B for Breeds of guinea pigs #A2ZChallenge

On By LudoIn a to z challenge

Hello, Ludo here. It’s April, which is definitely spring.

Last time I posted, Catsandcoffee asked about different breeds of guinea pig. There are official breeds, which are used for showing, but most of us are mixed. Mummy says this is much more interesting, and possibly makes most of us healthier, as weaknesses die out.

AtoZ b” style=

Breeds and colours

I’m a mix of the most handsome type. I look like I’m a Dutch, but my lines aren’t straight enough for purists. And I have a tan bottom, so that makes me a Tricolour. Hugo was a ‘mismarked Dutch’ and that’s official because Auntie Doris said so, and she does judging at shows.

Ludo
hugo
Hugo on Mummy’s lap in the garden
Hugo with zorro stripe
Hugo on Mull

What Locksley is is a mystery. He’s not mysterious just all mixed-up! He is mostly Rex, like Biggles, Oscar and Midge were. But he’s also got long hair at the back. Mummy thinks it grows that way like a Sheltie, but Auntie Doris thinks it should be brushed the other way and he might be Swiss.

Locksley
Ludo, Biggles and Locksley
Biggles and Locksley March 21
Biggles and Locksley Mar21
Midge and Oscar 131217
Midge and Oscar
Midge looks out
oscar RIP
Young Oscar

Victor and Pippin are both standard smooth-hairs. They are both ginger, which is sometimes called slate, for some reason. Fred and George were the same, but Fred was a crested smooth hair. Percy, Hector, Colman and Kevin were all smooth hairs. Colman was the colour called lemon agouti, and agoutis sometimes get shown in their own class. Bertie was silver agouti, and crested. It’s strange, since he and Biggles were full brothers, yet they appear to be totally different breeds!

Victor the Red
Pippin
Pippin and Victor
Bertie watches over Percy
Bertie looks after Percy
Hector Aug 2011
2015: Kevin with Colman aged 8
Fred and George are one year old

Now we get to long-hairs. Humphrey was a Sheltie, and mummy always thought his colours looked like a shire horse with big hairy feet. Roscoe was part Sheltie, with long back hair, but Auntie Doris said the spot at the back of his head was exactly the right place to be part Dalmatian. Maybe that’s why Roscoe always seemed so confident.

Humphrey
Humphrey the Brave
Humphrey’s tummy
Roscoe
Roscoe in the garden
Roscoe on the lap
Victor 15 Jan 2011
Victor with Vikki

Victor the first was mostly Abyssinian, or Abby for short. Medium length hair with lots of twirly bits called rosettes. Mummy’s surprised she hasn’t had more Abbies, because there are a lot of them about. But maybe they get adopted quickly.

The longest hair belongs to the Peruvian type. Owners who show them don’t cut their hair, ever, but mummy always trimmed Dylan, Dougall and Neville’s hair, especially in summer.

Dylan and Dougall are 1
Young Dylan on the hammock
One year later
Dylan, Vic and Dougall 27/11/12
neville's haircut Mar 18
Neville has a hair cut
Neville 2020
Neville c2015 to 4.11.21

I think I’ve covered everyone in George’s GP world. There are lots of other breeds or types as well, but not here. Auntie Doris is going to send a guest post from Marmalade on Showing. That will probably cover everything else about breeds.

Mummy says she might copy this to Tales from Hampshire because I’ve done it very well.

Thank you for asking such a good question, catsandcoffee!

Ludo xx

20 thoughts on “B for Breeds of guinea pigs #A2ZChallenge”

  1. I really don’t know anything about guinea pigs, except that they are very cute. It amazes me that there is so much to write about them. Good luck with the challenge. You are off to a great start

    Liked by 1 person

  4. What a wonderful, informative post, Ludo. I had NO idea there were so many breeds of guinea pig. You sure are a mixed lot, but all lovely! I image it’s harder to take care of long hair.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. We’ve had Peruvian, and they are so much trouble to keep clean! My kids, who aren’t kids anymore, liked to hold them and brush them as they (the kids) watched TV! We had Dalmatians, smooth coated. They were supposed to be male (even legitimate breeders make errors), but one wasn’t. Unfortunately, that led to tragedy when one baby was a lethal white. 

    But, back to more pleasant topics! I love all those photos! 

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Locksley's avatar Locksley

      Mummy has some photos of Fred and George sitting on her lap watching television, and Dylan and Dougall the same. D&D ‘s mum came from a legitimate breeder along with her sister, but she still had three babies. Lucky for us that Victor the First needed a new friend or two, and they needed a gentle Uncle. I think we’re using the picture of their first meeting sometime later in the alphabet 🙂

      Like

    1. Locksley's avatar Locksley

      Mummy says some of them definitely do. Shelties are calm and noble. Abbies are fun loving and scatty, but very friendly. Himalayans (we havent had any of those) are supposed to be a bit daft. But most of us are mixtures, anyway.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Mu goodness Ludo I have learned a lot this morning I had no idea who many breeds of guinea pig there are or how beautiful and clever you all are. Thank you for explaining so well 💜💜💜

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I came here specifically because I had a tough morning and wanted to cheer up with some adorable guinea pig pics, and you certainly provided! I didn’t know there were so many breeds, nor that some were specifically for shows! I had two guinea pigs as a child, but I can only remember the name of one – Cocoa. Thank you for the informative and uplifting post!

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.