Aggression, I need help):

[MichelleandThumper]

I know I've already posted something on here asking about aggression but it's driving me insane..He's okay when he's out of his cage he'll only nudge you and nip if you're in his way but I try to teach him that he's not aloud to tell me to move by doing the mama bun method which was holding his head down for a second or two and firmly say no. It has sort have been working but he thinks the couch is his because before he was neutered he sprayed 3 times on it. But we haven't been letting him on it by placing very high pillows up to block him but he's so obsessed with getting on the couch, I don't know what to do because eventually he gets mad a lunges and bites. When he does this and won't quit or respond to the mama bun method I put him in his cage for a time out. But lately every time I go by or in his cage he growls and chases me from in his cage and tries to bite through the wires to get at me. He was perfect before he became sexually mature but then again I don't know if he was just this way because I only had him for 2-3 weeks before he was neuterd. I tried putting my hand in his cage just to pet him but he growls and lunges and bites. I put his head down until he gives it up but everytime I do it he still growls. How can I get this out of him. I know that his horomones won't calm down for about a month but he's driving me insane. And I feed him in the morning and have no time to let him out to put food and stuff in so I need to be able to just reach in. I've been using work gloves to be just around him because he can be fine for an hour then nasty out of the blue. I really don't want to give him away but I don't know how to stop him from growling when im only outside standing by his cage. I really need some help ):

 

[zombiesue]

Is there another place he can play where he can't hurt anything? Do you have a basement or an X pen you can set up outside?

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Wow that's really frustrating! I can't offer you much help but I just wanted to ask how he's eating and pooping? Other than the aggression, is he acting normally? I know that it can take some time for them to calm down after a neuter, hopefully he does.

Have you tried gaining his trust with treats? You could always use his pellets or another healthy treat to get him to trust you. Then he will associate you with things he likes. You would just have to make sure that you're not giving him a treat after he growls.

I'm sure someone else can offer more advice, good luck

 

[MichelleandThumper]

He's eating and popping just fine and the basement family room is where he gets his exercise and he always takes treats from me but it's like he's using me for food because I just got done giving him treats and when I went to get the box of treats and move them he growled at the box and tried chasing it through the cage

 

[zombiesue]

He's just an animal. He can't really "use" you like humans do.

just use gloves when you have to handle him until his hormones calm down. I know it's frustrating, but when you buy a young animal, you have to deal with the growing up phase--that's just the way it is, and it won't last forever. Your rabbit is not mean or somehow plotting against you. He's just being a rabbit, and it will get better.

 

[selbert]

I don't think rabbits have the capacity to 'use you', though in pairs they do look they're plotting mischievous things!
He's just being a grumpy teenager, just give it a little patience and he will calm down.
It's just an idea, but I take my buns on walks. Maybe the extra exercise and excitement might tucker him out and calm him down. It sure worked with my munchkin when her hormones kicked in! She would be digging, grunting, circling but if I walk her for a good 30 - 40 minutes, she flops right by me and nudges for cuddles. However, this could just be a boredom problem for me and not so much hormones.
I hope you find a solution/he calms down soon.
:bunny22:

 

[MichelleandThumper]

Sadly I wouldn't be able to take him for walks because I'm in Nova Scotia Canada and it's a cold snowy winter here!

 

[Azerane]

While I have no experience with aggressive rabbits, I feel the "time-out" method in his cage may be doing you both a disservice. A rabbit's cage is their burrow, their safe place. You're putting him in there when you're mad at him and when he's aggressive, and being locked away is not going to help that. You're either going to have to persist with not letting him on the couch and just keep holding him down even after he's lunging, or put an xpen or some other barrier around it or change where he gets to run around. I understand that rabbit's can be insanely persistent, Bandit goes absolutely nuts messing with his play pen fencing sometimes and just will not stop. I find that telling him off doesn't work, because as soon as I turn my back, he's at it again, but sometimes redirecting behaviour does. Try putting a big obvious toy in his way, I like to use a phone book because then Bandit just starts shredding and digging at it like crazy, but that may not work if he's trying to reach up at a couch. The other thing you could try, is redirecting him with some sort of food that he likes, except only after he's done something for you. Get his attention with the treat and move away from the couch, and before giving him the treat make him do something for you such as standing up on his hind legs. Then if he does it reward him and pet him etc and then spend a bit of time with him if you can, so now instead of getting negative attention, he's getting positive attention. I've no idea if it will work for you, but it's got to be worth a shot.

 

[StampyBunny67]

Putting him in his cage probably isn't your best bet. Its like telling a teenager to go to their room, usually it doesn't work with obedience because its normally one of there favorite places because it's their territory. You should try putting him in another play area, or put something on or around the couch to repel him.

 

[MichelleandThumper]

Update! I have a bigger cage for Thumper now that is his cage! The smaller one will be used as a time out cage so he understands the difference between the two! And he hasn't been very aggressive lately for 2 or 3 days so I think the neutering is helping! When I refill his water I put his favourite food down first (lettuce and carrots) and it completely distracts him long enough to refill his water and hay. We're working on the couch thing since that's where his territorial behaviour started. We've been spraying him with water on his bum and firmly saying no and he just jumps off and his hissy fits aren't filled with lunging anymore he just takes his anger out by running around the room! So he's been very good lately and I'm so proud of the progress he's made! and thank you for all your support and advice! It really helped!