The Theory Behind Taming Guinea Pigs!
Like 4 Dislike 0 Published on 29 Mar 2013
The most important thing to keep in mind when taming your guinea pigs is what you mean to them: you want to mean food, love, nice strokes and chin tickles, not "oh no here comes that hand again!"
It is a wonderful feeling to know that your guinea pig is happy in your company and feels they can relax around you, and very therapeutic for both owner and piggie! And taming your piggies is easy, just accept that it can be a long process, so take things slowly, especially when handling them.
My tips:
• Associate yourself with food! Talk to your piggies and get them excited when you put some new hay in or give them their vegetables. You don't need treats from the pet shop to encourage them to bond with you, vegetables always work best and are far healthier, especially leafy lettuces!
• Use a prop to pick them up, especially if they are very nervous or if you are!
• With very skittish piggies get them used to your hand being in the cage and your smell, even if they are not ready to be touched yet, placing your hand near them and keeping still will show them that you mean no harm, they may even approach it carefully to have a sniff.
• As they become more confident, stroke them in the cage without picking them up, that way they learn that you aren't always going to grab them.
• Take them out for lap time, sit somewhere quietly with them at first before you put the tv on!
• During floortime, sit in their space, don't try to handle them, just show them that you are harmless. Veggies during floortime/laptime are a great idea too if they are afraid! If your piggie is too scared to eat and is quivering (a sign of being frightened) just be patient and quiet until they relax and are ready to take a treat from you. If they don't, put them back in the cage and try again later when they are more comfortable with your presence.
Please share your own experiences in the comments!
Article on taming/psychology: http://www.erodent.co.uk/TamingGuineaPig.htm
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