Sounds Piggy communication!

[Thiderem]

So as I am sure most people experience, whenever I open the fridge and crinkle a bag, my guinea pigs wheek with anticipation. This leaves me feeling guilty like I am getting their hopes up for nothing! So now as I prepare a salad and carry it to them, I whistle. They whistle back and run to the side of the cage to greet me! Fewer false hopes every time the fridge is opened for them. They have trained me well.

 

[YourSoJelly]

Wow… they have you wrapped around their little paws...

 

[mufasa]

Smart piggies. They have you well trained!

The part of me that studied psychology for way too many years has to point out that intermittent rewards (i.e. only giving food sometimes) is actually the most powerful behavior reinforcer. It's been proven in animal studies, but I think the most powerful example is the slot machine. Intermittent reward is what keeps people pumping in money, hoping a big win is just a spin away.

 

[madelineelaine]

Mine wheek any time they hear a sound, especially if I'm not in my room.

It funny, but I feel bad they get excited all the time when theres nothing for them.

 

[Thiderem]

Smart piggies. They have you well trained!

The part of me that studied psychology for way too many years has to point out that intermittent rewards (i.e. only giving food sometimes) is actually the most powerful behavior reinforcer. It's been proven in animal studies, but I think the most powerful example is the slot machine. Intermittent reward is what keeps people pumping in money, hoping a big win is just a spin away.

I totally use intermittent rewards with my kids!

 

[danicairie]

This is SUCH a good idea! I always feel so bad when they hear a crinkly bag and get sooo excited.

 

[Thiderem]

Update! This has been working pretty well. They wheek halfheartedly at plastic bags but don't get really excited unless they hear the whistle. HOWEVER, I never realized how much I randomly whistle throughout the day! Then I feel guilty and give them a little something! The funniest was when I was watching TV and they started wheeking out of the blue. I realized that the commercial had whistling! Perhaps I should have picked a different sound but it does make us all giggle.

 

[Yamiko]

same thing with mine. The moment they hear a bag rustling sound, they sweek and run around like madness. I do feel bad too because sometimes, it's me getting my stuffs out of the bad when they were hoping I would have something for them.

 

[bguardguy]

Update! This has been working pretty well. They wheek halfheartedly at plastic bags but don't get really excited unless they hear the whistle. HOWEVER, I never realized how much I randomly whistle throughout the day! Then I feel guilty and give them a little something! The funniest was when I was watching TV and they started wheeking out of the blue. I realized that the commercial had whistling! Perhaps I should have picked a different sound but it does make us all giggle.

This is hilarious!!!

 

[millsma]

I make sort of a "tchk tchk" noise with my tongue. The other day though, my mom made that sound to them, because it's a fairly common "come pay attention to me" noise, and they got so excited. My mom was super confused!

 

[GuineaGal2013]

Bugsy always got excited when she heard the refrigerator or a rustling bag, the two we have now... not so much. But I used to joke that I didn't need an alarm system, all I had to do was tie a bag of salad to the door.

 

[Tara1]

Rose will wheek when she hears a bag. So i have gotten into the habit, i tap the plate and rose will REALLY wheek. Lilly still wont wheek.

 

[pinky]

Update! This has been working pretty well. They wheek halfheartedly at plastic bags but don't get really excited unless they hear the whistle. HOWEVER, I never realized how much I randomly whistle throughout the day! Then I feel guilty and give them a little something! The funniest was when I was watching TV and they started wheeking out of the blue. I realized that the commercial had whistling! Perhaps I should have picked a different sound but it does make us all giggle.

My guinea pigs wheek at whistling on TV and in songs. I decided to google songs with whistling and they wheeked right along with them.

 

[SheWolfSilver]

LOL I know they are clever little devils! This past Sunday morning everyone got up a little earlier than I did. My son and grand daughter were playing video games in the living room so hubby was in my son's room watching TV, which is where the guinea pigs are. The kitchen is right by my son's room. The minute the piggies heard me step into the kitchen they started wheeking! Hubby cracked up laughing and said they haven't made a sound all morning until they heard your foot steps!

 

[mama_]

My boys wheek whenever they hear any noise that resembles a bag. Whenever I feed them I always say "who wants veggiiiiiieeeees" in a high pitch voice. They're starting to associate that phrase (or maybe just my high pitched voice) with veggies and are starting to wheek less when they hear rustling without that phrase. They've only been with me for 3 months so I anticipate eventually they may just hush and know the difference. It's amazing how smart piggies are.

It may be my imagination but I swear when I say UP they go to the upstairs and when I say DOWN they go downstairs (which I do when I'm cleaning to get them out of my way). I may just want to imagine them as smarter than they actually are but what's wrong with that?