How Do YOU Discipline Your Bun(s)?

[BrittsBunny]

Okay so I know that rabbits are pretty darn smart, but when it comes to them listening to us humans, well, I feel like it goes in one ear and out the other!

I don't know how many times I have told Wrangler to stay off the bed and he still continues to jump on it! He has been yelled at as well as pushed off and he still can't seem to get the idea...until this morning of course I had the last straw and he hasn't tried to get on it at all today *knocks on wood*

The reason I do not want him on my bed is because he poops and pees on it, as well as he likes to chew on the sheets and blankets. Now if he would just lay on it and relax, and go to his cage when he has to go to the bathroom, then all would be fine and dandy - infact I would love it because I love having him sprawl out on my bed!

So the simple question is, how do you discipline your bun(s)? Is it effective? Do they really have the brain to understand the point you are trying to make?

 

[jcottonl02]

BrittsBunny wrote:

So the simple question is, how do you discipline your bun(s)? Is it effective? Do they really have the brain to understand the point you are trying to make?

Of course they are!! They are incredibly intelligent :biggrin2:. Rabbits can be litter trained, clicker trained, can be trained to show-jump, weave through legs, learn their name, perform tricks etc. just like dogs, and cats!

They need consistency, and the right method of training, just like dogs do. Some dogs find it much harder to get than other dogs, just like any individual.

Keep at it, and try and be consistent each time. You need to tell him the same way every time, otherwise you will just confuse him.

Perhaps elrowen or someone else experienced in rabbit training will come along and post? They will be able to go into details for you

 

[BrittsBunny]

jcottonl02 wrote:

BrittsBunny wrote:

So the simple question is, how do you discipline your bun(s)? Is it effective? Do they really have the brain to understand the point you are trying to make?

Of course they are!! They are incredibly intelligent :biggrin2:. Rabbits can be litter trained, clicker trained, can be trained to show-jump, weave through legs, learn their name, perform tricks etc. just like dogs, and cats!

They need consistency, and the right method of training, just like dogs do. Some dogs find it much harder to get than other dogs, just like any individual.

Keep at it, and try and be consistent each time. You need to tell him the same way every time, otherwise you will just confuse him.

Perhaps elrowen or someone else experienced in rabbit training will come along and post? They will be able to go into details for you

Thanks for the reply...I am just going through a hard patch with my bun Wrangler right now. And I am in the process of possibly getting ready to adopt another bun so that Wrangler will have a friend...after I finish my semester, he will be going on a dating spree!

But I don't want to get another bun if it's going to cause even more problems and more messes.

I have had Wrangler for a little over 2 years and he is about 3 years old. He will be 4 in December.

Minus some minor discipline issues, Wrangler has been a very good bun. But lately it just seems like he is going through a "quarter-life" crisis!

 

[elrohwen]

I find, in general, that prevention is the best. One of my buns always goes for my magazines that he's not supposed to have, so I just stopped leaving them where he could reach them rather than disciplining him.

My other bunny is much more adventurous and I can't block her from everything all the time. She loves to get up on the dining room chairs, but we'd rather she not go up there. I started by clapping and telling her to get down, which worked at first. When the clapping didn't work anymore, I got out the squirt bottle and sprayed her until she got down. After a few times, she started jumping down every time she saw the bottle. And now she jumps down when I say "get down". However, she still goes up there every chance she gets! *sigh* I think it's very hard to train bunnies to behave when you're not watching - they're smart enough to know that if you're not around, they can get away with it!

 

[BrittsBunny]

elrohwen wrote:

I find, in general, that prevention is the best. One of my buns always goes for my magazines that he's not supposed to have, so I just stopped leaving them where he could reach them rather than disciplining him.

My other bunny is much more adventurous and I can't block her from everything all the time. She loves to get up on the dining room chairs, but we'd rather she not go up there. I started by clapping and telling her to get down, which worked at first. When the clapping didn't work anymore, I got out the squirt bottle and sprayed her until she got down. After a few times, she started jumping down every time she saw the bottle. And now she jumps down when I say "get down". However, she still goes up there every chance she gets! *sigh* I think it's very hard to train bunnies to behave when you're not watching - they're smart enough to know that if you're not around, they can get away with it!

This is so true! I'll leave the room for just a HARE and when I come back, there's Wrangler on my bed! *shakes head*

 

[Luluznewz]

I feel the same way. For the most part I have found that its better to just figure out how to prevent the behavior. I use a squirt bottle sometimes and I have found that to be effective to some extent. Lulu's big problem was pulling up the fibers of the rug.

I just squirt her lightly when she stops listening. I'm not really sure if it has really worked or if she has just gotten bored of the rug. Guess I'll never know!

