Tried this with my two girls and I’m impressed!! The youngest piggie even sat still long enough for me to pet her head!!😍😍😍😍thank you so much I can finally give my piggies lots of love without them running away!
Ariana Sweetener it’s to make sure they aren’t sick so they don’t get others sick or until they find a partner. She rescues guinea pigs and then adopts them out to forever homes. She’s good.
Ariana Sweetener guinea pigs should be trained to be held at least just in case of an emergency. If your pig gets sick or inured, you should be able to easily pick up and take it to the vet without stressing it out even more. You also need to train it to be okay with getting held so that you can trim its nails. There are many good reasons as to why you should tame your guinea pig.
lol, i never pick my pigs up when they are new because i did that with my first pig and he is now 2 and hates being picked up so i learned my lesson haha my other one i just left alone for a couple for days and he loves being picked up
I’ve had my Teddy for two years. He gets up on his hind legs to get picked up now. Bc he knows that i will not drop him and that being picked up means cuddles and treats!
I'm learning that G piggies are very overdramatic. When I go to pick mine up he acts like the world is ending but once I'm holding him he is super happy and falls asleep.
@Wolf gang they won't, if they bite you it doesn't hurt much. They only bite when you feed them but it's little nibbles, if it's a bit painful just pull back slowly and let them nibble again but teach them not to go too hard. My guineas are not yet tamed yet they already love me, and when I feed them, they kinda accidentally bite me, Some hurt but not really enough to make you bleed, most are not painful and they can be playful. Once they're tamed, they probably won't even bite anymore.
Just a fun fact, I believe it’s Switzerland 🇨🇭; it’s illegal to buy just one guinea pig, they do not allow it, you have to have at least two because they are social animals! Wish the rest of the world was this thoughtful lol!
Duksy yeah they suggest getting another one, it’s not much more expensive to have two and they are very social and need to have that companionship. Even if you play with them daily they still say they need to have that piggy companion! Saskia mentions that in one of her videos, how they always recommend two!
@Alan CoganI've always wanted to go to Switzerland so maybe I'll just move there and start my own guinea pig rescue. But what they do is so oxymoronic. They want guinea pigs to live long, happy lives and their response go neglect is taking that chance from them? It's really weird
Some piggies will act as if they are being murdered and try and buck their way out of your hands but just hold on It is not as bad as some piggies will make it out to be. By exposing the pig to what he is scared off he will learn that it is not so scary at all and will relax into the situation. It is also a give and take. The pig wants to be released and I want him to calm down. The moment he relaxes i loosen my grip and vice versa. So he will learn crazy fast that calming down means being released and the pig doesn't even know that in the meantime he is being tamed and will emerge more confident, outgoing and no longer scared. ❤❤❤❤🌟 The ultimate goal is to make them enjoy life more by not being so scared of everything. And it really is the very first times you try that they can fight you hard, after that it should be a lot less. So don't give up after the 1st time - keep at it it will get easier and you will see you piggies change in no time! It really is worth it. A complementary technique that you can do at the same time is this. Remove all hideys from the cage first. Reach into the cage and gently follow the pig around if she runs away. Eventually she will stop and then slowly and gently reach out to scratch her on the top of the head. If she runs away then follow her again and keep doing so till she sits still and lets you scratch her head. Scratch her head for a couple seconds and move your hand away. Wait 10 seconds and repeat. Do this for 5 times or so 2x a day. That should help you and your pigs a lot.
Today is my first day trying this, did it 5x today (originally only did it 3x but then I noticed they were due for a small nail trim). My one boy is much more relaxed than my other, he still freaks out but not as bad as my other boy, my other boy is a bucking bronco. Clawed me up and tried biting during this process. After 3x they started getting it, by 5x they were mostly relaxed! Will definitely be doing it the 4 other days and see how they are at the end of the taming process. :)
Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue You’re so wonderfully smart and kind with the piggies~ what a wonderful video, thank you for the information~ Very informative!
I’ve just started trying this with my piggies, one of them screamed a bit but calmed down after a couple tries! Excited to see how it works out the following days:)
When would you start doing this with new piggies? Should you give a week to adjust to their new cage to avoid over stressing them or start nearly immediately? And should there be a period of just putting your hand in the cage to let them become used to your hand before this? Sorry just don't want to mess things up
Axl, my new guy ran straight to his hidey house bc of that. Whiskers, the one I've had the longest is just casually sitting around, chillin' outside his cage, looking at him like, "Dude, chill. One day you'll see...it'll be ok. This deserves a popcorn just bc." 😅😁 Whiskers really just popcorned to Axl running to his cage 🤭.
This is the best piece of advice. You showed this on one of your first videos. I used this with my hyper traumatized rescue piggy for just 2 days and he has been calmly walking into his cage ever since. Highly recommend.
A complementary technique that you can do at the same time is this. Remove all hideys from the cage first. Reach into the cage and gently follow the pig around if she runs away. Eventually she will stop and then slowly and gently reach out to scratch her on the top of the head. If she runs away then follow her again and keep doing so till she sits still and lets you scratch her head. Scratch her head for a couple seconds and move your hand away. Wait 10 seconds and repeat. Do this for 5 times or so 2x a day. That should help you and your pigs a lot.
A complementary technique that you can do at the same time is this. Remove all hideys from the cage first. Reach into the cage and gently follow the pig around if she runs away. Eventually she will stop and then slowly and gently reach out to scratch her on the top of the head. If she runs away then follow her again and keep doing so till she sits still and lets you scratch her head. Scratch her head for a couple seconds and move your hand away. Wait 10 seconds and repeat. Do this for 5 times or so 2x a day. That should help you and your pigs a lot.
Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue This works so much for my new 2 piggies, thank you so much for your help, they now allow me to pet and whenever i handle them they seem more calm.
My daughter and I used your taming technique a while ago and from the first time we tried it to the third time, it was like magic. They totally get it, and fast! Their little lives are much calmer now, knowing all is ok. The Saskia technique works! Thank you.
Going to try this with one of my girls whom, after 2 years, still runs from me Update: she's getting better!! I can't do this as often as I'd like because I simply can't catch her, it's a major undertaking just wrangling her into a corner. But she's getting better and much more calm when I put her back in the cage. She's also not as skittish when I approach her in the cage
@@lisagatewood3609 im working on it. The problem is catching her in the first place. My first attempt was last night, it was a struggle, took about 2-3 minutes for her to calm down but going to do it every night
@@mszoomy try to get them inside a box first. That way you can catch her easily. Idk if it will work for you because she said we have to do it 3/4 times a day for 5 days :(
@@mszoomy Thank you so much for replying, I did it just 1 time and I got scared if it was a good idea because Lali made weird sounds... Glad to know it's working!! Hope they trust you soon :)
I’m beyond impressed. I’ve been looking everywhere how to fix my guinea pigs skittish behaviour. She calmed down on the second try! I couldn’t believe how fast she learned. I will continue to do this throughout the week. Thankyou!
