Taming pigs, can anyone give a step by step guide?

Status
Not open for further replies.

PiggiePal

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Oct 29, 2006
Messages
1,876
Reaction score
8
Points
455
Location
Cheltenham
I'm useless at taming my foster pigs! Alot of them have never been handled but even after having them for 3 months or so they still run away from me and wont come out for their Veg. Can anyone give me tips or a step by step guide that i can follow? ;)
 
I have some of my own pigs that will run with great speed when I try to pick them up but they are fine once snuggled! Some piggies will always be nervous about being picked up. All you can do is what you probably have been doing, lots of hand feeding and tickles in the cage, building to being picked up and being given lap time.

A lot of the people on here have a routine for picking up piggies using a specific sound and placing a bed or cuddle cup down that their pigs get into to be picked up.
 
Hmm well I can try to help you this is what I did with my boys and its worked well, but it really depends on the personality of the piggie, Harvey is really outgoing and now six months down the line I can pick him up, stroke him no bother, but with Artie he still runs away if I'm too 'quick' with my movements, however will be petted if at eye height with me (ie he's on a table) and has lots of veggies, unlike Harvey he prefers to be sat on my lap where he can fall asleep - i think he's a lazy pig! :)) But both boys now come running on the morning to greet me (or my veggies should i say!). It takes alot of time i found to bond with Artie, Harvey was easy and no trouble whatsoever.

For the first week with me I talked, nattered softly to them for about an hour to two hours a day with my hands in the cage, (I was sat on a chair whilst watching my arty program for uni) they came out and i let them sniff/walk nibble my hands - for the first two mornings they wouldn't shift! But eventually curiosity got the better of them :)

Then i gradually moved my hands, so they got used to the movement, and the second week i left my hands in the cage and began interacting with them holding veggies in one hand to feed them i used the other to stroke them near their ears so they could still see my hand and what i was doing :) It really helps if you can put the cage (if their in one) at a height where we don't seem so daughting!

During the third week whenever they were sitting in their cosy cup I'd scoope them up to have bonding time, where I'd brush them or just have them sat on my lap for twenty minutes or so. I feel this really helped them get used to me, sitting in something that is familiar and warm :)

I also sat on the floor (with a book!) during floor time with them, they became less scared of how big I was and happyily used me as a climbing rock :) I'd suggest over the next couple of weeks to have plenty of grooming sessions, with them in pairs- i found it was less distressing for my boys when they weren't split up!

I don't know if this works or if it's just me being barmy but i also rubbed my hands with hay so didn't smell so unfamiliar to them :)

I'm still working with them so it seems theirs no quick solution, but i wish you the best of luck and hopefully they'll start coming out of their shell soon, just take your time and hope they all settle in well soon good luck xxxxx
 
Last edited:
We have a collection of tips for settling shy new guinea pigs on this thread. You might find some tips helpful. With traumatised rescue piggies, it can take a long time and a lot of patience to bring them out. Often, it is one step forward, one back...

Make sure that you always talk softly while you move slowly and deliberately- a predator that is right out in the open is not hunting. Do not make sudden movements if you can help it. Do not not loom over nervous piggies like a predator ready to pounce and try to find a way to pick up the piggies in a way that does stress them out less, like in a cosy sitting in a corner. They will start to cooperate once they realise that it is so much easier on them. Turn everything into a routine with them - with each act with a distictive cadence. Give plenty of praise, like you would a little dog and keep the tone of your voice encouraging. I use an Ohhhh cadence for when things have gone wrong. Retrench and start again at a lower level when a piggy has gone on overload.

At feeding time, place the food just out of their reach, but stay there and keep talking. Have it a bit further away every time. Then leave your hand dangling or hold some food through the bars etc... Praise them for very little step!

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36239
 
brilliant tips from both of you thanks so much. I'm going to start tonight! Alyson x:))
 
Ooo hope it goes well, and they come around to you too :) It can be fustrating at times but you'll get there! :)) good luck xx
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top