Bud's Aggression

[Jace]

Alright so me and Bud are starting to get alonggreat. Although everynow and then he gets somewhat pushy.Like when he doesn't get the treat he wants (raisins... hes limited to10 a day b/c he was already a fatty when we got him, gatta get thattummy down lol). Also when I mean pushy... he doesn't run over and nipmy feet (although my g/f claimed he did it to her) but he mainly doesit to my hand, then I use a finger and push his head lower to theground to show him he isn't always boss, he gets more mad and tries tokind of box my hand a few swings then gives up and goes a couple feetaway to pout at me. Then if he keeps it up we put him in the cage for a5 minute time out.Generally after that if we coax him outwith some hay or greens he's fine like nothing happend.

Is this a good way to go about it or is there a better tactic?


edit - he is neutered and very happy. hes spoiled =P

 

[Bunman]

I myself would not relate this way to a rabbit; it doesn't foster a loving relationship between you.
A rabbit would not even be able to see any relationshipbetween the incident & the time out. I would just place theraisin ration where the bun can reach it, he will enjoy it &you can enjoy watching him enjoy it, & you'll all be friends!

 

[jordiwes]

There are some great articles on aggression in the resource centre:

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12319&forum_id=17

You've definitely got to prove that you're the alpha bun!

 

[Bunman]

I think we're talking about big variances in thedegree of aggression here. I've never had a "gangsta" rabbit so thiscolors my attitude towards bun behavior.

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

How often does he bite you and would you say itwas out of anger? It sounds like he is just very excited about gettingfood and bites the wrong thing, occasionally my rabbits will nip mewhen I am hand feeding them but it's not of aggression, but justbecause they are a bit over excited and weren't really looking at whatthey were biting! Remember that rabbits have eyes on the side of theirhead so can't see directly in front of them (I think!).Ifmy rabbits ever bite me they immediately let go once they realize myfinger isn't food and act all sorry!

 

[Bunman]

Yes, i don't want to blame Jace at all, myconcern is just that the relationship could go bad because of amisinterpretation of the rab's behavior.....it's actually possible forus to get into power struggles with our pets due to not reallyunderstanding their behavior & this is not good....i think inthis situation a bit of tender understanding will smooth things out& everybody will be happy. We are not dealing here with areally violent rabbit, such as might result from severe abuse.

 

[ec]

I'm thinking excitement + literally not being able to see what's under his nose, too.

my Nibbles *was* nippy (dominance thing), but it was very different -she still occasionally nips me out of excitement, and/or if shemistakes my top for part of her digging blanket, for example. As far asI can see, those aren't intentional nips and they don't count againsther.

 

[Jace]

Not excitement and not him not being able tosee. He knows the raisin box by sight and sound (it gets shaken and isused to coax him into his cage).

He does it more just b/c hes an alpha. I know if he were a wild rabbithe would've been the king of the warren. I noticed it at first when itwas for territorial reasons. We used to try and hand him his hay fromthe floor of his cage up to his mouth for him to eat, resulting in himedging along it with his mouth to the end of my finger where I washolding it and cutting it right where my hand was forcing me to "drop"his hay.

Its just random occurances when he thinks he should be in crontrol.Otherwise our relationship is still growing. Just yesterday I was ableto get him to hop into my lap while sitting on the floor. He wouldn'tlet me pet him, but he likes crawling all over me =P


edit - also its not really a hurt bite. I can somewhat tell when itscoming. He puts his ears back some and stands a little taller and seemsto start inspecting where hes going to nip. It never draws blood orbruises (once I let him nip to his hearts content and was justremaining persistant in not backing down to try and show dominance toowithout actually doing anything) So I don't think its aggression...just dominance.

Also when you said

it's actually possible for us to get into power struggles withour pets due to not really understanding their behavior & thisis not good

This could be good or bad. In rabbit society I remember reading thatpower struggles will always happen until a dominate rabbit wins and theothers eventually give up and become submissive. I could be wrongthough =P

 

[jordiwes]

I just witnessed Aurora369's foster bunny whowas aggressive and nipped all of the time, become a total suck up onceshe realized that aurora was the top bun. I believe aurora spent a lotof time with her and didn't back down when nipped. She just gentlypushed her head down to show her who was boss. Now she's getting bunnykisses all of the time!

 

[ilovetegocalderon]

Bunman wrote:

Ithink we're talking about big variances in the degree of aggressionhere. I've never had a "gangsta" rabbit so this colors my attitudetowards bun behavior.

Have you seen the thread on my devil rabbit??

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=14424&forum_id=1

 

[Bunman]

Clearly this rabbit was previously abused & neglected, which along with the illness must account for his behavior.

He would require some form of "pet therapy" to regain hisemotional health, & in the meantime get what affection he willaccept in a roomy cage. wearing leather gloves if required to protectagainst nips. Someone with experience in helping abused animals, evenof other species, may be able to be of assistance.