It’s working perfectly with her. I’ve already got her walking quietly away from my hands. I’ve been trying it with my 3-4 month old Abyssinian, and not having any luck. Her nails are so pointy, it’s hard for me to hold onto her, and instead of calming down, she eventually lets out a very loud scream and I end up just releasing her. I gave up for now. Do you think she’s too young?
@@Jamie_McElroy No not too young at all. Maybe wear gloves if the nails are hurting you. But keep at it, releasing her before she is calm has the opposite effect and her struggling and fighting you is rewarded with release.
Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue I’ll use gloves for sure. She’s only yelling because she wants me to let go, I know I’m not hurting her. Loud little girl! I’ll get back on it. It would be nice if she felt more secure.
Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue Just to follow-up, I took your advice and wore gloves and have done the controlled release enough now that when I put her back in her cage, not only does she not run away, she’ll stand on my fingers until she decides which way to go lol. Sooo much better!
update; I’ve been doing this for one day and I see results already!! my piggie runs away everytime he sees me and goes in his hidey, and never comes out. i took out his hidey and had a goose chase trying to pick him up. he struggled but I let him calm down on my chest for a minute or two then I went to put him down. boy- he tried to run so FAST but I had a good grip on him (I didn’t choke him dw y’all lol), and did it abt 2-3 times and he was calm on the third try, this saved my life haha thank you so much once more!
We find that putting them in the cage backwards, so they are facing us, that they don’t run away. Yes! Some try and jump once they see their cage if they are facing it. Great video! 🌸🐾🌸
Can’t wait to try on my skittish piggy! I’ve had her for over a year and a half and whenever I sneeze or anything she flips out. She’s my nervous one. My other piggies came around and are tame except her. Hope this works!! Update: I did this on my scared pig and she of course freaked out and struggled but she’s getting used to it. For fun I tried it on my 6 year old senior and she was so confused so she just sat there with my hands on her and ate some hay 😂
Oh geez, this is actually helping my guinea pigs be less skittish by quite a lot, it’s only been their first day of taming them through this way and they’ve finally allowed me to pick them up more easily
Saskia you are absolutely the guinea pig whisperer. I just brought my two boys home a couple days ago and they do not love being picked up at all. Moto cries and runs and Toto kicks and kicks until you tuck him under your chin. We're going to start working on this today and hopefully they learn fast!
@@LosAngelesGuineaPigRescue Toto is much more relaxed, I can pick him up easily. Moto still runs, but he's no longer crying when he gets picked up, so we're definitely making some progress.
This technique has worked IMMENSELY for my very shy and scared piggy. I only had to try two times and I can already see a huge difference. Will continue for four more days. THANK YOU!!!!
Watching from the uk and I have to say I’ve had my 2 rescue girls for a year now and been very patient as they were previously traumatised , they have made lots of progress but this video has helped so much in one day than almost a year of trying !!! They’re not scratching and nipping and freaking out when I put them back down now . Thank you SO much for posting this . I think after a few more days practice my girls will be so much more calm and happy .
Different species, but this is what I've always done with my rabbits. I lower them down onto their feet but don't let them go completely until they've settled. Now they're all fantastic to handle, trust me to hold them securely and I can hold and carry them around without any risk of them jumping down or biting/scratching. My oldest is 11 and I started doing this with her when I adopted her, so for that whole 10 years she's been a dream to have, so relaxed and trusting when being carried, it makes claw clipping, health checking etc so much easier and safer too!
I was just wondering if I could use this on my rabbits/foster rabbits. Thank you sir! I hate how dangerous it is when they just try to jump out of your hands. I know we aren't really supposed to handle rabbits but sometimes you just have no choice.
I just wanted to say I have a 4.5 year old female pig that was SO skittish and even after ONE session by her third attempt she had improved! I can't wait to continue this process! Thank you SO much for posting this.
Oh my goodness, your channel is giving me hope. I adopted two male piggies a couple of weeks ago and though I’m trying my best the experience has been tough so far. I have been looking for videos that don’t just sugar coat the guinea pig experience and I truly appreciate that you modeled how to handle them on multiple piggies.
@@luisramirez-or5vg ~ I gave up after the second day. I have two pigs. One is fairly tame, the other is afraid of everything. She was really squealing. I didn't want to make her too stressed out so I stopped. Good luck!
That trick really works. I used on two of my piggies and it worked like a charm. They took three days, once a day. They are really smart! We are waiting for the baby to get a little bigger because she is fast and squirms like a master! Thanks for sharing!
Started to try this today. It makes me feel so guilty when they struggle but I'm not going to give up, i know it's for their own benefit. It's a bit strange though. One of my pigs doesn't mind the holding technique Saskia uses before putting them down, but is the one that struggles the most when i try to put him down. The other one hates being held that way, but then struggles the least after i have put him down and tends to be calmer even though he's the more crazy one. I suppose I'm still learning the quirks of their unqiue personalities. @Sakia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue I'm hoping to do some travelling after all this virus stuff has gone and would love to come visit your ranch one day. Thanks for your help through these videos, Je bent geweldig :-)
I'm on day 2 I can see progress already! I adopted my piggies a month ago and they are a year old. One of them, Pumpkin, is SO skittish, chatters his teeth when a hand is in the cage, runs away, etc. Decided to start this yesterday. Today, after 3 rounds of this, I've managed to pet his head once without him running away. This is real progress, thank you. X
Wonderful!!!!! So happy to hear. It improves their lives tremendously to be more confident and not scared all the time. It is a wonderful gift to give your guinea pig. 😍
Thank you for this tip. Worked like a charm! Our piggie may squirm a bit from time to time, but he never struggles or runs as he is placed down anymore. He begs for treats, popcorns, licks our hands, grooms himself, eats his poop and struts happily all around us during floor time. An all out success.
OMG TYSM!!!! My school has guinea pigs and other animals. I have just realized by watching one of your other videos that the piggies in my class are not getting enough cage room. They were, of course, when they were babies. But now they can't even fully run around. We have two, Fred and Felix, and now that there's this new girl she's acting like she knows everything and she just got Fred scared to be picked up and all she's doing is saying "Oh, I know that. You just have to act fast." Like, NO!!! You have to have patience. She just wouldn't listen to me even AFTER I showed her this video!!! Again, thank you SO MUCH for making this video and what I'm going to do is try to train them during free time. Thanks!!! (Btw im a new subscriber. One of your videos just popped out on my recommended and I was like, WHOAH THIS IS GONNA HELP ME, DUDE!! SUBSCRIIIIIIBE!)
