Guinea Pigs enjoying Agility Obstacles, A-Frames, Tunnels, Fence Jumps, Hoop Jumps, Tire Jumps, Weave Polls, and other Agility Equipment Pieces just like dogs and ratties and hamsters and mice and gerbils and many other types of animals.....and at our house, even goats.

Guinea Pigs or Cavy/Cavies, will need wide, low and stable pieces of Agility Equipment. They do not have the same mobility as a dog or pet rat. They move more like a hamster as they manover the Agility Course.

Grab your Guinea Pig, also known as Cavy, Cavies, GP, GPs, and read this. It is fun and easy for bother animals and their people. Surprise your friends and family by showing off the Agility Course your GP can run.

This is Apple, a Teddy Coated Guinea Pig, coming through and Open Tunnel. This is an Open Tunnel I made to Cavy (Guinea Pigs other name) size. It is made so that it can be hand or machine washed, let stand to dry.

This is GI P Guinea on our low, wide and stable Tetter Totter. The Teeter should not be one of the first pieces taught. You should teach a low and stable Jump and a Tunnel or both the Open and Closed Tunnels first.

This cute little PVC Bar Jump is short and stable and I think adorable! My husband took my idea and made it cuter then I imagined!

To Get Started you can use items from around the house, again let me stress how important it is to use items that are low, wide and stable enough for the weight of your GP.

To get started just think of things around the house you can use for stable and low to the ground equipment that would be safe. Like a large hardback book set on top of a pencil for a starter Teeter Totter.

How about an empty oatmeal box with the bottom cut out and turned on its side for an Open Tunnel.

And for a Balance Beam....well, maybe a 2" x 4" laid on it's side.

Guinea Pig jumps should not have much jump to them. They should be more of a step over type of "jump". This is Apple, I am using a hoop from a yard game to teach her to jump through a hoop, and later this will have taught her to come through a Hoop Jump Agility Equipment Piece.

Your GP needs to trust you. If it is afraid of you it will run from you. So start by bonding with your GP and feed it little bitty bites of veggies out of your hand. Teach your GP to come to you when you call it's name. Spend time with your Guinea Pig and it will want to spend time with you.

Start with one piece of Agility Equipment, such as a Open Tunnel. Set the GP in front of the open end of the Open Tunnel and get down so that it can see you looking through the other end. Call your GP. If it does not come right away coax it through with a treat in your hand, moving your hand through the Open Tunnel. Speak in a happy voice to your GP as you work with it. When the GP gets all the way through, as in out the other side of the Open Tunnel, say the word good and give the GP a treat and verbal praise.

Train one piece of Agility Equipment. When your cavy is doing this first piece well, set another piece in front of the new piece. Show the GP how to manipulate the new piece then encourage the GP across the piece it knows and make a big fuss.