Can Guinea Pigs Learn Their Names? [Do They Recognize Your voice!]
Guinea pigs are smart intelligent little animals with great memory. They can remember things quite well which makes them seamlessly navigate through tunnels and mazes because they can recall which turn to take next.
They love being given attention by their owners and enjoy it when you spend time with them. They are generally good at following your orders and learning tricks you teach them.
You can even potty train them. So what about names? Can they turn around or look up when you call? Let’s find out.
Can guinea pigs learn their names?
Guinea pigs can learn their names but some will never learn or respond. With proper training, a guinea pig can learn their name when you call. You just need to be patient, offer treats, and be repetitive with the name you give them. Always use the same name and make it short to avoid confusing them.
Can guinea pigs recognize sounds?
Guinea pigs have great hearing capabilities that make them good listeners. They can hear much better than humans.
The slightest of sounds and movements will be loud enough for their sensitive ears. This is a helpful characteristic that helps them avoid predators.
Guinea pigs can understand sounds and relate them to certain behaviors. They can be able to tell what will happen after a particular sound.
For instance, they can recognize that the sound of a door opening means that you are coming or the crackling of a paper bag means that a treat is on the way.
Can guinea pigs recognize their owner’s voice?
Guinea pigs can recognize their owner’s voice. It is recommended that when you bring a new guinea pig home you should begin calling them whenever you go to their cage so that they can learn your voice.
This habit when done regularly makes the pet to be able to recognize your voice and even tell it apart from the voice of a stranger. You should hold conversations with them and although the conversations will be one-sided as they can’t speak, they will get used to how you sound.
A good way to know if they can tell your voice is by going over while calling them and say something. Then have a friend call them and say the same thing that you just said to them.
You will notice that they may either run away because they realize that’s a stranger or the voice will not get any response from them and they’ll keep doing whatever they were doing unbothered.
Can guinea pigs learn commands?
Guinea pigs can learn commands. You can teach your guinea pig to obey your voice and do what you tell him to.
For instance, you can train your guinea pig that when you say ‘stop‘ it means that they are misbehaving so they should stop. You can sternly say the word when they are doing something they shouldn’t be doing and they’ll be able to learn.
When giving commands do not shout at your pet to avoid scaring them. Instead, make your voice firm.
Guinea pigs can differentiate tones. Try to keep your voice tones uniform to avoid confusing them.
For instance, when issuing commands keep your voice stern and on the other hand, make your voice gentler when calling them over for a treat.
How to teach guinea pigs to recognize their names
Guinea pigs are smart but they will not be able to grasp their names as fast as cats or dogs. However, guinea pigs can be trained from any age while pets like dogs will need to be trained from an early stage to know their names.
Ensure the following while training guinea pigs:
Calm environment
Guinea pigs have really sensitive hearing that will make them hear the slightest sound and movement around them. You should ensure that the environment you are training them in is calm and quiet without any distractions.
Remove any hazards too like electric cords to prevent injuries.
Relaxed guinea pig
You don’t want to train a stressed-out or anxious pet. Make sure your pet is relaxed for the session.
Try to talk to them soothingly and pet them if they seem scared. You could also train during lap time. If they do not seem okay with it for that moment, do it another time.
Treats
Food is the secret to a guinea pig’s heart and treats are the whole world to them. Make sure that you have plenty of treats to offer your furry pet when they respond to their name.
Sweet treats should be given in moderation so if you’ll be giving several, try healthy options e.g. lettuce. Still, do not overfeed them.
Use the same name
Just like giving a baby a name and repeatedly calling it out so that they can know what their name is, the same should apply to guinea pigs. Do not come up with a different or long name every day.
Get a short name and stick to it to make it easier for them to recognize and to avoid confusion.
Lots of water
Keep your guinea pig well hydrated before training. Offer them enough water.
Other training for guinea pigs
Guinea pigs can be taught a variety of things like;
- Litter training to prevent them from always messing their cage.
- Tricks like jumping hooks and passing back a ball.
- To come when you call.
- Stop doing something when you say a command.
- Not to bite.
- Special commands to do something.
Conclusion
Guinea pigs are different and not all will learn their names. Sometimes they’ll know it and even ignore when you call.
Remember that guinea pigs may not understand that their name is Bob or Jane. The reason they’ll respond to their names is that they recognize the tone and sound of it.
Call out consistently and reward them with a treat if they respond. If they do not seem to get it, that’s fine. Not all guinea pigs respond to their name being called.
