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It is a little known fact that guinea pigs like dogs are also trainable. Like dogs, these adorable creatures are playful and cuddly. They are cute animals and they can be an owner’s pride. Though they do not have the same trainable levels as a dog, still they can be trained on their litter habits and not to chew on things. When one brings a guinea pig to the house, there are certain habits of the animal that are not acceptable and need to be changed immediately. For training this pocket pet, one must have the patience, commitment and the urge. The natural behavior of the guinea pig depends on its personality, age, reproductive status and gender.
This pocket pet is very naughty and has the tendency to litter here and there. The first thing that one should do is fix a schedule or routine so that the guinea pig is able to trust the owner. This pocket pet is suspicious by nature, so the first thing that one needs to do is earn its trust. One should give it time to adjust to the new surroundings before handling it. One should not pick it up directly for the first few days; a guinea pig needs to be spoken to in a soft and comfortable voice. During the first few days, one should feed this pocket animal with a celery or carrot stick directly from his fingers before placing the bowl on the floor. One should hold the stem as close to the pocket pet as possible, so that it can smell the owner and recognize his voice. The distance should be such that the guinea pig has to dash forward in order to grab the treat in the owner’s direction. If this is done over some days, the pocket pet will be able to identify the smell and voice of the owner and hence respond with squeals.
In order to lift and hold the guinea pig one should place one hand over its shoulders in such a manner that one’s thumb and forefingers brace the front legs of the pocket pet and prevent it from leaping in the forward direction. With the other hand one should scoop under the guinea pig’s body and rump its body in order to support its weight.
All guinea pigs are notorious for chewing and scratching. They have the reputation of wrecking a home if not trained properly as they tend to chew on everything that appears attractive to it. It is not the animal’s fault as this pocket pet is just acting on natural instincts and hence needs redirection. One should train this pocket pet to use one’s choices of chewing materials. There are many chew toys that are available in the market and they can be given to these animals. The guinea pig can be placed in the nest box and the chewing and digging materials can be placed there. In this manner, it will not be busy with the floor rug or the dining table.
If one keeps this pocket pet in a cage, make sure that it is taken out everyday for exercising and stretching. Litter box training is also essential and hence, one should ensure that this is made a habit. Guinea pigs love to mess up the house and with a bit of love and understanding one can make this pocket pet a hygienic one with routine training coupled with care.
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