When you think of an animal jumping through a hoop, a dog doing agility comes to mind. Jumping through a hoop is typically a trick we associate with dogs but it’s certainly not limited to dogs, guinea pigs can jump through hoops too! Since Nutmeg just learned how to jump over a hurdle, it makes sense to follow that, with teaching her to jump through a hoop. So this week I’m researching how to teach a guinea pig to jump through a hoop!

How to Teach a Guinea Pig to Jump Through a Hoop

First and foremost, I have to make a hoop for Nutmeg to jump through. Guinea Pig Tricks offers a great tutorial for creating two different kinds of hoops.

  1. A Simple Hoop
  2. Free-standing Hoop

The hoop needs to be big enough for Nutmeg to fit through without any problems. The recommended size is about 2 inches bigger than your guinea pig’s body to give them enough space to feel comfortable. Essentially, when you first start training, the bigger the hoop the better, so your guinea pig feels as comfortable as possible.

Training Steps:

  1. Hold the hoop at ground level (not lifted off the ground) and lure the guinea pig through the hoop with a yummy treat. You want your piggie to comfortably follow your hand back and forth through the hoop.
  2. Once your piggie is comfortable moving through the hoop, you want them to become less reliant on following your hand. Fade out your hand as a lure by getting the guinea pig to go through the hoop without prompting. Give them a treat every time they go through the hoop on their own.
  3. Slowly start to raise the hoop off the ground and have them jump through it! Do this slowly and gradually! (usually, maximum height is about 2-3 inches off the ground)
  4. Optional addition! Try getting your guinea pig to jump through different hoops, for example, a smaller hoop or a covered hoop

For your viewing pleasure check out Nutmeg and her sister Coconut hanging out. Nutmeg didn’t want to share her snack with Coconut!