I am SO sick of having this problem...

**Laurenashley85** · #1 06-30-08, 06:54 am

I only got 4 hours of sleep last night..and I have a job interview this morning. i don't know what to do about my boys and it's driving me up a tree.

i've had them for 2 1/2 years. One is 3 1/2 and the other is 2 1/2. My younger one has always been the dominant boar. And he's MEAN. I had them together for about 3 months 2 years ago and everything was great. Then all of a sudden, one day, he started chasing my older one and wouldn't let him rest. so I seperated them...for 2 years...because I could never remedy the problem.

About a month ago, I bult them a ginormous cage. Way big enough for the two of them..2x6 bottom with 2x4 top. I'd never seen them get along so well. Then yesterday, the chasing began. He's CONSTANTLY chasing my older boar. The rumblestrutting is insane. He just doesn't stop. If my older boy even so much as sticks his nose in his fur, he rumbles and goes nuts. I don't know why he does this. He's not being territorial over food and water as far as I can tell but if my other boar walks by him or goes over to the bowl or water with his butt facing his direction, he'll go nuts and chase.

I'm am SO tired of the whining and screaming I hear all night. My older boar is getting so pissed off that he's starting to nip at him to chase him away. I'm determined to keep them together, and there's no blood or balls of fur. But really, my old man sounds miserable. What do I do?

**paula.m.moore** · #2 06-30-08, 09:45 am

Squabbling, bickering and noise are all things that go with having guinea pigs.

If they are starting to really hurt each other, maybe you could partition the cage with a grid wall so they can still see each other but not get at one another?

**Laurenashley85** · #3 06-30-08, 11:16 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by paula.m.moore

Squabbling, bickering and noise are all things that go with having guinea pigs.

If they are starting to really hurt each other, maybe you could partition the cage with a grid wall so they can still see each other but not get at one another?

Yup, that's how I originally had them for the past few years. I loved that they were finally getting along and living together but my one pig is a bit off the whacky. He gets very odd mood swings. Bi-Polar?

**Gemiinii** · #4 06-30-08, 01:37 pm

Perhaps living separately is the best for them in the long run. Also, if its keeping you up at night, is there another secure place in the house to put them?

**ittybitty98577** · #5 06-30-08, 02:40 pm

Thats what I was going to say is put them some where els in the house. Maybe they will figure it out on there own it might just take awhile.

**Laurenashley85** · #6 06-30-08, 07:03 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ittybitty98577

Thats what I was going to say is put them some where els in the house. Maybe they will figure it out on there own it might just take awhile.

I can't put them anywhere else since I have a cat. And really, I can tolerate the noise. I just can't tolerate the fact that my younger boy tries to randomly assert his dominance on my submissive boy. And it wouldn't be so bad if he did it occasionally but he does it CONSTANTLY. And when I say constantly, I mean like every five seconds. It doesn't seem normal to me. Between the rumblestrutting and mounting, I'm not sure what's going on. My submissive guy has taken to biting him. And what's worse is that I'm going on vacation next week. Nice timing boys.

Is there any explanation for the sudden surge of dominance? He seems to do this after he's been with my submissive boy for a while. They get along great and then BAM....it's like WWE Wrestling.

**Laurenashley85** · #7 06-30-08, 08:09 pm

I also want to add that if my submissive one allows the dominant one to mount him or even to rumblestrutt near him and stick his face in his fur, the dominant one runs away happily. Maybe he keeps doing it because the submissive one isn't being submissive enough? It's still strange to me though that he's exhibiting this large amount of dominant behavior to begin with.

Also, they'll eat from the same bowl, plate, hay rack, etc. without fighting. They'll even sleep on opposite sides of the same cuddle cup. So I'm assuming I'm not to seperate them yet at this point?

**PixieStix** · #8 06-30-08, 08:19 pm

The general rule is unless there bloodshed or tufts of fur flying, keep them together to figure it out themselves.

**Laurenashley85** · #9 07-01-08, 06:47 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by PixieStix

The general rule is unless there bloodshed or tufts of fur flying, keep them together to figure it out themselves.

I think that's the mistake I've always made. Once he started the chasing and such, I'd separate. I won't do that this time. I feel bad though because it seems to be bothering my older boar but I'll see if they decide to work things out.

**Siobhann** · #10 07-01-08, 11:17 am

I've read the social life info that people link every so often and yeah I think as long as they're not drawing blood it's ok. I've had to deal with the "fighting" with my two girls recently. The non-shy one has always been the more dominant one and all of a sudden my shy girl has taken to bossing the other girl around. One thing that I read and remembered from the social life info was that dominance issues have to be settled between the pigs. They'll either decide who's boss today or tomorrow or next month but they will decide between themselves.

