Very Dominant Girl

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Briony_S

Briony_S

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I'm having issues at the minute with pepper. I'd go as far as saying she is ferrel. I'm really at a loss as to what to do with her. She hates me if there's bars between us she us fine she'll take food out of my hand but the minute I try and touch her she bolts, kicks me and generally acts like a ferrel beast

I feel sorry for her as I've not been able to find her a friend. She seems to hate people too. She was part of a trio she was the alpha and when salt was ill I took salt out and then Pepper started lunging at fluffy. I've lost track of her age I'll have to look up when I got her but ofc top of mh head I think 4-5 months old.

I tried pepper with my very stable four girl group and at time she was about 3 months old and started lunging at my squeek the alpha who is a massive 900gms adult girl.

This was not normal dominance this was full on I'm going to take a chunk out of your face lunging.

The more time she spends alone (she has a boyfriend through the bars though) the more ferrel she seems.

I feel really bad as I feel like I've caused her to be miserable and have failed her :(

I was going to rehome her but I just cant pass on my problems to another family. I was thinking of keeping one of my babies and neutering them for her but she'll have to wait another few months then another 6 weeks after that.

I'm really at a loss. I have 3 baby girls I could try once they've finished quarentine which would be two weeks today all being well but there is a chance of pregnancy with them so I'm not sure whether to risk that as I made need to take them back out if pregnant and ill be back to square one.

I have nicknamed her aggro pig. She certainly causes a nuisance.

Can anyone give me any advice?
 
I must add shes not ill. Ive had her vet checked the aggressiveness isnt down to being ill just being her. Ive checked her over regularly skin problems etc and she is fine.
 
I don't really have much advice but my Rosie was like that, would attack any pig that was in the same cage as her. We tried to introduce a 3 week old baby (Little Rose) and she just kept lunging at her even when they were out having floortime. She was much happier having her own cage and taunting the others through the grids. So much so that when she died she was in her favourite taunting spot bless her. She was very people friendly though and would sleep on my lap for hours.
 
Maybe Pepper is one of those guinea pigs who are happier living alone. You have not failed her at all. You have given her love and care. She is still very young so maybe in time she will become more tame.
 
I think that probably the best option is to put her with a neutered boy which is usually the answer for sows that don't get on with other sows. Even if you've got to wait a while at least her future will be sorted.
 
Well I since I posted this I have decided to make a sacrifice for her (& Joel will be making one too). My lovely boy Joel was earmarked for my girl group of four, I was just getting round to getting him neutered. The foursome are very happy and no squabbles they do not need a boy, I was just fancying a boy in the group as I like the boy / girl dynamics and I like the idea of a herd with a boy having a whale of a time as I really do love my boys.

I was holding off as Joel seemed very happy being next to girls talking through the bars. He has lived alone all his life he does seem used to it (I got him a few months back at age of 1 and he had been alone all his life). I just never really got round to it and I spent a lot of money on vet bills a few months back so I was saving up again. I have made the decision and booked him in for tomorrow (thank you master card). I've had Rupert done recently so already have a good neutering vet so at least that part is straightforward. She'll only have to wait 6 weeks now instead of the months she'd have to wait for my little boy. I feel her need is greater than my girl group and if she doesn't like him then I can return to my original plan and the neutering is not wasted! (I'd hate putting him through that for nothing).

I hope she's grateful or they'll be trouble lol! I still have my skinny boy to find a friend for (him and Joel didn't get on) so maybe I'll keep the under boy of my two babies.....

Decisions, Decisions lol.

They really don't make out lives easy but they are definitely worth it. I really do have a soft spot for pepper even though she is a nightmare, I think it is her little face she is too cute!
 
Briony_S said:
They really don't make out lives easy but they are definitely worth it. I really do have a soft spot for pepper even though she is a nightmare, I think it is her little face she is too cute!
Click to expand...

She sounds just like Minnie who I got from Bekki, she has the cutest little grin you've ever seen in a piggy but being ginger she's also got that fiery temperament.
 
A little update on pepper. Ive had her since 28th jan and she was lovely at first but possibly due to being frightened more than likeing me. Today I got her out for laptime (which to be honest ive not been doing lately with her as she was so unhappy and agressive being picked up and held. But today she let me pick her up with no squeeling, no kicking or teeth chattering.

My version of laptime generally involves me half sitting half lying on couch so my face is at their level and thry can climb all over me and get on my shoulders if they like. Well she pottered around on my chest doing the chatting whilst walking noise and seemed fairly chilled. She was also noseying about. I think me giving her some "space" has paid off.

fingers crossed this is the turning point and she'll be much happier! i really enjoyed cuddles today! I think she did too!
 
Oh and her hubby is healing nicely need to check my dates but i think it'll be three weeks on thursday he'll be ready for her!
 
