How to get your rabbit back in his cage when he's playing in the garden

Hey,
The thread title says it all... I'm having some troubles getting Franky back in his cage when he's out in the garden. It's too hard to catch him - he's quicker than me and I'm also afraid to hurt him if I'm too rough. I've been able to catch him a few times when he's hiding beneath a chair or something, but in general, it takes so long. The other thing that works sometimes is just putting his cage there, putting some food in it, but it doesn't always work. I think he knows this trick by now. And sometimes (when I'm lucky), he goes up the stairs into the living room where his other cage is. Anyway, do you guys have experience with catching your rabbit/getting him inside his cage in a big open space he's not used to?
Thanks in advance for your advice!

Mine are both trained to go in their cages on command. Every time they go in their cages, they get a treat. Sometimes, I ask them to go in, give them a treat, and don't lock them up- just so it's not always a bad thing. Honestly, even though they are always so excited to come out, but they go nuts when I ask them to go in their cages, since they know they get a treat! It takes some time, but it's super stress free and they literally RUN into their cages at this point, so it's a time saver in the long run.

It starts with giving a basic phrase and hand signal (for me it's "cage time" and a point and snap). And then you may have to bribe the animal in the cage by allowing him to realize you have a treat and then putting it near the cage and so on. First start by rewarding him when he just goes near the cage. And this is the tricky part- you have to reward him right away every time or he won't associate it. Once he gets the hang of going near his cage, keep making him go closer and closer into it until he does it. Do this every single day until he learns. don't be discouraged if some days it seems like training is moving backwards, that's totally normal (think about how long it took for you to memorize something for your last exam in school or something!). I've found that the rabbits learn it very quickly and very well. Hopefully that helps!

Also, when you do eventually have to catch him and 'force' him in his cage, still say the command/signal and still give him a treat. Even if you had to do it for him. Make the cage a good place!

Good luck!

How much outside time does he get? The longer they can play outside, the easier it is to get them inside. Personally, I've always done it that way : I wait until dinner time, I call and put the vegetables inside the cage... the rabbits follow (actually, after a few weeks, they began to go on their own in their cage whenever they heard me coming around 'dinner time' - it's been 7 years for Aki so she's always there before me, now, ready to dig in ^^) and I close the cage when everyone is inside. It works like a charm and has for the 3 bunnies I've had. It's the 'no cage, no dinner' technic (I use the same with the dog : 'no coming when called, no sitting nicely waiting for dinner... no food', he understood the first day - food is the best learning tool ever). It only ever fails when the routine is severely disrupted (like when my neighbours are having a loud party or the night after a vet visit).

Try and get a routine started. Try getting a lure, like cilantro or something yummy, to tempt him into a carrier or his cage. After a month, Butterscotch and Ellie know that when it gets dark, they need to come home, and lately, they've been waiting in their house for me to shut them in. They're smart critters, you just have to sneakily make them think it's their idea. ;-)

Lol. I just realized I wrote the same thing Aki wrote. Haha.. Great minds (and slow computer connections.. Haha)

Thanks so much everyone!
I'm going to buy a clicker and get him trained. We don't even have a food routine.. Haven't been too smart about raising him, I guess! I'll let you guys know how the training goes..

I actually have very similar issues, except with a catch.

My rabbits cage is on our back porch, so I have to actually carry them to and from the yard to the cage. A lot of times it's a bit of a battle, like the thread says (recently they have been getting better about it though).

We're currently using a little bell to get him in the cage after which we give him a snack, and that seems to be working really well. But, we haven't tried it outside yet as the weather hasn't been that good lately. Curious whether it 'll work outside as welll..

It might not work for a day or two outside (he knows the bell when you are inside means go in the cage), but be patient! He definitely will translate the 'trick' after a few times. Animals are just funny in that knowing how to, say, 'sit' in the kitchen doesn't necessarily mean 'sit' in the living room.