what is my della telling me? (guinea pig communication)

piggiemummy03x

piggiemummy03x

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so i’m trying to figure out what my della is saying with her little noises and think i need some help!
when i stroke della, i can stroke her all over but she makes a sort of rumbling / vibrating noise which i always thought was a ‘warning’ noise like leave me alone / don’t touch me but after reading up i’ve seen some say that this is actually a happy noise? i want to find out why she is making this noise so if it is a ‘leave me alone’ i can stop when she starts telling me! anyone who has experience with piggie talk i’d really appreciate your opinion! thanks!
 
piggiemummy03x said:
so i’m trying to figure out what my della is saying with her little noises and think i need some help!
when i stroke della, i can stroke her all over but she makes a sort of rumbling / vibrating noise which i always thought was a ‘warning’ noise like leave me alone / don’t touch me but after reading up i’ve seen some say that this is actually a happy noise? i want to find out why she is making this noise so if it is a ‘leave me alone’ i can stop when she starts telling me! anyone who has experience with piggie talk i’d really appreciate your opinion! thanks!
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Hi
Please have a read through our Behaviour A-Z, entry Rumbling, Growling and Purring, which deals exactly with how to distinguish between those sounds with the attendant body language and situational context: A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours
 
Wiebke said:
See if there are any places on her body Della particularly likes being stroked. If she doesn't shake her head or make otherwise clear that she doesn't appreciate something you can take it from there.
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brilliant thanks for the help! i’d love to learn exactly what my girls are saying, i’m definitely going to have to research a bit more i think!
 
piggiemummy03x said:
brilliant thanks for the help! i’d love to learn exactly what my girls are saying, i’m definitely going to have to research a bit more i think!
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Unfortunately, there is extremely little around and much of it is rather incorrect. We have one of the best and mist exhaustive behaviour information resources.

You may also find the illustrated behaviours in our bonding guide helpful: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
I find that using the guides mentioned above combined with reading their body language helps a lot.

Ruby was our one who rumbled while being stroked - she would make a loud purring noise and slowly stretch out her entire body until she went totally flat.
She clearly enjoyed being stroked, otherwise she most certainly would have nipped me!
 
Swissgreys said:
I find that using the guides mentioned above combined with reading their body language helps a lot.

Ruby was our one who rumbled while being stroked - she would make a loud purring noise and slowly stretch out her entire body until she went totally flat.
She clearly enjoyed being stroked, otherwise she most certainly would have nipped me!
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thanks! haha aw bless her! thats why i’m confused haha, my thoughts are if she doesn’t like it, she will jolt herself / move off or even nip me lol! (i sit next to their carry case with a attached run so they can hop on / off me as they please) as time goes on ill be able to understand them and learn a bit more about their individual likes and dislikes! i think its just quite confusing when you look up noises as everyone says they mean different things lol, will definitely be keeping to TGPF information though.
 
piggiemummy03x said:
thanks! haha aw bless her! thats why i’m confused haha, my thoughts are if she doesn’t like it, she will jolt herself / move off or even nip me lol! (i sit next to their carry case with a attached run so they can hop on / off me as they please) i’m sure as time goes on ill be able to understand them and learn a bit more about their individual likes and dislikes!
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It is not quite as easy - a piggy that is still fearful/in the 'unresponsive play mode' - will neither shake nor really relax their body; that is why behaviours are so difficult to interpret and there are so many wrong guesses.
More information actually comes from the body language than from the squeaking but you really need to have to take all three components together - body language, sounds and situational context - to make an educated guess.

It is not a quick learning process but rather a gradual one into which you grow slowly as your piggies settle in and become more communicative and you slowly learn to pick up on the smaller things and moods. Guinea pig communication is a lot more nuanced and complex than you would think. And that is even without being unable to smell their pheromone output, which adds whole extra layer to the communication/interactive behaviours. I am still continuing to learn myself and have only just about reached the middle level...
 
Wiebke said:
It is not quite as easy - a piggy that is still fearful/in the 'unresponsive play mode' - will neither shake nor really relax their body; that is why behaviours are so difficult to interpret and there are so many wrong guesses.
More information actually comes from the body language than from the squeaking but you really need to have to take all three components together - body language, sounds and situational context - to make an educated guess.

It is not a quick learning process but rather a gradual one into which you grow slowly as your piggies settle in and become more communicative and you slowly learn to pick up on the smaller things and moods. Guinea pig communication is a lot more nuanced and complex than you would think. And that is even without being unable to smell their pheromone output, which adds whole extra layer to the communication/interactive behaviours. I am still continuing to learn myself and have only just about reached the middle level...
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ah i see.. theres so much to learn! will definitely be reading through all the guides again and look at body language thats accompanied by the noises, its all so interesting
 
piggiemummy03x said:
ah i see.. theres so much to learn! will definitely be reading through all the guides again and look at body language thats accompanied by the noises, its all so interesting
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You learn by watching.

Going through the guides every now and then will help you recognise more as you go along; you pick up on different things at different stages of experience. It is a life-long learning process. Learning not just the social key behaviour but also to interpret the body language and understanding the context will allow you gradually refine your understanding.
 
Wiebke said:
You learn by watching.

Going through the guides every now and then will help you recognise more as you go along; you pick up on different things at different stages of experience. It is a life-long learning process. Learning not just the social key behaviour but also to interpret the body language and understanding the context will allow you gradually refine your understanding.
Click to expand...

thanks!
 
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