Tricks You Can Teach Your Guinea Pig

Tomorrow, July 16th, is Guinea Pig Appreciation Day. There are plenty of reasons to celebrate these cute little pets. Guinea pigs are not only adorable, they’re gentle, quiet, and easy to keep. They can even do simple tricks! A local vet lists a few things you can teach your miniature furball in this article from Arapahoe Animal Hospital, your Boulder, CO vet, serving Louisville and surrounding areas.

Coming When Called

Many pets learn their names pretty quickly. Your pint-sized pal may pick up on this without you having to try too hard. Just call their name whenever you hold out a treat. 

Go In Circles

Start by holding up a treat. When your furry friend moves toward his snack, move it away from him, going in circles. Don’t tease him too long! Give him his snack, and say ‘Spin round’ or ‘Circle’ or whichever word or phrase you’ve chosen. Just use the same command every time. 

Go Home

Teaching your cavy to go into his cage on command can be as useful as it is adorable. Lay a ‘breadcrumb’ trail of high-value treats, going right into the cage. Keep saying ‘Go home’ or ‘Go to your cage’ as your furball eats his way home. 

Jump Through Hoops

You’ll need a hoop for this. You can use an old burner ring, or make one out of pipecleaner or even branches. Hold out the hoop and a snack. You’ll want to have them situated so your little buddy has to go through the hoop to get the goods. Once he’s used to that, you can start slowly lifting the hoop so he jumps through it. 

Stand Up 

Hold a treat out for your fuzzy friend. Position it so it’s above their nose. Say ‘stand up’ and hand over the reward when your cavy stands. Voila!

Tips

Don’t try training your Guinea pig immediately after adopting him. Give the little guy time to settle in and get used to you. It’s also important to keep up with your furry pal’s petucation by revisiting these tricks regularly. Always use positive reinforcement, and stick to the same words or phrases. Also, be sure to only offer safe foods as treats. Ask your vet for recommendations. 

Do you have questions about caring for Guinea pigs? Contact Arapahoe Animal Hospital, your Boulder, CO vet, serving Louisville and surrounding areas today!