training a rabbit?

hello i was wondering is there anyway i can train my rabbits?

maybe body languge and all that good stuff...


i got my rabbits 2 months ago and there 4 month old males
and they HATE getting near me or even petted or touched!

so i would like to train them if its even possible.

I have gotten my two older rabbits to do some simple obstacle courses. I think if you set it up so they have to go through it and not avoid it to start, they learn that it's pretty fun. They also really like routines, so once they figured out the pattern, I swear they get so proud they just zip through it. With my babies (5 months old), I'm trying to teach them their names. I have found a treat they like, so now it is all association with food Just some ideas! Good luck!

Bribery has worked well with ours too.

Getting them to trust you is step number one. (Bribery helps with that) How do you have them housed? How often are you able to interact with them? It's a good idea to establish a trusting relationship with them before trying to "train" them. (I'm assuming you meant train them to do things? and that you were not referring to litter training?)

Are they housed together? What size cage? How often are they let out and where/what size area?

My Max rabbit sits on cue and makes circles. That's about it. LOL But it's kind of neat when a 14 1/2 lb. French Lop doe sits "pretty". Raisins are Max's downfall. She'd practically remove one of her own legs if there was a raisin in it for her. haha Now if I could only say, "Max, pose", judges would love me forever. Rabbits can learn tricks, but (whispering so I'm not overheard by my bunny kids) they aren't the smartest of the mammals (like a pig, dog, etc.). They're more like a horse...they learn through repetition and reward.

Joe711 said:

hello i was wondering is there anyway i can train my rabbits ... so i would like to train them if its even possible.

Click to expand...

Certainly you can train your rabbits. I've been amazed at how smart rabbits are. Natasha's got quite a large vocabulary of words she knows. It takes patience and rewards, but they can learn a lot. It works well to find a behavior you want, and repeat the command and give a treat when the bunny does the behavior. It doesn't take long for them to associate the command with the action.

WWW.BunnyTraining.com and there some great articles about training in Rabbits Magazine and Rabbits USA Magazine Annual 2012. There are also some cool videos on gaining on youtube. I am embarking on "training" my 5 month old Holland Lop and very excited about it. Another thing I would highly recommend with your boys, if you haven't already, is having them neutered...will help greatly! Good luck!

There is always agility too... *Nudge nudge*

It is an excellent way to build a bond with your bun and it is a big confidence builder for them!

yes, agility is lots of fun! if you go to the "groups" area (on the top toolbar), we have a group for people interested in rabbit agility.

with very little know-how, I was able to put together a nice agility course for my bunnies - it was surprisingly easy to do! I have instructions for how I did stuff in my blog starting with this post - http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f18/nala-gaz-70961/index29.html#post949514