Looking for simple ways to train your guinea pig?
There are several ways to help your guinea pig learn to come to you when you call them or use a litter box.
Teach your little friend to respond to simple commands and much more!
Before starting the training plan make sure that your guinea pig has:
- A secure guinea pig’s cage should be in a quiet and clean environment (guinea pigs are not comfortable with noisy environments and they need to feel safe)
- The bedding in the cage is comfortable
- Your full and undivided attention (because your little buddy will notice if that is not the case)
The secret to being successful in training your pets guinea pigs is by offering them a variety of treats, as a hungry guinea pig is eager to learn.
The treats serve as a reward and help to encourage your pet to learn more.
There are plenty of options to make available as treat, it’s advisable to stick with unprocessed meals to keep your pet healthy.
Carrots, cucumber, red and green lettuce (mix up with other vegetables), pepper (red, green, yellow) are prominent sources of vitamin C.
Human food, like biscuits and cookies, is not good for your little friend.
10 Ways To Train Guinea Pigs
Let’s go ahead and get started with the 10 best ways to train your pet guinea pig.
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Last update on 2023-05-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1. Train Your Guinea Pig to Respond to its Name
Giving your guinea pig a name helps in creating a bond between the pet owner and the pet.
Then it is also important to teach your guinea pig to come when called by its name.
The steps are quite easy:
- First, place your guinea pig on the floor, not so much distance from you
- Put a couple of your pets’ favorite treats in your hands
- Then call your guinea pig’s name and make sure the treat is visible to your guinea pig
- Do this daily until your guinea pig responds to every call
2. Train Your Guinea Pig to Approach You When Called
Dogs are not the only pets that like to come when you call them.
You can also teach your guinea pig to run after you each time you call them while you hold a treat.
Be patient, as this may take some time.
Also, don’t forget to offer treats that your little buddy likes.
To carry out this training, your pet must already recognize/know its name:
- Firstly, do well to use your pets name often even when you like to play to talk to it
- Give your furry friend a treat whenever you call his name to come
- Then take your guinea pig out of the cage and place him across the room for you
- Ensure your pet is aware that the treats are in your hands when you want him to come
- Call your pets name and make sure he comes towards you to take the treat
- Do this continually until your pet gets fond of his name and running towards you to come to his meal
3. Litter Train Your Guinea Pig
Litter box training will take time and patience from every pet owner.
When it comes to litter box training guinea pigs, expect to experience a few troubles, like when your pet mistakenly poops in the wrong spot do not tell your pet off, the steps in this training are quite easy to grasp:
- Use a litter box that matches its size and hold a tasty treat near it
- Pinpoint the area in your guinea pig’s cage where he likes to poop
- Add some hay in the toilet area point of your pets’ cage
- When your furry friend uses the new hay litter box give him the treat to show appreciation
- Praise your guinea pig for doing well
- Continuous appreciation (giving treats) each time your pet uses the toilet will make the training process easier
4. Train Your Guinea Pig Not to Bite
Guinea pigs learn fairly quickly and they are cute and friendly.
However, just like other animals, they tend to bite when they feel a threat.
Mouthing and biting are two distinct behaviors.
The curious nature of the guinea pigs makes them mouth you which shows they want to know more about you and that they are interested in you.
They bite when they are scared.
The ways to train your pet not to bite are:
- Show your pet lots of love and offer him a healthy and tasty treat
- Ensure you don’t get your guinea pig scared with odors of other pets it doesn’t like (dogs, cats)
- Hold your guinea pig gently and softly, they tend to bite when they are uncomfortable
- Make sure your pet understand that he doesn’t need to be scared of you, give them their favorite treat
- A sick guinea pig may bite often, do well to check the vet
- Ensure to wash/ sanitize your hands before handling your pet
When you start training your guinea pigs make sure you make time and dedicate yourself to give your best.
Start by using your hand and get him used to it, the guinea pig can sense when they are being trained, they’re an intelligent animals and an amazing friend that sometimes can be stubborn.
You could also call your veterinarian for advice and thanks to them you could speed up the process.
5. Training Your Pet to Stand Up
This training is fun and one you should teach your guinea pig.
When it comes to training your guinea pig, to be successful at this, you need your guinea pig’s favorite treat to make this work.
