Hi, I don’t know if anyone else has had this issue, but my Poppy was quite a social little girl, often out of her den and happy for me to give her strokes throughout the day, and not too bothered if I picked her up and gave her a cuddle, but she would always let me know if she wanted back down by a gentle nip, which I respected and let her down.
Rose was a tiny girl when I got her younger probably than what I had been told, and very nervous, I don’t think she had been handled at all, she was quarantined and it probably didn’t help her confidence that she had weekly baths for a skin condition which is now completely healed.
After a introduction in a neutral area with plenty of space and grass to nibble, the introduction went really well, and they seemed to hit it off almost immediately. Poppy gave Rose a little lick over and they settled down to eating grass together. I did video it on my camera with the hopes of posting it on the forum, but the upload time to photo bucket is just too long!
Anyway after such a successful introduction I moved them into living together which they are both fine with. I was hoping that Poppy’s social nature would rub off on Rose and help Rose to be more confident. But the total opposite has happened in that Poppy and Rose seem to spend all day in their den, I can only encourage Poppy out with the rattle of food bags, followed by a skittish Rose, who ultimately makes Poppy skittish and then both disappear back in their den.
Missing cuddle’s from Poppy I actually caught her up yesterday to give her a cuddle little Rose was calling for her, and Poppy wanted back down and nipped me within less than a minute of holding her, I did ignore the nip, which was followed by another which drew blood, which part of me thought perhaps I shouldn’t reward the bite with what she wanted, as that is what you are told in the bird world, which I do have a background in, but then guinea’s are different and so I respected her wish and put her back down. I don’t know if I just need to give them time, or if me having less interaction with them is going to be a bad thing, and Poppy will get less and less tame instead of the other way around.
I feel quite upset at the moment that both my piggie’s want nothing to do with me. I was prepared for Rose to be very shy and would need to give her time, but I didn’t expect to feel that my Poppy is now frightened of me and wants nothing to do with me, I feel like I should have ignored all the advise that getting a companion piggie is the best thing to do and that it doesn’t affect the behaviour of your pigs nature towards you! Well I would at the moment disagree with that, even my husband said he hardly sees Poppy in the mornings anymore before he goes to work now, and was quite fond of giving her some veggies and a stroke before he left!
If anyone has experienced anything similar I would really like your advice and input on what to do?
Jenny.8...
Rose was a tiny girl when I got her younger probably than what I had been told, and very nervous, I don’t think she had been handled at all, she was quarantined and it probably didn’t help her confidence that she had weekly baths for a skin condition which is now completely healed.
After a introduction in a neutral area with plenty of space and grass to nibble, the introduction went really well, and they seemed to hit it off almost immediately. Poppy gave Rose a little lick over and they settled down to eating grass together. I did video it on my camera with the hopes of posting it on the forum, but the upload time to photo bucket is just too long!
Anyway after such a successful introduction I moved them into living together which they are both fine with. I was hoping that Poppy’s social nature would rub off on Rose and help Rose to be more confident. But the total opposite has happened in that Poppy and Rose seem to spend all day in their den, I can only encourage Poppy out with the rattle of food bags, followed by a skittish Rose, who ultimately makes Poppy skittish and then both disappear back in their den.
Missing cuddle’s from Poppy I actually caught her up yesterday to give her a cuddle little Rose was calling for her, and Poppy wanted back down and nipped me within less than a minute of holding her, I did ignore the nip, which was followed by another which drew blood, which part of me thought perhaps I shouldn’t reward the bite with what she wanted, as that is what you are told in the bird world, which I do have a background in, but then guinea’s are different and so I respected her wish and put her back down. I don’t know if I just need to give them time, or if me having less interaction with them is going to be a bad thing, and Poppy will get less and less tame instead of the other way around.
I feel quite upset at the moment that both my piggie’s want nothing to do with me. I was prepared for Rose to be very shy and would need to give her time, but I didn’t expect to feel that my Poppy is now frightened of me and wants nothing to do with me, I feel like I should have ignored all the advise that getting a companion piggie is the best thing to do and that it doesn’t affect the behaviour of your pigs nature towards you! Well I would at the moment disagree with that, even my husband said he hardly sees Poppy in the mornings anymore before he goes to work now, and was quite fond of giving her some veggies and a stroke before he left!
If anyone has experienced anything similar I would really like your advice and input on what to do?
Jenny.8...
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