Guinea pig training

The widespread opinion that pigs are uninteresting animals and can do nothing except how to chew, in our opinion, does not hold water.

It is easy to teach pigs to respond to a nickname, to teach simple tricks. It is easy to teach a pig to “serve”, to ring a bell. In the Durov Animal Theater, when its creator, a well-known trainer, was still alive, there was a guinea pig that raised a poster with an inscription by a string. Our beloved Vasya knew how to pull out lottery tickets and played the main role in an amateur play for children called “The City of Little Animals”. He rolled the ball with his nose, searched for objects under the pillow and could perform many other funny tricks.

How to teach pigs to obey and perform tricks? First of all, you need to ensure that the animal trusts you completely. Taming should begin as soon as you bring the pig home. After your pet gets used to the new environment within 2-3 days, you need to take it out of the cage daily and pick it up for 10-15 minutes. Pigs are naturally shy and cautious animals, they are afraid of sudden movements, too sharp and loud, unexpected sounds for them. Therefore, the pig is taken in hand very carefully, without frightening it. In this case, one hand should clasp the pig across the body under the front paws, and with the other hand it is supported from below. You need to hold the pig in your hands tightly enough, but do not squeeze it, otherwise the animal will begin to break out and may fall. Falls are very dangerous for guinea pigs and can lead to serious injury or even death. (For details on taming, see the article “Taming a guinea pig”)

Guinea pig and name

It is quite possible for a guinea pig to be taught to respond to its name. At a certain time, in a certain place in the room where the pig is kept, we put her favorite food, while calling the animal by name. The sense of smell directs the pig to the place where the delicacy lies, and at this time her hearing perceives the sound. After several days of such exercises, the animal will run in a certain direction, even if it does not find food there. The developed conditioned reflex will direct our rodent in the direction from which the voice comes. The pronunciation of the name can, of course, be replaced by another sound, such as a whistle, and the effect will be the same.

Let’s kiss?

Durov taught one of his guinea pigs to “kiss” him. As soon as he lifted the animal to the level of his face, it reached out with all his might to his lips. Teaching a pig to “kiss” is not at all difficult. To do this, every time you pick up an animal, take a piece of food that your pet especially likes on your lips and feed the pig from your lips (unless, of course, you are too squeamish). After a few repetitions, the pig itself will strenuously reach for your lips, even if there is no treat there.

Ball game

Another trick that is easy to teach a guinea pig is playing ball. Pigs are naturally characterized by head movements, with the help of which they move away or discard objects that interfere with them. Before training, the pig should be hungry enough, but not so much that it suffers from hunger. She does not need to be fed for about 8-12 hours. Sit the pig on a sofa (but in a way that it won’t fall from a height) or in a large pen, put a ball in the pen (it can be of any size: if the ball is light enough, the pigs can easily cope with large balls), and under it – a piece goodies. You can even show the pig that there is a dandelion leaf or a piece of carrot under the ball. After some time, the pig will accidentally or purposefully roll the ball to the side and eat the reinforcement. It is necessary to repeat this until the pig begins, shaking his head, to roll the ball around the pen.

Even if you are not going to make an artist out of your guinea pig, you must definitely pay attention to it. Guinea pigs are very unpretentious, they do not need to be regularly taken out for walks, like dogs; constantly change sand or sawdust in the toilet, like cats; they are unobtrusive and will not demand attention from you if you are not in a good mood. But 2-3 times a week, you should give your pet at least 20-40 minutes a day. Take the pig in your arms, scratch it behind the ear, stroke it. Let her go for a walk, let’s say, on a sofa or in a spacious paddock specially designed for this. It is not worth letting a pig run around the apartment unattended, as the animal can gnaw on the legs of chairs, tear off wallpaper, or, even worse, electrical wiring (see section Dangers for guinea pigs). In the summer, you can make a special cage for walking without a bottom. Periodically rearranging it from place to place, you will thereby give the pig the opportunity to eat fresh grass in a new place.

There are a few more seemingly ordinary, but still requiring your attention moments of pig training. Especially for you from Fialka (=Fialka=)!

Hi master!

One of our pigs was very fond of getting up with her paws on the door when it was open, and joyfully greet me. Hence the idea was born to teach this to others. In my house, the cages are stacked on top of each other and the doors are always open. Pigs don’t try to jump out of their cage. And a very nice sight when a pig meets you, as in the photo:

Some pigs, like this one, can do it themselves. To teach your pig to stand like this, simply open the door (if it is not possible to keep it open all the time) and give the pig some kind of treat, such as a slice of cucumber or parsley leaf. Do not give immediately, but lure her out, talk to her. And when the pig becomes paws, as in the photo, then let her stand like that for a few seconds, communicating with her. Then give your pig a well-deserved treat. A little practice and your pig will happily meet you, looking out of his “window”.

Hammock

For some reason, my pigs are just crazy about this simple device. But still there are those who simply ignore it. This does not mean that you need to immediately remove the hammock and forget about this idea. It’s just that the pig needs time to understand what kind of innovation has appeared in its cage. Put your pig on the hammock often until she gets used to it. After that, pet her so that she calms down, and does not jump down. Try to feed the pig on a hammock with its delicacies – cucumber, parsley. Remember that a hammock is best made from a hard fabric, such as jeans. And you can fix it with ordinary clothespins for the bars of the cage. All my friends are very surprised when they see a pig sleeping in a hammock. This looks really great. A hammock will add some joy to you and your pig!

parrot

When the pig runs around the sofa during a walk, it can be taught to climb onto your shoulder. Pigs are very fond of higher places – from where you can see everything. Therefore, it will not be difficult to do this. Just the main thing in this matter is to show the pig what it is. And she’ll love it there. If the pig is simply put on his shoulder, then she may be frightened and fall. Therefore, it is better to sit comfortably and, again, with the help of parsley, lure the pig onto your shoulder. Do this every time you walk. And very soon the pig will instinctively climb onto your shoulder, and you will only have to remember to encourage it.

But remember that some pigs are natural hairdressers. Therefore, if you notice that the pig has fallen in love with your hair, then it is better not to perform this “trick”. And then you run the risk of staying with a bob haircut.

=Violet=