Getting another Guinea Piggy

Question
I am thinking I should get another pig. When I do get one how should I go about getting my pigs together and each being comfortable?

Answer
Krista,

When getting another Guinea Pig as a friend for one that you already have it is best to make sure the new on is younger then the one you have now, that will allow them to get along better with out as many problems as can happen with an older one. Also make sure that the personalities come close to matching, so if you have a calm Guinea Pig get another one that is also calm, if you have a really active one then the other needs to be active also. That way you are insuring happy healthy Guinea Pigs that will get along great with each other.

To introduce them to each other so that they are comfortable with each other is fairly simple but it is going to take some time. Here is a easy and effective way to go about introducing them.

Have patience, take your time, always on neutral territory, and don't give up too soon. Brief words of wisdom for introducing guinea pigs. What you don't want to do is plop the new guinea pig into your existing guinea pig's cage. Never try to introduce guinea pigs in one of their cages. Be prepared. This may happen in one afternoon or it may take months!

Get a large bath towel or two.

Put the towels on the couch (neutral, unfamiliar territory).
Spread them out over the middle of the couch.

Each person holding a pig, sits at opposite ends of the couch.

Make sure the towels are between you and there is a good amount of space (it helps to have a big couch!). Floor works, too. Keep kids quiet and out of reach. No other distractions.

Let the pigs find each other on their own time.
You may need to nudge them in the right direction. Have another towel handy to toss on the pigs if you need to separate them.

Let the games begin!
More often than not, pet owners want to break up guinea pigs exhibiting normal dominant behavior. Everyone looks worried and asks, "Is that normal?" How long and what next?
Usually, the first 15 minutes is just getting acclimated to the new surroundings and the idea that there is another guinea pig there. It's the next 15 to 30 minutes that can get interesting. The nice thing about being on the couch is it makes it easy for them to run to you when they get uncomfortable. But, keep your interactions and interference to an absolute minimum. Some guinea pigs will get along just great. Some will decide on peaceful co-existence right from the beginning. Some will act like long lost buddies! When to separate them? Serious blood is drawn or a wound is inflicted. Some nipping or minor biting can be quite normal. Even little tufts of hair in the mouth can be normal.

Normal dominance behavior is to be expected between the two. Here is a list of normal behavior that is fine and should not be interfered with.

Safe, non-combative, dominance behavior
Rumblestrutting
Butt sniffing
Butt nudging
Chasing
Butt dragging (they are leaving their scent)
Mounting (any which way: rear mount, head mount, side mount, flying leap mount!)
Nose face-offs (higher in the air wins, one must lower their nose to be subservient to the other)
Teeth chattering: a little (signal of dominance)
Raised hackles (hair on the back of the neck and along the spine)

Posturing for possible attack, battle for dominance is escalating
Teeth chattering: sustained (signal of anger, aggression, warning)
Nips, light bites, may result in little tufts of fur in their teeth
Wide yawn, but this is no yawn, they are showing their teeth
Snorting (like a strong puff or hiss)

These behaviors may sound serious and they should be monitored VERY CLOSELY, BUT do NOT separate the pigs exhibiting this behavior, yet. This is when the average pet owner loses it and pulls the pig out. Most of the time, this behavior will continue for a while until one backs down.

What fallows is serious fighting behavior and you should separate the two before they seriously hurt each other.

Fighting with intent to harm
Bite attacks are no longer warning nips, they are lunges with intent to harm.
Combination of raised hackles, loud and angry teeth chattering, rumblestrutting in place with the head staying in one position while facing the other guinea pig doing the same thing. Usually a signal of a biting attack. But they may back down before they engage.
Both pigs rear up on their haunches, face to face. This is a clear, brief signal of their intent to launch full attacks at each other. Separate if possible before the attack.
Full battle. The pigs are locked together in a vicious ball of fur. This is very serious. Separate immediately, but be careful. Throw a towel over them and use a dustpan or something other than your hand to separate them. Unintended bites from their very sharp incisors can cause serious damage.

I hope this helps,
 Take care,
    Jules