Train not to bite?

Hi, my 5 month old female Maple has just started randomly sinking her teeth into me while she's on my lap? I managed to train her brother not to bite me by turning my back on him and it only took 3 goes. It's been 2 months and he's never bitten me since. With Maple, I've tried screeching when she bites which she doesn't react to, turning my back on her and kicking my feet but it's not working.

Maple bites after jumping into my lap and enjoying being petted. She's free to jump back out of my lap again, at the moment she rests her head on my arm and then without warning sinks her teeth in and doesn't let go for about 10 seconds. She's also climbed up my body and bitten my neck. She's leaving swollen marks and bruises. She doesn't always leave after biting, so it's not that she wants to go back on the floor. Obviously this makes me fearful while I'm petting her because I can't predict her movements and I don't know why she's doing it or how to make her stop. She was spayed 3 months ago so it shouldn't be hormonal. If anyone has advice on how to make her stop I'd really appreciate it!!

Biting and latching on is real biting with intent to do harm, so this isn't simple nipping to get your attention. She could be reacting to your male rabbits scent on you. They're not bonded yet because he couldn't be neutered, correct? If they're housed next to each other, how does she react to him between their pen bars? Does she act aggressively or territorial at all?

JBun said:

Biting and latching on is real biting with intent to do harm, so this isn't simple nipping to get your attention. She could be reacting to your male rabbits scent on you. They're not bonded yet because he couldn't be neutered, correct? If they're housed next to each other, how does she react to him between their pen bars? Does she act aggressively or territorial at all?

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Okay, that's interesting then. Yes that's right, I have had them together a few times on my lap and that's gone well - he usually grooms her, but tonight she groomed him the whole time. I introduced them in the bathtub a few days ago which wasn't fun bc he sprayed wee everywhere and humped her non-stop while she looked terrified and scrambled to get away from him. She nipped him twice as a warning and then looked like she was going to properly bite him so I removed her from the situation.

I know many people wouldn't recommend even trying to bond them, but I have had multiple vets from different clinics recommend that I try before even considering putting Ash under anaesthetic again because they do consider him high-risk.

They lie next to each other and flop over with the pen wall in-between them, and I give them their food together so that they're next to each other when they eat. Ash has tried to groom Maple through the pen by licking the walls (which are made of clear plastic grids) which is quite cute, and they try to touch noses.

They don't show any aggression at all actually, the worst it gets is Ash spraying urine across the walls of his pen and grunting at her, which is maybe twice a week.

It doesn't sound like she's reacting to his smell then, at least probably not. It could be dominance related but in relation to you, but usually latching on is a fear response or extreme territorial aggression, which I'm not sure why she would be doing it since she likes you petting her. You're not picking her up to pet her on your lap are you? Is it all her choice to come on your lap for pets? Do you use strong smelling skin products at all?

JBun said:

It doesn't sound like she's reacting to his smell then, at least probably not. It could be dominance related but in relation to you, but usually latching on is a fear response or extreme territorial aggression, which I'm not sure why she would be doing it since she likes you petting her. You're not picking her up to pet her on your lap are you? Is it all her choice to come on your lap for pets? Do you use strong smelling skin products at all?

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Yeah, it's weird. I wonder if sometimes she doesn't realise she can escape? No, she jumps up of her own accord! I do use skin products, but I haven't used any new ones recently. I work as a dog groomer so it could be the smell of dogs, but I do have a shower as soon as I get home before I enter the area the bunnies live in I don't always wash my hair after bc then I'd be washing it twice a day, but her brother never reacts to it

Hmmm... what an interesting conundrum. I’ve had and still have both spayed does and neutered bucks and I’d take a neutered buck any day. In my experience, the altering seems to affect them differently. Bucks are much simpler. Remove the hormones and they are simplified. The doe’s behavior is more complex and removing her sex drive doesn’t always change the behavior. My spayed does are still super territorial and spayed or not, that behavior remained.
I wonder if you are correct about it being your hair that’s setting her off. They have an amazing sense of smell. I actually had to rehome one doe that I had spayed because she couldn’t tolerate the smell of other animals on me. She’s an only rabbit now and is very happy.
Try washing your hair. No one wants a rabbit bite and the fact that she bit your neck is a clue. I hope you are able to figure her out!

littlebluejay said:

Hmmm... what an interesting conundrum. I’ve had and still have both spayed does and neutered bucks and I’d take a neutered buck any day. In my experience, the altering seems to affect them differently. Bucks are much simpler. Remove the hormones and they are simplified. The doe’s behavior is more complex and removing her sex drive doesn’t always change the behavior. My spayed does are still super territorial and spayed or not, that behavior remained.
I wonder if you are correct about it being your hair that’s setting her off. They have an amazing sense of smell. I actually had to rehome one doe that I had spayed because she couldn’t tolerate the smell of other animals on me. She’s an only rabbit now and is very happy.
Try washing your hair. No one wants a rabbit bite and the fact that she bit your neck is a clue. I hope you are able to figure her out!

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She confuses me! She's more excited than ever about me getting home after work though! She shakes her head around and binkys happily because she knows she's about to get food and pets

Littlebluejay is right, rabbits have a very good sense of smell. The smell of dogs on you would explain the sudden flip of behavior. She could just be acting instinctively. Getting the scent of the dog and forgetting it's actually you petting her.

Your hair will have the smell left on it, and there can still be the scent left on anything that comes in contact with you after you've been with the dogs. You touch your hair with your hand, then your hand picks it back up. If you have a car, the car interior will pick up the scent from your clothes and from you after you've done the grooming, then anytime you use or are in the car, you'll transfer the scent back onto you.

You could try washing your hair too and see if she reacts the same, though probably with a thick hoodie and gloves on when you're petting her just in case

Even then it's going to be difficult to prevent any cross transfer of scent. You may need to work on desensitizing her to the smell of dogs instead. Though I would suggest proceeding with caution. If she mistakes your male bun with the dog scent, she could react aggressively towards him as well.

But the dog scent being the cause is just a guess. The aggression could be completely unrelated to dogs. If it's just standard territorial aggression or dominance behavior, you may find some useful tips in this link.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Aggressive_rabbits

JBun said:

Littlebluejay is right, rabbits have a very good sense of smell. The smell of dogs on you would explain the sudden flip of behavior. She could just be acting instinctively. Getting the scent of the dog and forgetting it's actually you petting her.

Your hair will have the smell left on it, and there can still be the scent left on anything that comes in contact with you after you've been with the dogs. You touch your hair with your hand, then your hand picks it back up. If you have a car, the car interior will pick up the scent from your clothes and from you after you've done the grooming, then anytime you use or are in the car, you'll transfer the scent back onto you.

You could try washing your hair too and see if she reacts the same, though probably with a thick hoodie and gloves on when you're petting her just in case

Even then it's going to be difficult to prevent any cross transfer of scent. You may need to work on desensitizing her to the smell of dogs instead. Though I would suggest proceeding with caution. If she mistakes your male bun with the dog scent, she could react aggressively towards him as well.

But the dog scent being the cause is just a guess. The aggression could be completely unrelated to dogs. If it's just standard territorial aggression or dominance behavior, you may find some useful tips in this link.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Aggressive_rabbits

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Ah that's possible, I hadn't thought about the effect of touching my hair with my hand etc. I don't drive so there's no issue there, but maybe I'll have to start washing my hair after work!

She doesn't bite often, but it seems like she just does it a lot for a few days every now and then. She's really happy at the moment though so hopefully that continues!

Thank you for the tips, I'll have a look through and see what I can do