You may have seen guinea pigs eating their own poop. They might also take time to learn a new behavior. Does this mean guinea pigs are dumb animals?
No, guinea pigs are not dumb. They are in fact smart pets who understand emotions pretty well. Although it might take time and effort to make guinea pigs pick up a habit, they do possess learning abilities.
You might be wondering why I have concluded that guinea pigs are not dumb.
Let’s discuss more below:
Table of Contents
1. Guinea Pigs Can Recognize their Owners
You will know how smart guinea pigs are from the fact that they can recognize their owners. Guinea pigs are social animals that not only love the company of others but they can also recognize you.
It can be seen in the way these cute furry pets show their affection. Guinea pigs are known for forming strong bonds with their owners.
They love cuddling with their owners and they squeal in excitement whenever their names are being called. If they were dumb, it wouldn’t have been the case.
2. Guinea Pigs Can Learn Tricks
You can condition guinea pigs to learn and perform tricks.
It’s basically like conditioning them to learn something through repetition and by giving them rewards and treats.
You can try teaching your pet to pass the ball. Lightly nudge the ball towards your pet and you will see it trying to do the same.
It will take practice and time but there are owners who play pass the ball with their pets.
Watch the video below to learn how smart guinea pigs are.
3. Guinea Pigs Can be Potty Trained
It might appear as if guinea pigs cannot be potty trained. However, you can actually give them potty training. You just need to be consistent and keep training them as it will certainly take time. However, it’s not at all impossible.
The fact that guinea pigs can be litter trained also reflects on their ability of habit formation. Guinea pigs can be taught to take up certain habits through repeated training and monitoring.
In case you are looking to potty train your pet, do read Can Guinea Pigs be Litter Box Trained?
This article will also teach you to make a litter box for your guinea pig at home in some simple steps!
4. Guinea Pigs Can Understand Commands
It has been claimed by many guinea pig owners that their pets understand basic commands. Just like a dog will respond to words like “follow”, “sit down”, “come” etc., guinea pigs too act when given instructions.
If your pet gets comfortable with you, he will come and sit on your arm too.
5. Guinea Pigs Can Recognize Voices
As mentioned earlier, guinea pigs can recognize their owner’s voice. But that’s not all.
Besides, guinea pigs are good at identifying different sounds.
They can also distinguish between sounds and voices coming from different people or sources.
In fact, guinea pigs have a good sense of hearing. They can hear the sounds of up to 50,000Hz from as far as 2 miles.
6. Guinea Pigs Have a Good Memory
Guinea pigs are capable of remembering things. They might not have an advanced memory but it’s still good. You can test their memory by calling out their names. Guinea pigs can remember their names and they will respond if called by their names.
They can also remember their owners, learn new habits, and trace their way back. Their sharp memory helps them find their path in the wild.
All these things indicate that guinea pigs make good use of their memory.
7. Guinea Pigs Have Emotional Intelligence
Guinea pigs are known to have emotional intelligence. They are curious animals who are capable of showing emotions and sensing the emotions of others.
Moreover, they are good to pet too because of their affectionate and loving nature.
Once a guinea pig will get close to you, it will show signs like liking your hand. You can even feed a guinea pig with your hands when it gets comfortable with you.
8. Guinea Pigs Can Protect Themselves
Just like different animals have different ways of protecting themselves and adapting to their surroundings, guinea pigs too are capable of it.
They are quick to hide if they sense any danger. Also, they also learn to adapt to their surroundings pretty quickly.
FAQs
How Intelligent Is a Guinea Pig?
Intelligence in animals is measured by the number of neurons present in their brain. While other big animals have billions of neurons in their brain, guinea pigs have only 10-20 million neurons.
This is the reason that guinea pigs are scientifically considered less intelligent compared to bigger animals.
Are Guinea Pigs Smarter than Rats?
Yes, guinea pigs are smarter than rats. Guinea pigs can learn things much faster than rats. Moreover, guinea pigs have a better long-term memory compared to rats.
Do Guinea Pigs Have Brains?
Yes, guinea pigs have brains but it is much smaller in size as compared to other animals.
According to a study, scientists were able to obtain brain tissues from different animals and guinea pigs were one of them.
Guinea pigs show cognitive abilities despite having smaller brains.
Final Thoughts
Finally, we come to the end of this article. However, let’s quickly look at the important points before we leave.
Although guinea pigs are low on intelligence and have small brains, they are not dumb animals. In fact, they are smarter than other rodents like rats.
Guinea pigs have the ability to learn new things and adapt to their surroundings. They are also social animals who have emotional intelligence.
Besides, guinea pigs can distinguish between voices, recognize their owners, and remember things.
To know more about how smart guinea pigs are, check out this article. Happy Reading!
