My rabbit keeps biting me and other people and drawing blood!

Hello

My one year old male Angora Lion Headed Lop has become very moody. Sometimes for no reason he will bite me (or for something so small as I am in his way on the floor) but he is leaving me bruised and is drawing blood! One time a big bite on my arm and scab and this morning he bit my face for no reason and my nose was bleeding. My friend (who he used to live with) was bitten twice on the hand last night, drawing blood when patting him! He bites me on the face! One minute I can be cuddling him the next a bite in the face and I'm left with scabs! I actually flinch now when he moves quickly. It's horrible. He has been castrated four months ago so I do not understand. He was taken by a dog a few months back so I am not sure if this has effected him with this (he is pretty much back to normal and I did a separate post on that) but really, this behaviour has been building up for a while now. He did used to growl and lunge at other people but never at me! I used to get all the kisses! He is like an old moody parrot! Any thoughts as to why this could be and how to stop it? I yell out (with shock and pain!) and try grabbing his head and pushing his face down towards the ground, saying no. I have resorted to biting him back (not hard obviously just so he gets the idea) but he doesn't even notice and I'm left with a mouthful of fur! I would never hurt him but I'm desperate now! He was moved recently and now instead of having the run of an apartment is confined to a small bedroom but he is uncaged and is let out of the room when I know he is safe to roam the rest of the house (he seems to prefer the bedroom anyhow).

Has this happened to anyone else and how did you stop it?

Thanks!

Sharon and Leo (Mr Nippy)

first of all, why would you bite your bunny..... I've never heard of biting your pet as a solution to bad behavior.

as rabbits are prey animals scolding them and punishing them (ie you biting him and pushing his head down) will not help but instead make the problem worse.
I'm not sure how you handle him, but perhaps he doesn't like being held or picked up. this change happens over time as younger buns (less than 6 months) don't mind being handled as bad as adult/teen bunnies.
rabbits need to handled gently and patiently; you can't loose it with a bunny or bad behavior with escalate.

Um a little confused by responses and not really helpful at all but thanks for posting (?). Pressing his head down gently and saying no gently is not punishment (or in no way am I "losing it with my rabbit" ?) and when I nipped him back it was to show him that when I yelped it hurt because of the biting (I have done lots of research where it says to yelp when they bite and also to press their head down and say no). I have also since read that other owners have resorted to similar things in desperation. I don't put him in a headlock and smash his head on the floor and punch him in the face - I did say that I would never hurt him and that he doesn't even seem to notice what I am doing. I wouldn't be posting on this website if I didn't care about him. I also said he does it for no reason (nothing to do with handling). I just asked for some advice

First off, I agree with what the others said. You shouldn't have to "bite him back." (Yes I understand you're not biting him "hard") That's completely un-necessary. I don't really think your rabbit understands your form of scolding, so it could (if anything) just make him more angry.
My advice for you would be that he's still hormonal. I believe it takes a certain amount of time for the hormones to completely leave the rabbit's system. Remember: Yes, bunnies can get mad. And a mad bunny will bite or grunt or thump his/her foot. Rabbits do not typically bite for the fun of it. They bite if frightened or when attempting to defend either themselves or their space. Maybe if you pin-pointed what makes him bite you, you could figure out a better solution? I never physically reprimand my rabbit. When she bites me I give a loud clap and a firm "No bite!" and after her behavior has gone back to normal, I praise her with a treat. The reward for being good seems to encourage her to not bite as much.
"When approaching a rabbit that bites use a flat hand, palm side down, with fingers spread as wide as possible. Have the hand several inches above the head and bring it down gently onto the rabbit's forehead and nose from the front if possible. Pat and reassure bun that you mean it no harm and everything is okay with a loving, soothing voice. Never let anyone poke their fingers at your rabbit's face; they're very likely to get bit even if the rabbit isn't a known biter. Depending on the intensity of your rabbit's bite and your experience, you may want to use a pair of thick gloves at first to prevent any bites. When you become more comfortable, you can start practicing without the gloves. In time, the behavior will improve as the rabbit unlearns it with your help, patience and love." (http://rabbithaven.org/biting/)
Also, you mentioned a dog attack. Perhaps that attack left him with physiological issues and that's why he's become violent.

I gave you advice. just because you did not like what I said it doesn't mean it was not advise, but I suppose I can type it out again. while i do not know why he does it, it may be because as rabbits pass through being a baby to teens/adults they do not like being handled as much.
and while I don't know why they act like that I advise you to never for any reason make any retaliatory move against any rabbit, let alone one that is already expressing aggression because it will only make things worse. rabbits are not mean and a desexed rabbit who is being aggressive is probably doing so out of fear.

