Bonding How to get guinea pigs to not be scared for you to handle them.

[miss.lyonice]

So. I have two adult guinea pigs. I've got them fairly recently. Three weeks ago. They still run away when I go to pet them and REFUSE to let me pick them up. I'm not sure how long it will take for them to trust me. Do you guys know how long or any tips to get them to trust me more

 

[CavyTV]

Hand-feeding works with most pigs. Pigs love food. Try to learn what their favorite veggies are. Offer it to them several times a day. They might not take it from you at first; you have to be patient. Just leave your hand in the cage with the veggie or fruit and out of curiosity they'll come up to you, even if it's just to sniff what you're holding. They'll eventually take it from you and they'll soon realize you're the Food Person. Food= Good. Human With Food= Good.

Another tip is to give your pigs some laptime. You can do both at the same time, or separately, depending on how comfortable they are on your lap. I give Flyn, my tamest pig, 30-60 minutes of laptime daily. I try to do it at the same time each day. Bramley, on the other hand, hates being touched and picked up, so I leave him be. Some pigs will really look forward to snuggling on your lap, while others might not.

Honestly, not all pigs will become tame. It takes time and patience. Some pigs are just more shy or more skittish than others. Some pigs will never like being touched or picked up. There are pigs like that. You have to accept them for who they are. Guinea pigs have different personalities and it's important for you to know what your pig does and does not like.

It can take a month to tame your pig, or even several years. Getting them when they're young can sometimes help. Younger guinea pigs seem to be more daring. I got Flyn when he was around 8 weeks old. Because of his outgoing and adventurous personality he warmed up to me in no time. He was even the first pig that gave me piggie kisses during laptime How long it'll take to tame a guinea pig really depends on their personality and how patient you are. Don't yell at them or get mad when they don't run up to you for food or squeak at you for attention. Give them time and space if needed. Sometimes the best way to tame a big is to just give them their space. You wouldn't really like it if somebody kept bugging you, would you?

Good luck! Don't get discouraged if they don't become tame soon!

 

[jaycriae]

Just sitting near the cage and talking to them helps a lot, if you have any paperwork, reading, emails, etc. that you can do while sitting next to them so they can get used to your gentle presence that's a good first step. After they're used to you just being nearby, you can start feeding them veggies out of your hand, so they start to think of your hand as a good thing too. Skinnypigs1 on YouTube has a good video called 10 Tips for Taming Your Guinea Pigs you can check out. Keep in mind, some pigs will never like being pet in their cage, because it feels like a predator is coming into their home. As for picking them up, for now when you have to, try scooping them out when they're in a hidey already to minimize chasing them around with your hand. Definitely limit the handling to when it's necessary though until they trust you a bit more.
Timeframe will vary based on the pig, and how trusting a personality they have. One of my pigs has always let me pick her up without a fuss, one of mine I've had for four years and she still doesn't. The third only started letting me after a lot of trust was built up.

Good luck!