Thankyou really very much mam finally i can tame my piggies. You came like a god to meee to tame my guinea pigs. I had to do this 5 times and now my guinea pigs dont run away
I'm going to try this with my piggies - it makes so much sense! It's like pressure and release training that you see with horses and dogs. I have three pigs so I'll do it one at a time - fingers crossed it works out good :'). Since my Guinea pigs are all so skittish, I've always lived by the idea of 'if they don't want to do it, I won't force them'. Whilst that's still mostly true - it's not fair to let the live in fear. I'm going to do my best to get them used to being handled - wish me luck!
This was SO helpful! We have two female guinea pigs - one is very calm and cuddly, the other one loves being pet in the cage but doesn't tolerate being picked up (she chatters loudly, puffs herself up and always tries to bite). I did this technique for 3 days, a few times each day, and WOW the difference in her is amazing. She is so much more calm, and I can actually pick her up pretty easily - most importantly she isn't trying to bite me when I pick her up anymore! Thank you Saskia!!
I'm so worried about not stressing them that I get stressed (and getting them uncomfortable too). I really needed this video, thank you sooooo much guys ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
I was the same way, I tried so hard to not inconvenience them and they were way too timid. Now I am realizing that I have helped them by seeing I am not so scary.
Saskia has taught me so much about caring for guinea pigs. I doubt she could ever understand how priceless she is to both guinea pigs, and their owners. A blessing in so many ways. 💕🐹
I have a rescue pig (he was a gift for someone during Christmas who didn't want him) before he was gifted he was attacked by other male pigs for 6 months. I'm new to them, and I want to be able to pick him up without teeth chattering and trying to bite. I'm still trying to figure out how to be a GP mom and I'm really glad I found you and your channel. I will absolutely give this a try. Once I finally pick him up he's content is just getting there.
@@LosAngelesGuineaPigRescue AFTER ONE SESSION HE WAS A WHOLE DIFFERENT PIGGIE! You definitely know what you're talking about, anyone who doubts you is crazy. He even let me pick him up without running around the cage like crazy, he sat there and didn't even brace himself. I'm so proud of him. Thank you again for posting this. I'll update again when the 5 days are up!
Works like magic. Amazing. The video was hard to watch. After the 2nd viewing, I felt like I could be calm while my darlings screamed bloody murder. They did, but now they calm down fast when I set them back in their cage. Thank you
Saskia, You have my undying appreciation for this! As a 5-month owner of two young brothers, I've been reluctant to pick them up as they were so scared. I had resigned myself to being content that they would eat from my fingers. But when I took them to the vet for nail trimming, the technician soundly scolded me, saying I absolutely had to handle them every single day. I am 76 and felt like a naughty 6-year old.I decided to try your method. The difficult part was trying to catch them but then I discovered that I could either block off one end of the cage or shoo them into a hidey. That alleviated their panic and my own hesitancy. I started with the smaller pig that was the more curious and adventuresome one and marked the calendar so I'd make sure to get 3 times a day for 5 days. By the end of the 4th day, he would wait patiently until I let go, walk forward a few steps and turn around to nose my hand for the cucumber or pepper I always gave afterward. While continuing the daily procedure with the first, I then began with the second pig which screamed bloody murder the first time I picked him up. Now he also lets me pick him up easily and even hold him in my arms for a bit so he can get his treat. We're on our way to cuddling so many, many thanks!
I have 3 new baby guinea pigs there about 4 weeks old. One really fought but eventually got it and the other 2 learned it in 10 seconds and I did it 3x each. It was so cool!!!!! Thank you!!!
WOW. my boy was going CRAZY each time I tried to put him down, held him by my chest, gave him a timothy hay flower and tried again and he was still trying to bolt so I waited and BAM! he was calm
I'm going into day 3 of the "5 day challenge" and I saw some results on the first day! We still have work to do but I'm so grateful to you for your great advice. Thank you so much.
This is so helpful!! Will be doing this for my Challah, he’s a single boy right now but I plan on getting him a friend in a month! Having him more tame will do wonders for getting the newcomers comfortable faster
Seems like a very good exercise. Seeing a piggy struggle is hard, but if you think about it that this makes the piggy feel more comfortable when being put back, and thus be less afraid overall, that's a real benefit. And no risk on a struggling piggie jumping from your hands and getting hurt, which is one of my biggest fears with the young one we have, and who is a real "lively one" indeed.
Just tried this with my girl who’s 3 years old and always tries to jump out of my hands when I put her in her cage. Did it about 4-5 times in one go and so far I am AMAZED!! Can’t wait to keep it up for the next 4 days and really get her to relax :) Saskia you’re a genius and a guinea pig whisperer! 💕
Can’t wait to try this challenge out with my baby piggies! I really want them to feel safe around me and not freak out too much when I want to bond with them. 💕 thank you Saskia!
This does work, I’ve done it a few times. I’m about to do it with a new piggy just like Carter. It’s important that piggies don’t struggle when they are near their cage, also try to put them in bottom first so if they try and jump they won’t break their teeth. Those boars are all so gorgeous!
So I tried it, the first one did ok and the other was a little wild. The second time they were both wild but I’m gonna stick with it for the week and see how they improve. Frankie let me love on him and pet him afterwards so I know he still loves me lol.
This has been a GAME CHANGER for our family! Our two boys, Nova and Toulouse, have seriously struggled and we implemented this just this week and WOW. Happy boys and happy owners! Thank you!!! ❤️
This really works!!! We adopted two males from an animal shelter last week who were super skittish. After trying this method, we saw the difference right away. Amazing tips. It's awesome that you adapted a proven horse training technique for guinea pigs. Thank you!
Finally a new technique to try! My boys Wilbur and Oscar have settled in but they're extremely skittish and don't like to approach me, most I've had is Wilbur taking a pepper from me once, I've started today and will see how it goes!
THIS WORKED IN 10 MINUTES! My guinea pig Gizmo got it within like 2 try’s! My piggie Benny is a lil stubborn but he is getting there! Thankyou so much! In the year that I have had them I’ve never been able to get them so easily!
This is incredible🙏🏼 you are a lifesaver. I recently just got two piggies and i was so nervous about not knowing a thing about caring for them so i went on youtube and found your page! Omg Tysm for literally guiding all of us on this journey with our piggies🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼seriously beyond grateful.
Trying this starting from today. Did my first round of 5x and also did the patting technique, it is so sad when they squeal murder but will stick to it! They both are sleeping now after that drama Haha I really really hope this works, love your videos Saskia thank you for helping the Guinea pigs and also us haha!
