>>5012245Start with them when they're small. Handle them often and hold them for a long time with treats. I found that having them sit between your legs on a towel, hand on their back side, and calm full hand strokes from their head down to their hips, will make them feel safe and protected. We rarely gave our guinea pig treats right in his cage. We always took him out for his treats so he could get used to the idea that our hands aren't to hurt, they're to provide and comfort. Toward the end of his life, about an hour before he died, he was wheeking like crazy. My mom was the only one home, and she picked him up and gave him some treats as he snuggled up on her chest over her heart. She'd always done that since he was a baby, so, he went out well. He lived ten years, pretty long for a pig, but if you love them and hold them, they stick around.