Finding the right setting for a difficult girl can make such a difference! Great that she is so happy and relaxed now; well done on you!
 
Briony_S said:
I'm having issues at the minute with pepper. I'd go as far as saying she is ferrel. I'm really at a loss as to what to do with her. She hates me if there's bars between us she us fine she'll take food out of my hand but the minute I try and touch her she bolts, kicks me and generally acts like a ferrel beast

I feel sorry for her as I've not been able to find her a friend. She seems to hate people too. She was part of a trio she was the alpha and when salt was ill I took salt out and then Pepper started lunging at fluffy. I've lost track of her age I'll have to look up when I got her but ofc top of mh head I think 4-5 months old.

I tried pepper with my very stable four girl group and at time she was about 3 months old and started lunging at my squeek the alpha who is a massive 900gms adult girl.

This was not normal dominance this was full on I'm going to take a chunk out of your face lunging.

The more time she spends alone (she has a boyfriend through the bars though) the more ferrel she seems.

I feel really bad as I feel like I've caused her to be miserable and have failed her :(

I was going to rehome her but I just cant pass on my problems to another family. I was thinking of keeping one of my babies and neutering them for her but she'll have to wait another few months then another 6 weeks after that.

I'm really at a loss. I have 3 baby girls I could try once they've finished quarentine which would be two weeks today all being well but there is a chance of pregnancy with them so I'm not sure whether to risk that as I made need to take them back out if pregnant and ill be back to square one.

I have nicknamed her aggro pig. She certainly causes a nuisance.

Can anyone give me any advice?
Click to expand...
oh sweety, you and me both. i had 2 piggies mavis and scruffpops they were cagemates for years and i adopted them from a friend who couldnt have them anymore, after 2 years we got 2 babies as cagemates with them and all of them were getting on great bearing in mind mavis was a gentle giant , the ne w ones tinka and belle are so great and all was good but then mavis died suddenly and everyones heart broke , I'm still missing her so much , scruffpops was getting on a bit she was 6 by this time but peace was still prevalent. then at 8 and a half years old my scruffy died and oh my days did i hurt. tink and belle went so quiet didnt squeek or jugger didnt eat, i could only say they were in mourning for scruffs, soooo we got a 6mnt old abby girl to see if things would be brighter for them and sure enough they were great, but now tinka for some weird reason attacks belle to the point of savagery while crooning over abby, sometimes she even fuffs me when i go near abby but I'm the alpha female and she knows it (yeh right), so poor belle has to be put in a seperate cage just for some peace when i put them all together again tinka is at it again rearing fuffung chattering with open maw and poor belle cops it. I'm telling you this as it seems we have a mutual worry so what advice you get may assist us both, you seem to be a ginnymamma like me. but all i do is separate for a while then swap them over i dont know if I'm doing right either but you and me only fail if we stop caring and trying for our babies, my own children have grown up and i still need to look after something my piggies are my reason for not going crackers, lol, have you tried bathing her it calms mine down a treat for a while anyway,nice warm water in the sink towel at the ready, gently pop her in use a cup to put water on her back but not near the head ,, errr, if this doesnt work you and me will will have to keep them separated but i wont stop trying , kind regards
 
I had exact problem with Skittles, when i first got her she lived with buttercup but buttercup ended up being pregnant so during the birth and two weeks after i separated them because they had started to fight. I tried to re-introduced skittles to buttercup and the babies but she was so aggressive which made buttercup protective of her babies which resulted in huge fights and i was scared for the pups.

I tried over the months to introduce skittles to the other baby girls but she just hated all of them and would chatter her teeth if i even put one of them near her and attack them, she drew blood with on them while in the play pen and i decided that she could no longer be paired with another female. I'm not sure if she felt threatened by them or just doesn't like females.

However...

Thankfully one of the babies was a boy and considering we're keeping them all he was going to have to be neutered so she did have to wait for him to be old enough (a very long six months) but as soon as i introduced ginger, my boar, to skittles she was fine, she loved him and was so amazingly calm and was pop-corning for the first time in months and they have been together 11 weeks today and their still as happy as the day they met!

I really feel for you and fingers crossed everything works out for you and pepper!

:)
 
Thanks everyone. I did toy with idea of putting her with a very submissive girl but figured she would probably make her life a misery as she gets agressive when other pigs are just sat there doing nothing. I think its best she, s not allowed to bully submissive pigs and is better with a boar on her level so it'll be tit for tat so to speak.

She's getting better at being handled but still not 100% happy with being picked up. I'm trying to train her into a cosy but she usually runs off and gets stressed out as I end up chasing her around with it, so for now its easier to pick her up quickly before she realises what you are planning lol!

Fingers crossed she likes joel for her sake at least!
 
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