Dominance & submission may be the norm among rabbits, but isthat what we want between our rabbits & us? I've never had thatkind of relationship with any of my rabbits. Fortunately they've allbeen sweethearts who never demanded anything more than pets &goodies! And that only in the nicest ways.

 

[JadeIcing]

God I thought Connor was bad.:shock:ilovetegocalderonyou are one tough chick.

 

[Jace]

Every rabbits is different, but just as it is in nature you're going to find dominant and submissive rabbits no matter what.

 

[ec]

Yep, I went through this with Nibbles, though Iultimately had to start misting her (with the bottle set to thegentlest "mist" setting) in the face. She actually challenged me when I1st did that, zooming in to give me hard nips several times in a row(and not just the first time around, either). Now she knows she's nottop bunny, and is very affectionate - though still a bossylittle thing at times. But I saw that in her (to a certain degree) whenI picked her out, and liked the fact that she has spirit - still do.

In all, she's been very affectionate from the get-go, but it's requireda lot of patience on my part. I spent a good deal of timeworking with her re. not biting hands, gently pressing her head andshoulders down for a few seconds at a time and praising her prettyextravagantly when she didn't nip..

jordiwes wrote:

I just witnessedAurora369's foster bunny who was aggressive and nipped all of the time,become a total suck up once she realized that aurora was the top bun. Ibelieve aurora spent a lot of time with her and didn't back down whennipped. She just gently pushed her head down to show her who was boss.Now she's getting bunny kisses all of the time!

 

[Jace]

lol! it sounds like you chose Nibbles the sameway I did when I got Bud. I chose him b/c he wasn't the one hiding inthe corner when the hands came down to pet... he was the one that cameover to check out who the new thing was and I automatically chose him.

 

[ec]

More or less... i had been told (correctly!)that she had a nice personality, wasn't afraid of being handled, andwas basicaly sweet. she is, but at the shelter, they didn't see the"alpha" side.

What really sold me: she'd been on a table with me, "talking" withanother rabbit, and accidentally slid off. She then went under thecages and other furniture, playing "Nyah, nyah nyah! Can't catch me!"

She is a trip, and i love her dearly - she bonded with me very quickly,but then we went through this whole dominance thing, since she wasinsistent on running the show. For a couple of months, I had lots ofblack and blue marks on my forearms. But she was also sweet and cuddlythe entire time. If she hadn't been, i think I would have taken herback and traded her for another bunny. (So many of them have beenwaiting for new homes for so long...)

At any rate, we're both happy now. But she's impish and always will be- loves to "sneak attack" me on the couch (jumping into my lap) whenshe thinks I'm not looking, etc. As she gets older and calms down abit, I'm hoping to be able to have her free-run most of the time, in myfamily room (where she lives now, in a big condo + x-pen). She loves tosnuggle and have me with her on the floor when she's playing. (Willpress herself against my chest and stomach while "digging" her blanketor sheet, snuggle up and groom me, etc.)

 

[ec]

Honestly, though - if a rabbit has thepersonality to be Top Rabbit, they're gonna try. Mine does, but manydon't. You work with what you have!

Bunman wrote:

Dominance &submission may be the norm among rabbits, but is that what we wantbetween our rabbits & us? I've never had that kind ofrelationship with any of my rabbits. Fortunately they've all beensweethearts who never demanded anything more than pets &goodies! And that only in the nicest ways.

 

[sunnybunny]

>>Dominance & submissionmay be the norm among rabbits, but is that what we want between ourrabbits & us>>

Ummm...we don't really have a choice. That's the way they are and youhave to work with that. Sunny thought she was the boss for a while, andwe worked forever to change that, and now she's quite happy with mebeing the top bun.

 

[Jace]

I pinpointed what triggers it. He doesn't likeit when I distract him from eating carpet. Even when I try to give hima raisin to distract him he pushes it away and wants to keep eating thecarpet. I'm not sure if hes actually eating it or just chewing it likebubble gum...

any ideas to prevent carpet chewing?

 

[naturestee]

Yes, stop giving him treats to distracthim! 10 a day is an awful lot anyway. I usuallydon't give more than two raisins once or twice a week.Raisins are like bunny ice cream and are loaded with sugar.

I clap my hands and say no. If they persist, I shoo themaway. If there's a particular spot they keep chewing, I putsomething on top of it like a grass mat, cardboard box, etc.If I really am having trouble stopping them and they're ruining thecarpet, I staple cardboard on top of the spot. My living roomhas this awful brown shag that I can't afford to replace yet, and allthe bunnies think it's great fun to chew.:?

You can squirt him with water too. I had to do that at firstto teach the buns what no means. Now I rarely use it becausethey stop if I say no. They just sneak back 5 minutes later...

Also, make sure he has something acceptable to shred instead.My buns love their newspaper corner! I just pile oldnewspapers in a hidden corner of the living room and they tear them toshreds. Yes, my living room is very messy.Cardboard boxes and grass mats are also great shredding toys that keepmy buns busy for hours.