Thanks Saskia! My baby skinny pig (2 months old) just learnt it in 3days! Before watching your video, he always run away and struggle while i trying to grasp it ! But now, he feels fearless to be grasped and he LOVES me!!!
FIVE DAYS THATS IT I’ve had mine since February and they’re really young and have been hand feeding them and sitting by the cage for hours.... Sushi is so cute
Oriento 123 I can’t wait to try this with my pigs, they are a little tame when I come into the room they start wheeking and they stand up on their hind legs it’s super cute but they hate being picked up or petted
Omg i cant belive this worked!!!! My 2 are so skittish. It worked in 4 goes for one and she just walked off calmly!!! and 3 for the other to be able to chill out and walk away. This is amazing and they were much better being picked up after. Thank you so much
I tried this and IT IS BRILLIANT!!!!! I have 4 piggies and they are all skittish! I did this one pig at a time as to really focus on spending time with each one and it works. By the 3rd time they learn to relax and walk away. I did this 5x for 6 days with my first and now he just lays down with both feet kicked back when I reach in the crate to pet him just like a pancake!
This was absolutely traumatizing for me and my piggies. The screaming, the absolute white-eyed terror that didn't go away. They almost didn't even accept my apology treats after the session. I kept telling them "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry". They seem more afraid of me now than they were before. Boda won't leave her little hiding place at all. Yeah I was able to pet them and hold them for the first time but.... I dunno if I'm going to do it again.
Excellent advice, thank you so much! I used this technique and now my guinea pig doesn't run away from me anymore! If I put my hand on his back, he stays still and calm and lets me pick him up. He also lets me pet him. One thing I like to do is, usually the first time I take him out, I make him sit on my lap and eat his lunchtime treat. I think that helps because he associates me picking him up and petting him with him getting his favorite veggies. He is becoming so tame!
Sameee. I used to have two boys that were actually super comfortable with me and were pretty chill. I got to girls a couple days ago and they are totally different!!
I just got a couple young females yesterday and I started this immediately, and while they’re still understandably anxious, they’re already learning and calming down
So I watched the video and went to work the next 5 days ! Worked like a gem. I’d pick one up, then hold him against me and place a carrot piece near. They calm down and eat the carrot a lot faster. On day 5 both were relaxed when I released and let me pet them without running away. Definitely want to keep it up so I don’t lose it. They are skittish when trying to pick them up, I go nice and slow until they let me then the rest is calm and relaxed. Thank you
This information is so helpful. I adopted older piggies. I'm going to start this pressure - release with them as they so freak out when I go to put them back in the cage. Sometimes I worry that the will actually squirm so much that they might fall. Yes, and even before Saskia mentioned about horses, I was thinking, yes this is what I was taught about working with horses. Thank you!
Wow absolutely night and day for my Guinea girls🤗 Thank you so much for sharing this with us, we didn’t think this was possible🥺 life changing experience. We rescued our girls three years ago and now we can really love on them on another level. 💗
i just did this with my babies and i feel like i already made so much progress. they aren’t as afraid when i pick them up or go around them! thank you!
This is a really fascinating approach to taming Guinea pigs! So many other guinea pig owners seem to counsel about needing to take months and months to tame a guinea pig, and your approach seems much more common sense.
Tried this with my two girls and I’m impressed!! The youngest piggie even sat still long enough for me to pet her head!!😍😍😍😍thank you so much I can finally give my piggies lots of love without them running away!
, it worked, it’s a miracle! I was almost losing faith in them cuz they were dead scared of me! But this has restored my faith!
Hi saskia I'm Ian and I love your taming guinea pig video a lot .
Ariana Sweetener those are temporary cages
Ariana Sweetener it’s to make sure they aren’t sick so they don’t get others sick or until they find a partner. She rescues guinea pigs and then adopts them out to forever homes. She’s good.
Ariana Sweetener guinea pigs should be trained to be held at least just in case of an emergency. If your pig gets sick or inured, you should be able to easily pick up and take it to the vet without stressing it out even more. You also need to train it to be okay with getting held so that you can trim its nails. There are many good reasons as to why you should tame your guinea pig.
*Finishes looking at the video*
*looks immediately at my guinea pig*
Guinea pig: _god take me now_
Yup
hahaha me
Me too
HAHA lmao I did the same thing a minute ago
😂😂😂
I just did this once with my new piggies and they acted like they were being murdered
Yes most will do that actually and it gets better already after the 2nd try.
Lmaooo I’ve had my guinea pigs for months and yhey do this too but they love laying on me so idgi
lol, i never pick my pigs up when they are new because i did that with my first pig and he is now 2 and hates being picked up so i learned my lesson haha my other one i just left alone for a couple for days and he loves being picked up
@@LosAngelesGuineaPigRescue I will keep at it!
I’ve had my Teddy for two years. He gets up on his hind legs to get picked up now. Bc he knows that i will not drop him and that being picked up means cuddles and treats!
I'm learning that G piggies are very overdramatic. When I go to pick mine up he acts like the world is ending but once I'm holding him he is super happy and falls asleep.
Sky D same!
my one girl is especially dramatic it seems, she acts like she is dying and scares the other two, but ultimately the other two calm her down;
Alan Cogan I’ve never thought of that! I’ll go try it right now!
Xd I'm not the only one!
same
FINALLY someone has good advice on how to handle them and tame them.
Thank you!!
@Wolf gang they won't, if they bite you it doesn't hurt much. They only bite when you feed them but it's little nibbles, if it's a bit painful just pull back slowly and let them nibble again but teach them not to go too hard. My guineas are not yet tamed yet they already love me, and when I feed them, they kinda accidentally bite me, Some hurt but not really enough to make you bleed, most are not painful and they can be playful.
Once they're tamed, they probably won't even bite anymore.
S
@@boxingispassion4949 Mine bit me yesterday. Had a cut with blood:)
I’m embarrassed to admit this but... *My guineas are stronger than me-*
Do they call u weak
*ues*
@@dinomight3455 *yes*
@@dinomight3455 BYE BAHAHAHAHHAH
@@dinomight3455 lmao. I bet repeatedly.
Just a fun fact, I believe it’s Switzerland 🇨🇭; it’s illegal to buy just one guinea pig, they do not allow it, you have to have at least two because they are social animals! Wish the rest of the world was this thoughtful lol!
Wait but i have one guinea pig is that bad
Duksy yeah they suggest getting another one, it’s not much more expensive to have two and they are very social and need to have that companionship. Even if you play with them daily they still say they need to have that piggy companion! Saskia mentions that in one of her videos, how they always recommend two!
