How to Train Your Guinea Pig

• You can train your guinea pig to stand up, turn in a circle, come to you when called, and even jump through hoops.
• Use treats to motivate your guinea pig.
• Train your guinea pig every day. Consistency is key!

Teaching Your Guinea Pig Basic Commands

Train them to come to you when they are called. Like most pets, guinea pigs can learn to come to you when called with a little practice and motivation in the form a treat. Make sure you use your guinea pig’s name often and address them by name when you feed them and give them treats. You can also practice getting them to come to you when called by taking them out of their cage and placing them a few feet away from you (this may scare them if they are emotionally attached to you). Call them by name and hold out one of their favorite treats. Your guinea pig should be motivated to run to you. When they do so, give them a treat as a reward. Practice this at least once a day and over time they should come to you when called by name outside their cage and inside their cage.

Practice the stand-up command. This is another simple command you can teach your guinea pig using a treat. Hold a treat above your guinea pig’s head so they have to stand on their back legs to get to it. Say the command “Stand up” and then let them have the treat once they are on their back legs. Repeat this command once a day consistently. Over time, your guinea pig will stand up when you command them, even when you are not holding a treat.

Do the turn in a circle command. You can practice this command with your guinea pig when they are in their cage or outside of their cage. Hold a treat in your hand and let your guinea pig approach you. When they are in front of you, move your hand so you make a circle, and say the command “Circle”. Your guinea pig should follow the motion of your hand, with the treat, and make a circle. Once they make a circle, give them the treat. Repeat this once a day until they can circle on command, without the treat.

Teaching Your Guinea Pig Advanced Commands

Train your guinea pig to push a ball. Use a ball that is not too heavy and not too big, like a tennis ball, so your guinea pig can maneuver it easily. You will also need a treat that is long and flat, like a carrot stick. Place the carrot stick on the ground and then put the tennis ball on top of the carrot stick. Encourage your guinea pig to try to push the ball off the treat so she can access the treat and say “Push the ball.” Repeat these steps and over time you should be able to remove the treat so she learns to push the ball on her own, without the treat.

Teach her to jump through a hoop. You will need a hoop that is about 6” - 10” in diameter, or you can use pipe cleaners to form a hoop that is close to that size. The top of an ice cream tub or a tennis racket without the strings would also work. Make sure that whatever you use as a hoop, there are no sharp edges or anything your guinea pig can get stuck on as she learns to jump. Begin by holding the hoop so it touches the ground or the bottom of your guinea pig’s cage. Hold a treat on one side of the hoop, or have someone help you by holding the treat as you hold the hoop. Call your guinea pig’s name and make sure she can see the treat on the other side of the hoop. Say the command: “Through the hoop”. You may need to give your guinea pig a nudge or a gentle push to convince her to jump through the hoop. Over time, she will be motivated enough by the treat to jump through the hoop and get it. Praise her and give her the treat when she goes through the hoop. Repeat these steps until your guinea pig starts to go through the hoop on her own, without the motivation of the treat.

Practice litter box training. Many guinea pig owners teach their pets to go to the bathroom in a litter box. However, this takes a lot of patience and practice. When you are first litter box training your guinea pig, be prepared for some accidents and do not scold or punish your guinea pig if this happens. Your guinea pig will respond more to positive reinforcement and acknowledgment. To litter train your guinea pig, place a litter box in the spot in her cage where she goes to the bathroom often. Place a handful of hay in the box and a few fecal pellets. When you notice your guinea pig using the litter box, give her a treat as praise. Over time, she will understand that using the litter box is a good thing that leads to treats and she will start to use it regularly.