I use that puppy anti biting spray on my hands now Shida only growls and thumps when she gets her cranky pants on but I also agree with what everyone else has said. Bunnies don't understand that sort of reprimand when Shida thumps at me up just thump back. There are books out on how rabbits communicate it might be worth a read.

~Shell

It's hard to know why a bunny lashes out all of a sudden, is he healthy maybe a trip to the vet can help you your cause my old rabbit basil used to bite me all the time and it turns out he had a sore in the roof of his mouth and once I whent to the vet our relationship whent right back to normal and no more biting or grunting.
Have tried approaching him with veggies or his fave treat, maybe showing him that you mean no harm and all you wanna do is give him love and a treat.
And remember to keep calm cause bunnies like all animals can feel tension and stress and fear through your body.
Good luck and hope your figure out what's wrong with him.

Let's everyone please remember to keep this discussion friendly and helpful.

Leo, if this biting is new and a change of behavior for your rabbit, it's possible that there may be a health problem contributing to your buns behavior. When a rabbit is in pain or uncomfortable from an illness, it's behavior can sometimes change, and sudden biting and aggressiveness can be one of these changes. So if this is a possibility or concern, you should have your bun checked by your vet.

If believed to be more of a behavioral problem, if this has started happening since the dog incident, it's very possible that this has produced the change in your rabbit. It's also possible the change of environment has upset him, especially if there may be other pets around that he can smell. Some rabbits can become very upset by changes and it can take them a while to adjust.

There are some things you can try to work with him. What you have been doing, such as making the distinct sound like a 'yelp' will sometimes work to discourage the behavior, as well as the head pressing like a mama bun would do to discipline her babies or the dominant bun would do, is something that can also help a bun learn that a certain behavior isn't acceptable. It's bunny language for 'stop that'. The thing to remember when doing this is that it needs to be done gently and only for a few seconds. I however would discourage your biting him, no matter how light or gentle. It's not likely he understands what that means as a rabbit nip will feel completely different to him, as well as you are placing yourself at risk for a nasty bite in return. I know I wouldn't want my face that close to a rabbit that I know bites.

If you are finding that the gentle head pressing or loud yelp aren't proving effective, you need to try something else. Different methods work for different rabbits. The trick is finding what works for your bun. Sometimes positive reinforcement can work, by rewarding good behavior with treats(limit sugary/starchy ones), pets, or other things you know your bun really likes. Sometimes a short time out for a few minutes, can be effective. You may also find the technique in this video to prove helpful.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxV0j7SwBbk[/ame]

This biting behavior may also be due to the incident with the dog, the new environment, or maybe for some other unknown reason your bun has become nervous and untrusting. In which case you are going to need to build up that trust again. There are certain bonding techniques that can help with this. This link has some helpful tips.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=29064

And just be patient. Sometimes it can take time to find the right solution.

Don't let your bunny train you. You need to treat him as an alpha would and it will take time now as he's learned that biting will get him what he wants. When I have a biter (4 in the past 10 years), I pin them or roll them onto their back and pin them. I yell ow!, and speak in a harsh guttural voice ( just like a growling alpha would)--even have gone so far as to slap the ground with my hand in an imitation thump. A friend of ours that we sit for had a biter. You had to hold out and away. The first time she bit me she got rolled on her back and I grunted a couple of times. No more biting and I could cradle her in my arms. I told him that she had him well trained, but, I'm more difficult. He did as I told him and now he can handle her without biting. Time, patience, and read up on behavior so you can anticipate and react properly. We had one that was fairly old when we got him and it took almost three years before I stopped getting bit bloody and he turned into an ideal companion.

Okay I'm going to try not reacting and definitely no nipping back (I think he thought I was stroking him anyway...) I'll just make a noise and say no. After reading on Rabbit Haven maybe it's because he lives in a smaller area now and he's become more territorial? I will also make note of what I am doing each time he attacks. There are so many factors at the moment! And thank you all of you for your advice . If it does continue I will take him to the vet as it is possible he still has an injury which is making him lash out? The video made me laugh but the funny thing with Leo is he is ultra affectionate with me usually. It has really just been since we moved/he was attacked that this behaviour has really escalated. I can pick him up, put him on the bed with me with both arms around him and cuddle him like a baby ha! And he will even kiss me and grind his teeth. He's such a sweet gentle little guy normally (and since the neuter). Sometimes (very rarely since the attack) I wake up and he is sleeping next to my head so that's why I say he is moody. He is particularly grouchy in the evenings but an angel in the mornings and now he is VERY aggressive to anyone other than me. And seeing people pull their hands away from him with blood dripping is shocking for me to see. Nancy your post made me laugh too - you sound like a Rabbit Whisper with loads of bunny experience. I think I'll try your advice if all else fails as I would be too scared to roll him over. Thank you!