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skittish boar

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cavylover16

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Dec 31, 1969
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skittish boar

hey,
i've asked this question before but, one of my boars named Oz, i've had him since 1/4/03 and on and off from the beginning i've handled him, every other day, so as not to stress him out alot. He has seems to have, calmed down a tiny bit, and not get as scared if i make a movement. before, he used to act scared if on my lap or if in his cage, he'd shoot around afraid. if i moved alot in front of him. NOw he is able to eat vegetables out of my hand well, if i hold the vegetable he will eat it and if i stick it in the bars of the cage he will too. He will even come up to the front and nibble my finger. But, i don't know how to help him not be afraid of me. when i pet him, sometimes he jumps alittle. not in the air but reacts. Like if i pet him on his back or mid back, sometimes i guess with out putting my hand where he can see them and then petting him he sort of twitches his back a bit. Not as if he has some kind of mite or flea or anything but just a reaction. When my mom, comes in the room he reacts too. like tries to find somewhere to hide or just squirts around a bit. Plus he pees on me, and i actually tried putting a old shirt on my lap but he just goes to the bathroom on my pants or on my shirt a bit and its gross. i'm running out of pants! any ideas? My past pig was a sow, and she seemed more calm and after a few handlings felt fine w/me. and she never peed on me at all and not even that much as my younger pig now. he is about 3 months old. or 4 months. when i first got him he was small enough to fit in my palm now he's bigger obviously. Is it a boar thing to be that skittish and afraid? does it mean he was mis treated as a baby? cause i heard, however they are treated from the time they are born till they are a bit older is how they may think of humans,etc. i got him from a petstore, but its a clean store, that cares for their animals. they sex their animals right and handle them whenever. i got him the day after he was brought to the store so they didnt really have time to do all that. I very much, want him to not be afraid of me and am trying to hold him as much as i can. Its just sometimes he just makes me feel as if he doesnt like me when he acts scared when i pet him sometimes. any suggestions? Will he stay this way forever? i'm so anxious to become friends with him. sorry for babbling on. hope someone can help. thanks.
 

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tggdan3b

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Dec 31, 1969
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My Males

Some of my males are the same way, skiddish. Even females are like that sometimes. The more you play with them, the more they'll be used to being played with, and the more comfortable they'll be.

I've found that my males don't want to be held, not because they're afraid, but because they want to explore. Does he seem to be trying to run away from you so he can chill out on his own, or is he obviously scared?

As for the peeing- what can you do? I hear when they start grinding their teeth and getting extra restless it means they have to pee. Some of mine do it all over me, some wait till they get back to the cage. I think this comes to conditioning. If every time they pee they go back to their cage, if they want to go back, they might go pee, see what i mean? I try to wait a few seconds at least after they pee to put them away, or leave them out as I clean up after them so they won't associate being put away as a result of their peeing. They don't do it nearly as much now.

-Dan III
 
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cavylover16

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Dec 31, 1969
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Re: My Males

thanks for the response!

well, for instance i put him on the couch with me and let him run around on the couch. he went behind a cushion and sat there for a while. i playfully poked him in the rear while under the cushion and he just turned his head my way and looked and that was it, but when it came time to put him back in his cage, he backed up towards the couch and when i tried to pick him up he scrambled a bit but i got him and put him back in.

when i went to pick him up for laptime today, he sped around the cage like the wind and it took longer today to get him, but eventually i caught him. i know they are supposed to run when you go get them, but are they supposed to keep on running to get away? he doesn't run desperately but, he runs. and sometimes lets out a small squeal. he seems more like the explore type of pig. he will walk around my lap, and look down towards the ground and sometimes try to walk off but i stop him cause he might fall down and hit himself on the ground and maybe get injured.

if i try to pet his nose or something or just pet him when he is poking his head out the cage, he will back into the cage as if weary if i might hurt him, he does this quickly. i have tried petting him while he's in his cage and most times he runs around like 1 or 2 laps and then stops at one end, and i pet him for a few seconds and he runs to the other side of the cage, but everytime is different yet similar.

HIs behavior steers me both ways as in him liking me or not liking me. when he is out of food or water, he will squeak repeatedly for me, and will not do it for other people just me, i enter a room and he begins manytimes and the second i leave the room he stops. i am able to stick my finger in the cage bars and he will come over to nibble but that is it.

when he was younger, i put him on my lap and he sat there sniffing around a bit, but just sat there and was able to for up to 1 hr or alittle below not he's more "i want to explore" type of pig will he mellow down? its cute, sometimes he looks up at me, after eating some vegies i gave him, and do a soft squeak as if saying "i want some more or any more?"

and if your not asleep already, here is one last question:

Some people say he sounds like he might have mites and that might be the cause of his jumpy attitude or skittishness.
do you think so? and sorry i just thought of another question:
did i just stumble across a pig that isn't tamable? lots of people i read on posts,etc keep saying "oh my new boar/sow is so sweet, and he/she cuddles with me alot and is already warming up to me, and i got him/her 1 week ago! or something.
 
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hezzy1972

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Dec 31, 1969
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Re: skittish boar

i've had guinea pigs for the past 22 years both male and females and i can promise you this, in time, he will just sit around and be the laziest thing you've ever seen. they're always skittish in the beginning. mine were too. after some time, and be patient, they settle right down and wont even move. just hold him and cuddle him everyday and you'll soon see that he'll be just fine with you.
 
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