Dominance in guinea pigs is a common occurrence and can be seen in many different ways. Some guinea pigs will be more aggressive than others, while others will be more passive. Guinea pigs who are more aggressive often display stronger behaviors such as pushing orbiting other guinea pigs. It is important to remember that dominance in guinea pigs does not mean that one guinea pig is better than the other.
Male guinea pigs usually display dominant behavior by fighting and humping other male guinea pigs.
Putting them in an absolutely separate cage is better than a cage so they can be separated through the bars. The scientists recorded both the genomic and nongenomic effects of glucocorticoids on aggressive behavior in male pigs from female guinea pigs. whether dominance rank is consistent and correlated to baseline cortisol levels and/or cortisol responsiveness.
Why do guinea pigs exhibit dominant behaviors? What are those behaviors? How do you deal with them? Let’s take a look at guinea pig dominance.
Understanding Dominance in the Animal World
Dominance is a characteristic that occurs whenever there is a group of social animals that interact regularly. Normally, because the animals live together or interact regularly, they compete for the same resources – food, space, attention, sex, or any other resource.
Since no two individuals want the same thing all the time, clashes will inevitably happen. One animal will want one thing, the other wants something else. There are ways to resolve the differences, such as fighting, but fighting takes energy and can cause injuries. Guinea pig dominance is a solution to that problem.
If you have just bought a second guinea pig and have placed it in the cage with your initial guinea pig, there can be some problems and conflicts are simply inevitable. In the initial stages of your guinea pigs displaying dominance, I would simply let them sort the issue out. There is a pecking order to things and, unlike humans, animals will almost always establish this pecking order through physical aggression.
Acts of Guinea pig dominance are typical but can be reduced by providing more space for your guinea pigs to explore. If you think about it, the longer you leave two beings in a confined space, the more likely for problems to arise. The best solution and preventative measure for this are to simply buy a bigger guinea pig cage. I have written an article all about cages that are big enough to house two guinea pigs! Check it out here: Best Guinea Pig Cage For Two.
By far, you’ve already learned the factors triggering dominant behavior in guinea pigs, and what are the signs for the same.
In conclusion, it is evident that guinea pigs have a dominant hierarchy in their social groups. The dominant guinea pig is usually the one that has the most access to food, water, and shelter. They are also typically the first ones to mate. If you are considering adding a guinea pig to your family, it is important to be aware of the dominance hierarchy and provide an environment that is conducive to all members of the group.