@Alan Cogan Why would they stomp a guinea pig? Or.. are you taking about the cage?
@Alan Cogan that's terrible! Isn't there some kind of state-run animal shelter for guinea pigs there?
@Alan CoganI've always wanted to go to Switzerland so maybe I'll just move there and start my own guinea pig rescue. But what they do is so oxymoronic. They want guinea pigs to live long, happy lives and their response go neglect is taking that chance from them? It's really weird
Some piggies will act as if they are being murdered and try and buck their way out of your hands but just hold on It is not as bad as some piggies will make it out to be. By exposing the pig to what he is scared off he will learn that it is not so scary at all and will relax into the situation. It is also a give and take. The pig wants to be released and I want him to calm down. The moment he relaxes i loosen my grip and vice versa. So he will learn crazy fast that calming down means being released and the pig doesn't even know that in the meantime he is being tamed and will emerge more confident, outgoing and no longer scared. ❤❤❤❤🌟
The ultimate goal is to make them enjoy life more by not being so scared of everything. And it really is the very first times you try that they can fight you hard, after that it should be a lot less. So don't give up after the 1st time - keep at it it will get easier and you will see you piggies change in no time! It really is worth it.
A complementary technique that you can do at the same time is this.
Remove all hideys from the cage first. Reach into the cage and gently follow the pig around if she runs away. Eventually she will stop and then slowly and gently reach out to scratch her on the top of the head. If she runs away then follow her again and keep doing so till she sits still and lets you scratch her head. Scratch her head for a couple seconds and move your hand away. Wait 10 seconds and repeat. Do this for 5 times or so 2x a day. That should help you and your pigs a lot.
Today is my first day trying this, did it 5x today (originally only did it 3x but then I noticed they were due for a small nail trim). My one boy is much more relaxed than my other, he still freaks out but not as bad as my other boy, my other boy is a bucking bronco. Clawed me up and tried biting during this process. After 3x they started getting it, by 5x they were mostly relaxed! Will definitely be doing it the 4 other days and see how they are at the end of the taming process. :)
@@ivyelizabeth1926 Great! Can't wait to hear how they do after day 5
Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue You’re so wonderfully smart and kind with the piggies~ what a wonderful video, thank you for the information~ Very informative!
I’ve just started trying this with my piggies, one of them screamed a bit but calmed down after a couple tries! Excited to see how it works out the following days:)
When would you start doing this with new piggies? Should you give a week to adjust to their new cage to avoid over stressing them or start nearly immediately? And should there be a period of just putting your hand in the cage to let them become used to your hand before this? Sorry just don't want to mess things up
I love all the wheeking in the background! This video was very helpful!
Axl, my new guy ran straight to his hidey house bc of that. Whiskers, the one I've had the longest is just casually sitting around, chillin' outside his cage, looking at him like, "Dude, chill. One day you'll see...it'll be ok. This deserves a popcorn just bc." 😅😁 Whiskers really just popcorned to Axl running to his cage 🤭.
Ahhw E-Any awwww that’s so cute! 💕
My two guinea pigs start squeaking when the heard the other pigs on her naking noiselol
S
This is the best piece of advice. You showed this on one of your first videos. I used this with my hyper traumatized rescue piggy for just 2 days and he has been calmly walking into his cage ever since. Highly recommend.
A complementary technique that you can do at the same time is this.
Remove all hideys from the cage first. Reach into the cage and gently follow the pig around if she runs away. Eventually she will stop and then slowly and gently reach out to scratch her on the top of the head. If she runs away then follow her again and keep doing so till she sits still and lets you scratch her head. Scratch her head for a couple seconds and move your hand away. Wait 10 seconds and repeat. Do this for 5 times or so 2x a day. That should help you and your pigs a lot.
I just tried it with my piggies, and they actually look so much more relaxed now! Thank you for the tip 😭💕
A complementary technique that you can do at the same time is this.
Remove all hideys from the cage first. Reach into the cage and gently follow the pig around if she runs away. Eventually she will stop and then slowly and gently reach out to scratch her on the top of the head. If she runs away then follow her again and keep doing so till she sits still and lets you scratch her head. Scratch her head for a couple seconds and move your hand away. Wait 10 seconds and repeat. Do this for 5 times or so 2x a day. That should help you and your pigs a lot.
Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue This works so much for my new 2 piggies, thank you so much for your help, they now allow me to pet and whenever i handle them they seem more calm.
My daughter and I used your taming technique a while ago and from the first time we tried it to the third time, it was like magic. They totally get it, and fast! Their little lives are much calmer now, knowing all is ok. The Saskia technique works! Thank you.
So happy to hear it!
Going to try this with one of my girls whom, after 2 years, still runs from me
Update: she's getting better!! I can't do this as often as I'd like because I simply can't catch her, it's a major undertaking just wrangling her into a corner. But she's getting better and much more calm when I put her back in the cage. She's also not as skittish when I approach her in the cage
This trick really works try it
@@lisagatewood3609 im working on it. The problem is catching her in the first place. My first attempt was last night, it was a struggle, took about 2-3 minutes for her to calm down but going to do it every night
@@mszoomy try to get them inside a box first. That way you can catch her easily. Idk if it will work for you because she said we have to do it 3/4 times a day for 5 days :(
@@lilacKurage I have to corner her in a pigloo or something. Only done it 3 times and she's getting better
@@mszoomy Thank you so much for replying, I did it just 1 time and I got scared if it was a good idea because Lali made weird sounds...
Glad to know it's working!! Hope they trust you soon :)
I’m beyond impressed. I’ve been looking everywhere how to fix my guinea pigs skittish behaviour. She calmed down on the second try! I couldn’t believe how fast she learned. I will continue to do this throughout the week. Thankyou!
Yes! 5 days!!
My guinea pig acted like I was a psychotic person trying to kill him that he wheaked so loud the the dogs on there other floor heard him 😂😂
Same
I have the most skittish piggy ever, Cinderella, and we will be practicing several times a day until she gets calmer. I needed this video! Thank you!!
How is it going?
It’s working perfectly with her. I’ve already got her walking quietly away from my hands. I’ve been trying it with my 3-4 month old Abyssinian, and not having any luck. Her nails are so pointy, it’s hard for me to hold onto her, and instead of calming down, she eventually lets out a very loud scream and I end up just releasing her. I gave up for now. Do you think she’s too young?
@@Jamie_McElroy No not too young at all. Maybe wear gloves if the nails are hurting you. But keep at it, releasing her before she is calm has the opposite effect and her struggling and fighting you is rewarded with release.
Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue I’ll use gloves for sure. She’s only yelling because she wants me to let go, I know I’m not hurting her. Loud little girl! I’ll get back on it. It would be nice if she felt more secure.
Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue Just to follow-up, I took your advice and wore gloves and have done the controlled release enough now that when I put her back in her cage, not only does she not run away, she’ll stand on my fingers until she decides which way to go lol. Sooo much better!
I need to try this with my younger boy. He's so skiddish and always runs. I want him to feel more comfortable with me
update; I’ve been doing this for one day and I see results already!! my piggie runs away everytime he sees me and goes in his hidey, and never comes out. i took out his hidey and had a goose chase trying to pick him up. he struggled but I let him calm down on my chest for a minute or two then I went to put him down. boy- he tried to run so FAST but I had a good grip on him (I didn’t choke him dw y’all lol), and did it abt 2-3 times and he was calm on the third try, this saved my life haha thank you so much once more!
We find that putting them in the cage backwards, so they are facing us, that they don’t run away. Yes! Some try and jump once they see their cage if they are facing it. Great video! 🌸🐾🌸
Thanks for the tip
I do this as well
That's a great idea
Wow , just like with chickens . Ill try it with our two piggies
Interesting. I’ll try it!
Can’t wait to try on my skittish piggy! I’ve had her for over a year and a half and whenever I sneeze or anything she flips out. She’s my nervous one. My other piggies came around and are tame except her. Hope this works!!
Update: I did this on my scared pig and she of course freaked out and struggled but she’s getting used to it. For fun I tried it on my 6 year old senior and she was so confused so she just sat there with my hands on her and ate some hay 😂
Oh geez, this is actually helping my guinea pigs be less skittish by quite a lot, it’s only been their first day of taming them through this way and they’ve finally allowed me to pick them up more easily
Saskia you are absolutely the guinea pig whisperer. I just brought my two boys home a couple days ago and they do not love being picked up at all. Moto cries and runs and Toto kicks and kicks until you tuck him under your chin. We're going to start working on this today and hopefully they learn fast!
Update?
@@LosAngelesGuineaPigRescue Toto is much more relaxed, I can pick him up easily. Moto still runs, but he's no longer crying when he gets picked up, so we're definitely making some progress.
This technique has worked IMMENSELY for my very shy and scared piggy. I only had to try two times and I can already see a huge difference. Will continue for four more days. THANK YOU!!!!
I'm genuinely shocked at how much of a difference this has made in even just one day for my guinea pigs. This is such great advice. Thank you Saskia!
my two guineas laying on my chest while i watch this: 👁💧👄💧👁
Just found this. Thank you, tried it tonight, and will keep going for another 5 days, hopefully this helps.
0:18 that piggie in the background looks like Sylvester from little adventures! Very cute
Aww I thought the same thing 🥰
Watching from the uk and I have to say I’ve had my 2 rescue girls for a year now and been very patient as they were previously traumatised , they have made lots of progress but this video has helped so much in one day than almost a year of trying !!! They’re not scratching and nipping and freaking out when I put them back down now . Thank you SO much for posting this . I think after a few more days practice my girls will be so much more calm and happy .
Different species, but this is what I've always done with my rabbits. I lower them down onto their feet but don't let them go completely until they've settled. Now they're all fantastic to handle, trust me to hold them securely and I can hold and carry them around without any risk of them jumping down or biting/scratching. My oldest is 11 and I started doing this with her when I adopted her, so for that whole 10 years she's been a dream to have, so relaxed and trusting when being carried, it makes claw clipping, health checking etc so much easier and safer too!
I was just wondering if I could use this on my rabbits/foster rabbits.
Thank you sir! I hate how dangerous it is when they just try to jump out of your hands. I know we aren't really supposed to handle rabbits but sometimes you just have no choice.
I just wanted to say I have a 4.5 year old female pig that was SO skittish and even after ONE session by her third attempt she had improved! I can't wait to continue this process! Thank you SO much for posting this.
Keep us informed on how you do with her ok?!
You'r really the true and only guinea pig queen!👸👑Can' t wait to try it!
It seems so mean, and yet it's so good for them... it must be like taking care of children.
YUP!
I tried this and my guinea pig scratched me to death
Do you need to clip his nails?
Jim Brown yes I clip my guinea pigs nails every week so yeah...
@@pancake4166 They can't grow that fast. Lol
Pets Crafts and Wonderful Things I mean I check them and when they need to be cut if cut them
Pets Crafts and Wonderful Things mine do too. I find the long haired boys have faster growing nails
Oh my goodness, your channel is giving me hope. I adopted two male piggies a couple of weeks ago and though I’m trying my best the experience has been tough so far. I have been looking for videos that don’t just sugar coat the guinea pig experience and I truly appreciate that you modeled how to handle them on multiple piggies.
Just now tried it with my four year old girls. It already seemed to help but I will continue for five days. Thank you sooooo much Saskia!!
Did it work?
@@luisramirez-or5vg ~ I gave up after the second day. I have two pigs. One is fairly tame, the other is afraid of everything. She was really squealing. I didn't want to make her too stressed out so I stopped. Good luck!
Okay after reading Saskia's response below the pigs are not at risk for being hurt so I will try again. Wish me luck!
That trick really works. I used on two of my piggies and it worked like a charm. They took three days, once a day. They are really smart! We are waiting for the baby to get a little bigger because she is fast and squirms like a master! Thanks for sharing!
Started to try this today. It makes me feel so guilty when they struggle but I'm not going to give up, i know it's for their own benefit. It's a bit strange though. One of my pigs doesn't mind the holding technique Saskia uses before putting them down, but is the one that struggles the most when i try to put him down. The other one hates being held that way, but then struggles the least after i have put him down and tends to be calmer even though he's the more crazy one. I suppose I'm still learning the quirks of their unqiue personalities. @Sakia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue I'm hoping to do some travelling after all this virus stuff has gone and would love to come visit your ranch one day. Thanks for your help through these videos, Je bent geweldig :-)
Peter yes please do! And good luck with the taming. Sticking with it and being consistent is the key.
When the Guinea pigs in the background noise were wheaking my Guinea pigs started looking around and wheaking to🥹🥹
I'm on day 2 I can see progress already! I adopted my piggies a month ago and they are a year old. One of them, Pumpkin, is SO skittish, chatters his teeth when a hand is in the cage, runs away, etc. Decided to start this yesterday. Today, after 3 rounds of this, I've managed to pet his head once without him running away. This is real progress, thank you. X
Wonderful!!!!! So happy to hear. It improves their lives tremendously to be more confident and not scared all the time. It is a wonderful gift to give your guinea pig. 😍
Thank you for this tip. Worked like a charm! Our piggie may squirm a bit from time to time, but he never struggles or runs as he is placed down anymore. He begs for treats, popcorns, licks our hands, grooms himself, eats his poop and struts happily all around us during floor time. An all out success.