 

[elrohwen]

I think a lot of it depends on the individual bunny too. Some bunnies are just "good" and some will always be troublemakers and I don't think there's much you can do other than bunny proof the heck out of your home. They're smart and can be trained to do tricks and things, but training them not to do something they want to do can be nearly impossible.

 

[BrittsBunny]

elrohwen wrote:

I think a lot of it depends on the individual bunny too. Some bunnies are just "good" and some will always be troublemakers and I don't think there's much you can do other than bunny proof the heck out of your home. They're smart and can be trained to do tricks and things, but training them not to do something they want to do can be nearly impossible.

Oh believe me...I have bunny-proofed my room as much as I could! Wires are high enough where he can't reach, he's got 3 rugs of his own, his own bed, and a 1,000 toys! Talk about spoiled rotten

 

[Amy27]

I usually go the prevention route too. Though there are somethings you just can't prevent. Chase use to get on my couch and eat it. It took about 6 months or so for her to learn to stay off it. But it has now been years since I have seen her on the couch. One thing that I have found that works is getting up to chase them off, using a water bottle and spraying them, and giving short commands. Like instread of say No, you are not allowed on my bed. Get down! Use smaller sentences like get down or down and say that everytime you spray or chase him off.

I don't know if this would work for a rabbit, but with my cats I trained them by putting something unpleasant on what I didn't want them on. I would put pots and pans on the counter so when my cat jumped up it would make a ton of loud noise. It only took a couple times until she stopped trying. I would try putting plastic on the bed and hopefully Wrangler will hate it and after getting up there a few times and finding plastic, he will stop trying.

 

[elrohwen]

Amy, I tried putting aluminum foil on the dining room chairs - this worked for my friend's dog and various cats I know. The first time she jumped up it did startle her and she got back down. Then she tested it again, but still didn't like it. By the fourth time she went up there, she was totally fine with the foil and was ripping it up into tiny pieces. *sigh* I was afraid she was going to eat it so I just took it down and gave up.

 

[jlofluteplayer]

Luluznewz wrote:

I feel the same way. For the most part I have found that its better to just figure out how to prevent the behavior. I use a squirt bottle sometimes and I have found that to be effective to some extent. Lulu's big problem was pulling up the fibers of the rug.

I just squirt her lightly when she stops listening. I'm not really sure if it has really worked or if she has just gotten bored of the rug. Guess I'll never know!

I use this method with Mr Whiskers because he's found it okay to throw his litter box around. lol it kind of works. He has gotten use to the word 'no'. You just have to repeat it umpteen times for them to finally listen lol

 

[fuzz16]

i can click with one bun, squirt bottle with one, squirt bottle with one bun though and he just thinks its a game...so i garee their all different

 

[kirbyultra]

The areas that I open up for my buns are bunny proofed so the extent of damage done by any naughty bunny action is minimal. The worst offense is Kirby chewing on either the carpet or the foam playmats. He *knows* he's not supposed to because as soon as I walk near him and catch him in the act, he runs for it. If I don't feel like getting up to deter him, I'll tell him "no" repeatedly from afar and I also smack my hand on the floor to simulate a thump. The degrees of my rabbit warnings goes from saying no, to thumping the floor, to clapping my hands. They know I mean business when I clap! It does take a lot of repetition, but keep the command simple. "No" means no; don't make it a whole sentence as it will confuse them.

I talk to my buns all the time (haha) so they know the tone of my voice as well.I betthey know English! It's like they really understand.They know when I am being sweet and loving, and when I mean business. Toby, the bun I've had since he was a baby, understands the most human vocal intonation, and it doesn't surprise me since he's been around us so long and has gotten conditioned.

 

[elrohwen]

My new bun is a troublemaker, but I've found that she responds very well to clapping or saying "no". She's nervous enough around us still that a clap is a big deal to her.

My other bun almost never does anything bad, but when he does occasionally, no discipline phases him. He's not afraid of me clapping or saying no - I usually have to get up and pysically remove him from what he's doing.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

As a few others mentioned, I find that prevention is key. If the rabbit is not supposed to be on the bed, it is best to exercise the bunny in the kitchen/bathroom, or figure out another way that he can exercise without having access to the bed.

Although rabbits are intelligent, they don't understand commands and behaviors from us as easily as dogs do in general. It is true that rabbits can be trained for agility and such, but this is very individual to particular rabbits who are chosen for sport based on personality. Overall, training rabbits is not common. They communicate differently than we do and don't have as much of an attachment to us as dogs do in general.

Rabbits are prey animals and any form of dominance can be scary. Especially things like clapping, shouting, etc. This can hurt the relationship between you and your rabbit more than helping it. I prefer to stay away from discipline, which can stress the bun, and just focus on preventing unwanted behavior instead.