The steps are:
- Hold the treats above your pets’ heads
- Ensure your pet is aware of holding the treat then say “stand-up”
- Try to make them stand in their back legs when they are on their back legs give them the treat
- Do this continually until your pet can stand when you say so
- If the training is successful, your furry friend will be able to stand up without the boost of the favorite treat
6. Train Your Guinea Pig to Go Home
Make adequate provision by ensuring he has a comfortable home with highly nutritious food and drinks.
The importance of treats when training your guinea pig in this particular training cannot be overemphasized.
In this exercise:
- You’ll have to toss your guinea pig’s favorite treat into its home
- Ensure your pets sees you when you toss his treat into the cage
- Then say “go home”
- Keep doing this until your pet begins to go into the cage on command
7. Train Your Guinea Pigs to Go Round in Circles
You can try this exercise in or out of your pets’ cage but it’s best executed outside the cage.
To be successful you’ll need to do the following:
- Hold the treat and ensure your pet can see it
- When your pet approaches, move your treat in circles and say “circle” clearly so he understands
- Once the circle is completed give your pet the treat as a reward
- The daily practice and your guinea pig will go round in circles without the need for a treat
8. Train Your Pet to Follow You
Once your guinea pig can recognize his name when called, you can take the training exercise a bit further by teaching them to follow you.
Before you let your guinea pig out of the cage, ensure the room is safe by blocking holes and eliminating any cause of danger:
- Make a line of treats on the floor from you to where you plan on keeping your pet (try to make sure the line of treats leads to your lap)
- Place the guinea pig at the desired point you chose then call your guinea pig by its name
- Ensure your guinea pig traces the treats till he gets to you
- Appreciate your pet by giving him a special treat
- Do this daily and your pet will follow you, use fewer treats daily, however, give him a special treat if he makes it to you
- Do this for at least 7 days and on the 8th day don’t leave a trail /line make sure he comes to you, give him a reward when he gets to you
9. Train Your Pet to Jump Through a Hoop
In this exercise, you’ll require a hoop that is 6/10 in diameter.
Make sure you show some patience as this may take some time.
Ensure that what you intend to use as a hoop, is smooth, with no sharp edges or anything that will hesitate the free flow entry of your pet:
- Hold the hoop so it touches the floor or the bottom of your pets’ cage
- Hold the treat on one side of the hoop
- Call your pets’ name and ensure he can see the treat, on the other end of the hoop, then say “through the hoop”
- Appreciate her and give a special treat as a reward, do this daily until your pet is motivated to go through the hoop without teasing her with a treat
10. Train Your Guinea Pig to Play Ball
Your playmate guinea will have the skills to push a ball if you train him successfully to do so.
A tennis ball or a pet ball is most appropriate because is small and light.
A hungry guinea pig is always willing to learn, you’ll need some of your pets’ favorite treats to carry out this training well.
Guinea pigs have a thing for red peppers so you can use it too:
- Place the treat beneath the ball
- Ensure your guinea pig is aware that there is a treat right under the ball
- Then say “push the ball” clearly to your guinea pig as your reaches for the treat
- Practice continually and your guinea pig will be able to push the ball on command without the help of a treat
When you train your guinea pigs please take the time to build a real connection with them first and wait for the perfect moment to start training, because the time is crucial.
By putting effort and time into your guinea pigs to train them you will get rewards in the years to follow.
The best guinea pig products on the market:
Last update on 2023-05-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How Do I Make My Guinea Pigs More Friendly?
In conclusion, to be successful in all the training, you have to build your confidence level in many ways relating to your pet before you proceed with the training.
You need to stock up with a variety of treats as they are key in every training exercise.
You have to be calm and patient, your guinea pig may not be successful with the training on the first trial.
It takes encouragement and little time before your pet will understand and perform the tricks.
This training will increase the bond between you and your pet playmate.
We hope this article will give you a lot of advice on how to train your guinea pigs.
Just make sure you give them your time and they will come around when they are ready.
Should Guinea Pigs Exercise?
Yes, guinea pigs need exercise, but not in the same form as other rodents such as mice or hamsters.
Guinea pigs do not need exercise wheels as those can be dangerous for them.
These small animals are adventurous, so set up an obstacle course to stimulate them and strengthen their agility.
Final Thoughts
You can have much fun training your guinea pigs to respond to their names and come to you when you call them.
Likewise, you can spend some time exercising them, which they will love.
Any activity during which they have your undivided attention is the time when you show them love and affection, and they can feel it!