OMG TYSM!!!! My school has guinea pigs and other animals. I have just realized by watching one of your other videos that the piggies in my class are not getting enough cage room. They were, of course, when they were babies. But now they can't even fully run around. We have two, Fred and Felix, and now that there's this new girl she's acting like she knows everything and she just got Fred scared to be picked up and all she's doing is saying "Oh, I know that. You just have to act fast." Like, NO!!! You have to have patience. She just wouldn't listen to me even AFTER I showed her this video!!! Again, thank you SO MUCH for making this video and what I'm going to do is try to train them during free time. Thanks!!!
(Btw im a new subscriber. One of your videos just popped out on my recommended and I was like, WHOAH THIS IS GONNA HELP ME, DUDE!! SUBSCRIIIIIIBE!)
Yay!! Welcome ❤
Thankyou really very much mam finally i can tame my piggies. You came like a god to meee to tame my guinea pigs. I had to do this 5 times and now my guinea pigs dont run away
I'm going to try this with my piggies - it makes so much sense! It's like pressure and release training that you see with horses and dogs. I have three pigs so I'll do it one at a time - fingers crossed it works out good :').
Since my Guinea pigs are all so skittish, I've always lived by the idea of 'if they don't want to do it, I won't force them'. Whilst that's still mostly true - it's not fair to let the live in fear. I'm going to do my best to get them used to being handled - wish me luck!
This was SO helpful! We have two female guinea pigs - one is very calm and cuddly, the other one loves being pet in the cage but doesn't tolerate being picked up (she chatters loudly, puffs herself up and always tries to bite). I did this technique for 3 days, a few times each day, and WOW the difference in her is amazing. She is so much more calm, and I can actually pick her up pretty easily - most importantly she isn't trying to bite me when I pick her up anymore! Thank you Saskia!!
I'm so worried about not stressing them that I get stressed (and getting them uncomfortable too). I really needed this video, thank you sooooo much guys ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
I was the same way, I tried so hard to not inconvenience them and they were way too timid. Now I am realizing that I have helped them by seeing I am not so scary.
Saskia has taught me so much about caring for guinea pigs. I doubt she could ever understand how priceless she is to both guinea pigs, and their owners. A blessing in so many ways. 💕🐹
I have a rescue pig (he was a gift for someone during Christmas who didn't want him) before he was gifted he was attacked by other male pigs for 6 months. I'm new to them, and I want to be able to pick him up without teeth chattering and trying to bite. I'm still trying to figure out how to be a GP mom and I'm really glad I found you and your channel. I will absolutely give this a try. Once I finally pick him up he's content is just getting there.
Let me know how they are after the 5 days!
@@LosAngelesGuineaPigRescue AFTER ONE SESSION HE WAS A WHOLE DIFFERENT PIGGIE! You definitely know what you're talking about, anyone who doubts you is crazy. He even let me pick him up without running around the cage like crazy, he sat there and didn't even brace himself.
I'm so proud of him. Thank you again for posting this. I'll update again when the 5 days are up!
Works like magic. Amazing. The video was hard to watch. After the 2nd viewing, I felt like I could be calm while my darlings screamed bloody murder. They did, but now they calm down fast when I set them back in their cage. Thank you
Super helpful thank you saskia! Many videos say “just let them come to you” but I never really understood that concept
I have found that this method is much faster and really serves to reinforce better that people are bad but friends. Thank you!!
Saskia,
You have my undying appreciation for this! As a 5-month owner of two young brothers, I've been reluctant to pick them up as they were so scared. I had resigned myself to being content that they would eat from my fingers. But when I took them to the vet for nail trimming, the technician soundly scolded me, saying I absolutely had to handle them every single day. I am 76 and felt like a naughty 6-year old.I decided to try your method. The difficult part was trying to catch them but then I discovered that I could either block off one end of the cage or shoo them into a hidey. That alleviated their panic and my own hesitancy. I started with the smaller pig that was the more curious and adventuresome one and marked the calendar so I'd make sure to get 3 times a day for 5 days.
By the end of the 4th day, he would wait patiently until I let go, walk forward a few steps and turn around to nose my hand for
the cucumber or pepper I always gave afterward. While continuing the daily procedure with the first, I then began with the second pig which screamed bloody murder the first time I picked him up. Now he also lets me pick him up easily and even hold him in my arms for a bit so he can get his treat. We're on our way to cuddling so many, many thanks!
Oh Robin I am so happy for you ❤
Hi Saskia, I love you so much. I tried your taming tip today and it works! This is the first time that my boys are so relaxed with me.
I just did it for the first time with one of my guinea pigs who got it after the first go! Thank you so much!
Yay! lovely
I have 3 new baby guinea pigs there about 4 weeks old. One really fought but eventually got it and the other 2 learned it in 10 seconds and I did it 3x each. It was so cool!!!!! Thank you!!!
WOW. my boy was going CRAZY each time I tried to put him down, held him by my chest, gave him a timothy hay flower and tried again and he was still trying to bolt so I waited and BAM! he was calm
I'm going into day 3 of the "5 day challenge" and I saw some results on the first day! We still have work to do but I'm so grateful to you for your great advice. Thank you so much.
I am sooo happy to hear this!
This is so helpful!! Will be doing this for my Challah, he’s a single boy right now but I plan on getting him a friend in a month! Having him more tame will do wonders for getting the newcomers comfortable faster
Seems like a very good exercise. Seeing a piggy struggle is hard, but if you think about it that this makes the piggy feel more comfortable when being put back, and thus be less afraid overall, that's a real benefit. And no risk on a struggling piggie jumping from your hands and getting hurt, which is one of my biggest fears with the young one we have, and who is a real "lively one" indeed.
Just tried this with my girl who’s 3 years old and always tries to jump out of my hands when I put her in her cage. Did it about 4-5 times in one go and so far I am AMAZED!! Can’t wait to keep it up for the next 4 days and really get her to relax :) Saskia you’re a genius and a guinea pig whisperer! 💕
Can’t wait to try this challenge out with my baby piggies! I really want them to feel safe around me and not freak out too much when I want to bond with them. 💕 thank you Saskia!
this is brilliant. SASKIA is brilliant.
