help with crate training?

I'm trying to get my bun to be more comfortable with the crate so I can easily get him in and out of it (since trying to pick him up is like trying to catch a slinky covered in oil) but my bun is being very difficult!! So far I have gotten him comfortable enough with it by putting treats in my hand and then sticking my hand in the crate so he has to go into the crate to get the treat out of my hand (he doesnt like going into it if my hand isnt in there?? so putting treats inside the crate for him to get on his own isnt really helpful). But when I do the treat in hand thing he only goes into the crate half way and tries really hard to keep his back legs outside the crate! Its only rarely I can actually catch him going into the crate on his own and sitting in it (a miracle!) but he still acts very scared of going inside when im trying to train him.

Is there any way to train him to go into it on command and be comfortable sitting inside it for long periods of time (like to go to the vet, etc)? Any tips of training methods that have worked for you would be great!

Does he already associate the crate with being chased, picked up, and transported to new & scary places? Rabbits can remember these things and maintain a negative association with objects.

Additionally, your rabbit, as a prey species, likely doesn't like walking into a room with no other exits. He instinctually knows that if he goes in there, he'll be in a corner and vulnerable to any potential predators.

My rabbits don't like carriers. They know what they're for, and won't go in willingly. I have to either pick them up (easier said than done), or corner them with the carrier as the only place to go.

Rabbits have to go to the vet on occasion, so you might need to be less loving bunny parent and take a more stern animal caretaker attitude (not disimilar to being the parent of a young child). You're the alpha. They need to know this. They won't like it, but it's part of the responsibility of being the caretaker.

Over time, he should come to accept that when you come with the carrier, he's going inside it. He might try to avoid it at first, but more quickly submit to the inevitable.

My only other advice would be to limit the carrier to necessary situations and avoid using it if you're not transporting the rabbit over a distance. The concept of "crate training" with other species (e.g., dogs) generally won't work with predator species like rabbits.

Both my buns go in their cages and their crates on command. Sometimes, the most helpful thing is a bell, snap, or clicker type noise and a physical gesture (they don't learn words very well, like dogs). We say "Cage time" and snap and point, for example. He already associates your hand in it with treats, which is the first step! Next, don't give him a treat until he's all the way in (even with your hand in there) and only open your hand when he's all the way in. Further, practice it EVERY day, and don't close it up every time when he goes it (the best way is to NOT close it most of the time) so he doesn't always associate it with bad things (like being locked up or going to the vet). That way, he just associates it with treats, and only sometimes with scary stuff. It's not easy with rabbits, but it is possible.

Both of my rabbits go very well into their cage when I ask... but are a total failure at crate training. I tried to get them used to the pet carrier by putting treats inside and leaving it open in their room. I tried to teach them to go inside. And they do! They go inside with no problem... except when I NEED them to because we are going somewhere. They just always KNOW when it's for real. I'm very careful not to do anything out of the ordinary but, like magic, when we have to go on holiday or to the vet and that I put vegetables inside the pet carrier Aki looks at me like 'Do you think I'm stupid?' and won't touch it with a ten foot pole even if she's been inside every day with no problem for months. So, I abandonned the hope of making them go inside nicely. I catch them and put them inside myself ^^.
The funny thing is that they also seem to know when I'm going to take only one of them. A few years ago, I had a sick rabbit and Aki would go to the carrier with no problem when I was about to go to the vet with the other rabbit like she knew I wasn't going to take her. I probably give cues without realising it but it always puzzled me...

RavenousDragon said:

Both my buns go in their cages and their crates on command. Sometimes, the most helpful thing is a bell, snap, or clicker type noise and a physical gesture (they don't learn words very well, like dogs). We say "Cage time" and snap and point, for example. He already associates your hand in it with treats, which is the first step! Next, don't give him a treat until he's all the way in (even with your hand in there) and only open your hand when he's all the way in. Further, practice it EVERY day, and don't close it up every time when he goes it (the best way is to NOT close it most of the time) so he doesn't always associate it with bad things (like being locked up or going to the vet). That way, he just associates it with treats, and only sometimes with scary stuff. It's not easy with rabbits, but it is possible.

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I see! Thank you for the tips! I'll purchase a clicker asap! I do reward him heavily when he goes into the crate on his own and sits in it because after about 10-15minutes of doing the hand in crate thing he will go all the way inside and amazingly turn around to eat some treats until he decides he wants to come out again! I do sometimes close the crate door on him but try to keep him busy by feeding him treats inside the crate and then after about 15-20 seconds I open the crate door again (which makes him decide hes done with crate training for the day LOL). But I had no idea rabbits were not good with voice commands thats very helpful! Once I get my clicker ill try to associate the clicker to getting into the crate! Curious but what are your commands to get your buns into their crate? I'd like to associate the clicker with the crate but i'll probably end up using the clicker for other training as well...

My buns associate the point, snap, and "cage time" (which, lets be honest, the words are more for us silly humans) with both the cage and the crate. It depends on if I'm closer to the crate or to the cage. It sounds like you've started all the right steps already! I wouldn't be surprised if once the 'language barrier' is corrected, he becomes a very well trained bun!