggies’ll become more comfortable & less timid around her. this helps sooth their anxiety & nervousness. i’d not do this if it cause them stress in any way. my animals love each other. sometimes, if my dog doesn’t acknowledge that she is in the same room as him, he’ll cry for her & try to get her attention by trying to climb the barrier into her section of the house. my piggies are completely used to her, & vice versa.

no, i do not allow unsupervised interaction between them. i always put my dog in her cage at night or in my room. completely put away from them. i do have precautions in place to prevent any chance of a tragedy. i’d never leave her unsupervised around them, it may be potentially dangerous!

this is only my opinion on the matter. this sounds totally rude & obnoxious, i apologize in advance. i’m trying to say it as respectfully as possible: i’d rather not keep repeating myself or explaining myself, as i feel i should not need to. i’ve happily provided reasons for the way i choose to socialize them. & i feel that my reasons are all good points. people carry different opinions on it, & that’s completely okay thank you for the bonding tips, though. i’ll try leaving them together for a more extended period of time. the only reason i do periodic sessions is due to my pig’s previous behavior in attempting to bond him.

 

[Piggies&buns]

i’m not entirely certain of the age of him. i’m assuming maybe 7m old. he is definitely not an adult. & as i stated, i only used the term ‘aggression’ for lack of a better term. i agree, he is probably being more dominant than aggressive. it’s definitely him, not the cage mates. i’m positive of it. he’s tried to go after them a couple time. i tried to make him stop, he didn’t behave so i had to separate them. i’m aware that it’s better to keep them in the same area consistently to help the bonding process. although as i mentioned in an earlier reply, i HAVE to separate him due to his agression & dominant tendencies. he bullies them until he gets used to them. he always does good after a couple of bonding sessions, though. thank god for that! i’d rather not leave them in the same area at night due to the fact i’ll be sleeping, therefore not supervising him. as for them not being able to be friends, i strongly disagree. my animals are best friends already bonded to the each other’s hip <3

If he is displaying normal dominance behaviours, this isn’t him not ‘behaving’, he is doing what he needs and what comes naturally to them to be able to form a bond. Provided there isn’t a full on blood drawing, rolling around fight, then you don’t need to do anything.
He isn’t bullying them - bullying is sustained behaviours which result in the other piggy becoming withdrawn, never allowed to eat, rest or sleep and therefore losing weight. During bonding it’s dominance behaviours - a piggy may be over the top during bonding and given you are trying to bond a piggy in the most hormonal and most difficult time, seeing an increase in dominance during bonding is to be expected. This is why bonding a teenage boar can be hard.

Its actually recommended to leave them in a bonding area overnight to allow them to go through the full process before moving them to a new territory (the cage). You should start a bonding first thing in the morning so they can have a good long time to go through the processes before night time comes. Interrupting a boar bonding means they need to start right back at the beginning every time.

If two piggies don’t have compatibility - and by buying a piggy on spec that is simply what the risk is - then they will not bond and won’t be able to be friends.

 

[mackie]

If he is displaying normal dominance behaviours, this isn’t him not ‘behaving’, he is doing what he needs and what comes naturally to them to be able to form a bond. Provided there isn’t a full on blood drawing, rolling around fight, then you don’t need to do anything.
He isn’t bullying them - bullying is sustained behaviours which result in the other piggy becoming withdrawn, never allowed to eat, rest or sleep and therefore losing weight. During bonding it’s dominance behaviours - a piggy may be over the top during bonding and given you are trying to bond a piggy in the most hormonal and most difficult time, seeing an increase in dominance during bonding is to be expected. This is why bonding a teenage boar can be hard.

Its actually recommended to leave them in a bonding area overnight to allow them to go through the full process before moving them to a new territory (the cage). You should start a bonding first thing in the morning so they can have a good long time to go through the processes before night time comes. Interrupting a boar bonding means they need to start right back at the beginning every time.

If two piggies don’t have compatibility - and by buying a piggy on spec that is simply what the risk is - then they will not bond and won’t be able to be friends.

yes, he does that. he initially hogs all of hay, does not let the others in the hide, & behaves in a dominant matter towards them. only at first, though. this is why i do multiple bonding sessions. his normal temperament is very easy going & acceptable. this is simply the best way i deem necessary for their bonding experience & it’s okay to disagree. i’ve introduced him to several piggies, & had successful bonding experiences every single time. once again, i’m not going entertain the argument any further. he’s my stubborn boy <3

 

[Siikibam]

How have the others behaved when you bonded him with them? Were they behaving submissively?

 

[mackie]

How have the others behaved when you bonded him with them? Were they behaving submissively?

yes ma’am. one of them acted very curiously towards him & the other 2 submissively. he’s always been the dominant one of the group. once he establishes his dominance, it’s all good