It is important to socialize with your guinea pig as early as a few hours after birth if you have the chance. He is amazingly active immediately after being delivered and will perform tricks and play, as well as eat grass.

Although your guinea pig is hardy, always touch him gently and approach him in a delicate fashion as to not hurt or frighten him. He may seem distant as he gets used to his new surroundings. Never force him to do anything, he will slowly break out of his shell and then you can start interacting. Personality can often be learned. If you give your guinea pig constant affection from the time of his birth, this will train him to be more amiable.

Lack of Exercise and Boredom

Your guinea pig must have sufficient room to run and play or he could become docile, timid and possibly lame from lack of exercise. Be sure to spend several hours a day engaging him in activities and he will be delighted.

As he is prone to boredom, you need to find things to do to keep him active. Some activities to try are:

Hang an apple or other piece of fruit on a string in front of your guinea pig, and watch him tether it.

Lay children's building blocks throughout an obstacle course for your guinea pig.

Set up an obstacle course with cardboard tubes and walls. This will be challenging and intriguing to your pig, especially if you leave a reward at the end of the course. Ladders and bridges can be placed throughout to add to the challenge. When setting up the course, use weights or tape to stabilize the objects to prevent your guinea pig from destroying his new toy. It is also a good idea to change the course once a week to keep it challenging. Your guinea pig is a creature of habit and repetition and will figure out an obstacle course, especially one with treats, after a short period.

Many fun obstacles can be found in something as simple as a child's toy box. If you have a child, this will help in the interaction between your guinea pig and your child.

Soft sounds are great tools in training your pet and are entertaining at the same time. Use a bell to signal dinner a few times and watch how quickly your guinea pig starts to react to it. Your guinea pig is responsive to sound; you must never make loud noises to avoid hurting his ears and frightening him. Sounds up to 30 kHz in frequency can be heard, well beyond the human limit of 20 kHz, making him sensitive to a wide range of noises.

Tips to Raise a Playful Guinea Pig

The main things to remember to raise a playful guinea pig are:

• Approach him in a non-intimidating manner and allow him to approach you as much as possible.
• Handle him gently within a few hours of his birth, because it is then more likely he will enjoy human companionship.
• Engage him in activities and allow him to run freely in a guinea pig-proof room at least a few hours a day.
• Clean his coat as well as his environment. Your guinea pig is obsessively clean and will become distressed if ungroomed.
• Train him to do tricks for treats! He loves to be on stage and is great at performing when given the opportunity.

Once he is comfortable in his surroundings, your guinea pig is a wonderful and entertaining pet for the whole family!