Q: I got a female guinea pig named Skittles for Christmas and I want to know how to teach her tricks such as those the guinea pigs I see on YouTube do. She seems to be very smart, but she does not respond to me like my dog does. When she is in her cage she looks at me and squeaks when I come over to her, but when she is out of the cage and on the floor she acts like I do not even exist.
A: Please do not think that everything on YouTube is how life really is _ and remember that a guinea pig is not a dog. Guinea pigs are actually a lot smarter than we give them credit for, but since they have so many enemies in the world, it takes a while for them to relax and let their guard down.
Skittles does not see very well, so if you are far away and standing up while you call her name, it is hard for her to respond to you as a dog would. To get an idea of what the world looks like from a guinea pig's point of view, you would have to lie down on the floor with your cheek against it so that your eyes are two inches off the floor.
To teach her something such as how to come to you when she is outside the cage, you need to think about what is important to a guinea pig _ and that is food! Just sit on the floor with her about two feet away with a piece of lettuce tied to a string. Say her name in a clear, loud voice so that it sounds different from the way you usually talk and then toss the lettuce to her. As she reaches for it, slowly tug it toward you so that she has to follow it _ all the while saying her name. When she can do this from only two feet away then move her four feet away and then farther and farther until she is following the lettuce to you from across the room. Then try it while you are sitting down on the floor just calling her name and holding the lettuce in your hand. Most likely she will get the idea right away and soon every time she hears the word "Skittles," she will stop and look up and whistle to you as she has learned that this means her lettuce is forthcoming and good times are at hand.
Q: We recently obtained a 12-month-old neutered hound mix who likes to mark one corner in our kitchen. His new trainer believes he is insecure and has suggested placing his own pet bed in the area he uses for his indoor toilet. It worked one time. He continues to leg-lift _ not a lot, just a tinkle _ there but never when we are in the kitchen. How do we stop this annoying habit?
A: Why he chose that corner is obviously a secret that he chooses not to share, so try an "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" strategy. Put a baby gate or some similar type of barrier kitty-corner in that spot when you are not home. That way he is prevented from getting up against that wall to urinate in that spot. Keep the gate up for at least four weeks or so before you allow him free access to the whole kitchen again.
Q: Is it helpful to feed the backyard gray squirrels occasionally when the ground is frozen and inaccessible in winter? I thought it would be difficult for them to retrieve their buried storage of nuts. Do squirrels remember where they have hidden all of their food supply?
A: When you are a little animal living outside in 20-degree temperatures, any help is appreciated, and squirrels are no exception. Although we admire the idea of an animal hiding food to take advantage of at a later date, the squirrels hiding nuts and acorns in the nice weather have no idea that they are doing it to help them through the winter.
Squirrels born in May don't know that the winter will be upon them six months later. Although squirrels are smart and do communicate among themselves, I doubt that they have enough folds in their brains to allow the older squirrels to impart the experience of living through winter to the younger ones. It is instinct that tells them to bury nuts, the same instinct that has a dog go through the motions of burying a bone or toy between the cushions of a couch. If there is an abundance of food, then the squirrels will bury the extra nuts here and there. Later on they will find them through chance and their keen sense of smell. Of course, they do not recover all their nuts. The ones they do not find by springtime help to grow new trees.
