My First Guinea Pig

Question
Hi!
I was thrilled to find your profile on All Experts.  You seem knowledgable and kind to animals also.
This Monday I'll be getting my first Guinea pig.  He needs a new home because his owner has to move to a place where she can't keep him.  To get here he will have to travel by car, in his large cage, for 10 hours.  :(  Any advice on how to make sure he is comfortable during the drive or to calm him?  He comes with a large cage, purchased Guniea Pig bedding and Guinea Pig food.  I am online getting ready to buy him a wheel and a couple of toys.  I've had experience with dogs and bought expensive new toys for them but they would not use them no matter how I encouraged them.  
So, what kind and size of wheel should I buy?  Where can I get it?  What are the toys he'd be most likely to understand and use?  Should I train him on the toys?  
How important is it that I get a companion for him? (I am surprised my husband is letting me have him, but if he'll be sad without a Guinea Pig friend, I'll argue for it with my husband.)  Lastly, should I introduce him carefully to my dogs - they are gentle with humans but my Viszla is a squirrel chaser.  
Elizabeth

Answer
Hi Elizabeth,
Congratulations, I'm sure you're excited for Monday to come! It's great that you're rescuing a cavy also, not just purchasing one from a pet store, great job!
To keep him comfortable during his ride in the car make sure he has lots of comfy bedding in his cage, and also some timothy hay, and some fresh veggies(green, leafy ones like cucmbers, bell peppers, red and green leaf lettuce, not iceburg lettuce though, parsley, cilantro, and kale are all great, healthy choices) would be appreciated by him too!
I think it would be good for you to know that guinea pigs shouldn't use any type of wheels or balls. These can injure them in many ways, and cause spinal problems. Those balls and wheels should only be used for hamsters and gerbils.
As for toys, guinea pigs seem to like homemade ones best. You can either buy or make tunnels for them to go in and out of(some guinea pigs love these, and others don't seem to care about them) you can buy pvc pipes as tunnels(make sure they are at least 4" around, so your guinea's won't get stuck in them!) or you can make them out of empty cardboard oatmeal containers. Guinea pigs like to play inside of paper bags also(I think they like the sound of the paper when they move around). You can put paper, crumpled in a ball, and your guinea pig may like to push it around and play with it. You can also put a sheet of newspaper in and they can get quite creative with those, they make little hide-out tents and all sorts of things out of just plain newspaper, it's adorable to watch! For more idea's about toys for guinea pigs, you can go to http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/toysandhomecomforts.html .
As for the companion, it is VERY important! Guinea pigs are herd animals, and they are very social, they need another cavy-cagemate to be happy. This website explains the benefits of having a companion for your guinea pig, and also guinea pig's need for companionship, go to http://www.guinealynx.info/companionship.html . I really encourage you(with your husbands ok, of course!) to rescue a second guinea pig. If you give me your zip code, and state and city I can find a rescue near you. I can also view all guinea pigs up for adoption from my computer, so I can help you decide on a certain guinea pig to adopt that is best for you and your other guinea pig if you would like me to.
And lastly, I wouldn't recommend introducing the guinea pig(s) to your dogs until you know how they react to them in their cages, and until the guinea pigs seem comfortable with them around. If you do introduce them, make sure the dogs are on leashes, and that ANY time that you have the cavies and dogs near each other, there should be an adult supervising and in control of the animals.
I hope this helps, and feel free to contact me if you have any other questions!
                                                           A.Jones