My guinea pig went crazy when he heard the guinea pigs in the background lol
Same lmao
@Alan Cogan ...wtf
It actually worked omg! My piggy was really really scared of me and now he stays out of his hiding spot when he sees me thank you sm
This does work, I’ve done it a few times. I’m about to do it with a new piggy just like Carter. It’s important that piggies don’t struggle when they are near their cage, also try to put them in bottom first so if they try and jump they won’t break their teeth. Those boars are all so gorgeous!
emusqueak my guinea pig smudge used to be just like carter too, whereas now he is calm after doing this for a week
IT ACTUALLY WORKED! im so surprised and he is more calm than ever. thx to you saskia
I can’t wait to try this tip! One of our boys is so skittish! Thank you for all you do for guinea pigs! ❤️
So I tried it, the first one did ok and the other was a little wild. The second time they were both wild but I’m gonna stick with it for the week and see how they improve. Frankie let me love on him and pet him afterwards so I know he still loves me lol.
I like how you are Showing the piggies trust and the way you are doing it
This has been a GAME CHANGER for our family! Our two boys, Nova and Toulouse, have seriously struggled and we implemented this just this week and WOW. Happy boys and happy owners! Thank you!!! ❤️
So happy to hear. Yay enjoy!
This really works!!! We adopted two males from an animal shelter last week who were super skittish. After trying this method, we saw the difference right away. Amazing tips. It's awesome that you adapted a proven horse training technique for guinea pigs. Thank you!
That just made my day!!!!!!!!!!!
I loooove Sushi 😍 So cute! Sonic is so tiny. Love him too.
Finally a new technique to try! My boys Wilbur and Oscar have settled in but they're extremely skittish and don't like to approach me, most I've had is Wilbur taking a pepper from me once, I've started today and will see how it goes!
THIS WORKED IN 10 MINUTES! My guinea pig Gizmo got it within like 2 try’s! My piggie Benny is a lil stubborn but he is getting there! Thankyou so much! In the year that I have had them I’ve never been able to get them so easily!
you are the only person who could give good advice thank you
I love this tip! I also love watching your Buddha pigs. They are so chill and adorable!
My Guinea pigs did surprisingly well first try.
My baby piggie would always act like I’m murdering her but now she’s so calm!! Thank you saskia 💗
Oh that is such great news!! So happy!!
This is incredible🙏🏼 you are a lifesaver. I recently just got two piggies and i was so nervous about not knowing a thing about caring for them so i went on youtube and found your page! Omg Tysm for literally guiding all of us on this journey with our piggies🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼seriously beyond grateful.
Trying this starting from today. Did my first round of 5x and also did the patting technique, it is so sad when they squeal murder but will stick to it! They both are sleeping now after that drama Haha I really really hope this works, love your videos Saskia thank you for helping the Guinea pigs and also us haha!
Day 1: tried this 3x today morning afternoon and night. So far no change but will stick to it 🙏
Thanks Saskia! My baby skinny pig (2 months old) just learnt it in 3days! Before watching your video, he always run away and struggle while i trying to grasp it ! But now, he feels fearless to be grasped and he LOVES me!!!
FIVE DAYS THATS IT
I’ve had mine since February and they’re really young and have been hand feeding them and sitting by the cage for hours.... Sushi is so cute
Oriento 123 I can’t wait to try this with my pigs, they are a little tame when I come into the room they start wheeking and they stand up on their hind legs it’s super cute but they hate being picked up or petted
Omg i cant belive this worked!!!! My 2 are so skittish. It worked in 4 goes for one and she just walked off calmly!!! and 3 for the other to be able to chill out and walk away. This is amazing and they were much better being picked up after. Thank you so much
Second! They're very smart. Repetition is key. Thanks for all the tips/tricks!!
I tried this and IT IS BRILLIANT!!!!! I have 4 piggies and they are all skittish! I did this one pig at a time as to really focus on spending time with each one and it works. By the 3rd time they learn to relax and walk away. I did this 5x for 6 days with my first and now he just lays down with both feet kicked back when I reach in the crate to pet him just like a pancake!
This was absolutely traumatizing for me and my piggies. The screaming, the absolute white-eyed terror that didn't go away. They almost didn't even accept my apology treats after the session. I kept telling them "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry". They seem more afraid of me now than they were before. Boda won't leave her little hiding place at all. Yeah I was able to pet them and hold them for the first time but.... I dunno if I'm going to do it again.
Excellent advice, thank you so much! I used this technique and now my guinea pig doesn't run away from me anymore! If I put my hand on his back, he stays still and calm and lets me pick him up. He also lets me pet him.
One thing I like to do is, usually the first time I take him out, I make him sit on my lap and eat his lunchtime treat. I think that helps because he associates me picking him up and petting him with him getting his favorite veggies. He is becoming so tame!
My girls are still so skittish, so I'm excited to try this with them again. Maybe they'll stop running away from me lol
Robyn Malmsten lmao 😂
Sameee. I used to have two boys that were actually super comfortable with me and were pretty chill. I got to girls a couple days ago and they are totally different!!
I’m only been doing this for two days and my guinea pigs are doing so much better, this video really helped, thank you so much!
I did this and it worked on all my piggies
I just got a couple young females yesterday and I started this immediately, and while they’re still understandably anxious, they’re already learning and calming down
So I watched the video and went to work the next 5 days ! Worked like a gem. I’d pick one up, then hold him against me and place a carrot piece near. They calm down and eat the carrot a lot faster. On day 5 both were relaxed when I released and let me pet them without running away. Definitely want to keep it up so I don’t lose it. They are skittish when trying to pick them up, I go nice and slow until they let me then the rest is calm and relaxed.
Thank you
Yay!!!!
Love what you do, Saskia! Thank you so much!
This information is so helpful. I adopted older piggies. I'm going to start this pressure - release with them as they so freak out when I go to put them back in the cage. Sometimes I worry that the will actually squirm so much that they might fall. Yes, and even before Saskia mentioned about horses, I was thinking, yes this is what I was taught about working with horses. Thank you!
One of our guinea pigs passed away yesterday and we decided to rescue one! Can’t wait to come and see all your piggies and rescue one!
Wonderful. Beautiful piggies. Thanks for posting
Watched this video years ago when I was young, I’m an adult now and am able to adopt two piggies… Ty for this video❤️
I'm getting a new pig today so this is perfect timing, can't wait to try
Wow absolutely night and day for my Guinea girls🤗 Thank you so much for sharing this with us, we didn’t think this was possible🥺 life changing experience. We rescued our girls three years ago and now we can really love on them on another level. 💗
i just did this with my babies and i feel like i already made so much progress. they aren’t as afraid when i pick them up or go around them! thank you!
This is a really fascinating approach to taming Guinea pigs! So many other guinea pig owners seem to counsel about needing to take months and months to tame a guinea pig, and your approach seems much more common sense.
Worked on my one pig so far. He's more calm when I put him back in.
I have just started this with my pigs! It’s going amazing!