 

[Skybunny11]

I don't really disipline my rabbits, I own a rabbitry, right now I have 5 rabbits, 3 of which live in there cages, of course they can run around but only in the playpen. For my other 2, Killian and Ace. They take turns running around the yard and even sometimes inside. If Ace does something bad inside then he goes outside, he lives outside trust me it's not like he loves it out there. If Killian does something bad inside or outside then he goes into his cage :shameSuprisingly it works for me, it's like putting a dog outside if it goes to the bathroom in the house. The rest of my rabbits don't live inside so it's kind of hard to disipline them.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I think there is a very fine line between "troublemakers" and "curious".

If your rabbit is being curious, you definitely should not punish them. That will only make them more afraid of new thingsand they won't be as active.

But if your rabbit is getting into trouble, then yes, you should punish them, but you should know which type of punishment they need. Nothing more than a tap on the nose or a simple "No!". Anything else and it is too harsh, and it will make them afraid.

Brittany, if you don't want Wrangler on your bed, the next time it happens, simply pick him up, place him on the floor and say "No!". You don't have to yell it, but just say it firmly so he begins to get the point across. When he continues to jump on the bed, say No, and then put him on the floor. This repitition will help him to understand that getting on the bed is bad, and it makes Mom upset! He doesn't want to upset you, but he doesn't know what is expected of him, and you have to teach him that.

I rarely have to discipline because I too try to prevent it. The only times I ever have to discipline is if the rabbits are outside and they might be getting ready to jump out of their pens. I usually clap and it gets their attention off of the task at hand. If a rabbit bites/nips, then I will push their nose away, or give it a small tap, and say "Ow!"and "No biting!" That teaches them that what they did was wrong, and it hurt you.

In agility training, I do not discipline. There are times when I get frustrated with Magic because he is being stubborn, but he's not doing anything wrong, he's just being himself. I like to show him how to correct his mistakes, and usually that is as simple as saying "Come on, bud.", tickling his rear to get him to move forward, or give him a cue to help him go in the correct direction.

I don't discipline him for going under a jump, or knocking one over, or just sitting in front of one. Instead I have him redo the same jump, tell him No if he's trying to go underneath, and replace him so he can pick up his stride again for better take-off. Knocking jumps/rails over is always going to happen - and the solution to this is to work on take-off, striding, and building up to the height of the jump so he's not straining in order to jump it.

There are many ways you can train your rabbits so that they won't be troublemakers. You just have to be patient and willing to help them learn what it is your asking of them. Just like dogs, rabbits probably love to please their owners, especially if they get rewarded for good behaviour.

Emily

 

[funnybunnymummy]

One word:

Consistency!

Rabbits are worse than toddlers when it comes to pushing the limits. If they know they aren't supposed to do something or go somewhere, you bet they're gonna try it. It's just in their nature.

So it's doubly important to be consistent in "disciplining" them. (Just a note here, but discipline by it's definition does not always mean punishment. It also means training.) As other have already mentioned, use the exact same words and actions to train your bun to stay off your bed.You may never be able to train him to stay off it, but you should be able to train him to get down when you tell him to (orwhen he sees you coming!).

Hope that helps!

Rue

 

[jcottonl02]

Also, some animals are just naughty little munchkins lol!

One of our dogs is a naughty little darling, bless her heart. She KNOWS that she shouldn't shriek and bark when new people come into the house, and knows for sure 100%. Yet she just can't contain herself. She gets SO excited and just can't keep the yelps in. But she knows she has done something wrong, because she'll yelp and bark and cheep in excitement, and then roll over onto her back before we even turn around. She's so cute it is hard to tell her off lol.

But the happiest animal/child etc. are the ones with boundaries and discipline, I believe, and most often turn out to be disciplined, kind, healthy and happy themselves etc. etc.

 

[BrittsBunny]

WOW thanks everyone for the wonderful, informative responses! :thumbup

As an update, Wrangler has cooled his jets and is back to being his usual self! He hasn't been up on the bed for a long time, though this morning I did catch him for a brief second...I don't know why he decided to hop up today. Anywho, I try my best to prevent situations from happening, but life happens. Since Wrangler lives in my room, it's obvious the bed is going to be rather tempting to get up on. But he usually just stays underneath my bed in his "bunny laire." He also has his cage where he feeds, waters, and goes to the restroom. I put a pillow on top of his cage so that he could relax up there, but when he was being naughty and jumping on my bed, I removed the pillow so he couldn't jump from his pillow to my bed...though that didn't stop him from jumping from the floor! :shame But yes, we are doing very well now...especially since I introduced him toCraisins...we are now BFF