My shy girl is now "top girl" they decided it after about two days of squeeling, chasing and lots of rumblestrutting. It was amusing and nervewrecking at the same time.

**PixieStix** · #11 07-01-08, 12:00 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurenashley85

I think that's the mistake I've always made. Once he started the chasing and such, I'd separate. I won't do that this time. I feel bad though because it seems to be bothering my older boar but I'll see if they decide to work things out.

It's best not to seperate unless there is serious fighting, as each time they meet, they just have to re-establish dominance. This is also stressful on them, so it's just best to do what you're going to do and leave them be.

**pigsmakemesmile** · #12 07-01-08, 07:12 pm

I hear ya....and I really do. I have 6 boys the oldest are brothers who will be 4 yrs old this September. I now have them all paired up and its' been working well. In the beginning the oldest one "Chubbs" was picking constantly on one of my younger ones"
"Ben" to the point he needed vet care...poor baby- so I separated them... Chubbs with his brother Pigster and Ben with his buddies Jerry and Pops. All was well.......until I got Paddington-a 4 month old. Paddy started going after Jerry to the point he needed vet care, so I separated Jerry from the others placing him in with Chubbs and Pigster until he was better and not alone while healing...piece of cake they got along just great however...I didn't realize how attached at the hip Popcorn and Jerry were until I removed Jerry. Oh -my-God....Popcorn went bazirk and beat up on Paddy that there was serious blood shed. Realizing Paddy was really the problem child.. I put him in with Ben. Chubbs now just with Pigster and Jerry back with Popcorn. I....just...couldn't..believe what came next the moment I put Jerry back in with Popcorn. Popcorn purred and slowed-danced a circle around Jerry, snuggled him all over and slept shoulder to shoulder with Jer that entire night. It was his way of telling me that he knows why Jerry was taken away because of Paddy and he was letting Paddy know he was pissed about it. I'm sorry it sounds like I'm way out there but if you witnessed what I saw...you'd would have just shook your head. To make a long story short.. I feel better knowing that they are separated and paired according to their personality. I don't need to come home to gapping wounds and crying pigs, it's too much of an emotional drain. They are all happy now..no new injuries to report and it's been bliss. I tried the buddybaths, neutral territory.. time to work it out but Paddy is very strong willed and just won't cave when it comes to Jerry..who is extremely extremely docile out of the whole 6. Jerry's now picked up wait and all his wounds have healed and he is so content as well as the rest of them. Good luck

**Laurenashley85** · #13 07-01-08, 08:14 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by pigsmakemesmile

I hear ya....and I really do. I have 6 boys the oldest are brothers who will be 4 yrs old this September. I now have them all paired up and its' been working well. In the beginning the oldest one "Chubbs" was picking constantly on one of my younger ones"
"Ben" to the point he needed vet care...poor baby- so I separated them... Chubbs with his brother Pigster and Ben with his buddies Jerry and Pops. All was well.......until I got Paddington-a 4 month old. Paddy started going after Jerry to the point he needed vet care, so I separated Jerry from the others placing him in with Chubbs and Pigster until he was better and not alone while healing...piece of cake they got along just great however...I didn't realize how attached at the hip Popcorn and Jerry were until I removed Jerry. Oh -my-God....Popcorn went bazirk and beat up on Paddy that there was serious blood shed. Realizing Paddy was really the problem child.. I put him in with Ben. Chubbs now just with Pigster and Jerry back with Popcorn. I....just...couldn't..believe what came next the moment I put Jerry back in with Popcorn. Popcorn purred and slowed-danced a circle around Jerry, snuggled him all over and slept shoulder to shoulder with Jer that entire night. It was his way of telling me that he knows why Jerry was taken away because of Paddy and he was letting Paddy know he was pissed about it. I'm sorry it sounds like I'm way out there but if you witnessed what I saw...you'd would have just shook your head. To make a long story short.. I feel better knowing that they are separated and paired according to their personality. I don't need to come home to gapping wounds and crying pigs, it's too much of an emotional drain. They are all happy now..no new injuries to report and it's been bliss. I tried the buddybaths, neutral territory.. time to work it out but Paddy is very strong willed and just won't cave when it comes to Jerry..who is extremely extremely docile out of the whole 6. Jerry's now picked up wait and all his wounds have healed and he is so content as well as the rest of them. Good luck

Paddy sounds like my Bacon. I think if he was an only pig, it wouldn't phase him one bit, because he's really not well-behaved around other pigs. He just won't quit. He's still chasing my older boar but they just sat down next to each other and ate. I mean, it's not as bad as your situation was, with the wounds and such. They're not hurting each other at all. My older guy is just very pissed with getting chased all the time.

I find it funny that as annoyed as he gets, he still follows Bacon around everywhere...even though he's likely to get chased/humped.

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