effective training?

[Bentley]

So I've had Bentley for a year, but she still seems almost as bad as she was when i first got her. Now she isn't mean bad, but because she lives inside a cage and doesn't get a ton of time to roam around our large house, when I do take her out I set her on the couch, and sometime's she'll start ripping and digging into the couch. I need to fix this cause my couches are being torn up!! sometimes i'll just smack her (not hard, just a tap or push back) or tell her no but she still does it. maybe a spray water bottle? and also she'll poop and pee on the couch, how should i look for signs she needs to use the potty and be put back in her cage? thanks for the help :biggrin2:

oh, and do you think i could possible train my mini rex to do jumps? or perhaps because of her not doing it for the first 4 years of her life, she wouldn't be able to do it now. i looked on youtube and it looks really fun , but idk if bentley would do it.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

You can train an older rabbit to jump. Korr is 4 and just started in July and he is doing well. Korr and Penelope weren't too keen on it at first, but did decide it was fun. You can teach and older bun new tricks.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

If your rabbit is being that destructive, I'd say she needs more out of cage time! I think bunnies get destructive like that when they're ticked at us and trying to tell us so.

As to the pooping and peeing, get another litter box and put it in the living room with her. Some people even put the litter boxes on the couch with them at first, then move it onto the floor when she starts using it regularly.

Hope that helps!

Rue

 

[Bentley]

yeah but i don't want a litter box on the floor, cause i want her to stay on the couch, and litter boxes on the couch easily spill

 

[Amy27]

I had a rabbit that use to jump up on my couch and eat it and dig at it. I had tons of holes. It took I would say a good year to train her to stay off from it. Or may be I think I trained her but she really just got tired of it. But I can tell you, if I walked into the room and she was on the couch, she knew she was in trouble. She would look at me and run off the couch. I just use a stern NO when the rabbits are doing something they shouldn't. Usually they listen. If they are chewing or digging at the carpet and I say NO they usually stop. I don't really think they understand the word no, but may be they have learnt the stern tone of my voice. But it takes a long time. You have to do it everytime you see Bentley on the couch. Say no sternly and put her down.

Also make sure to reward for good behavior in your really nice voice.

Other things you can try is a loud noise or a water bottle. I have used a pan and a spoon before to make lots of noise or a whistle. Didn't really help for my buns but may for yours. I have also used a water bottle and spray them when they do something I am trying to train them not to do.

Until I trained my rabbit to stop eating the couch, I put lots of blankets on the couch. Then if she did eat anything, she was eathing the blankets, not the couch.

Good luck

 

[elrohwen]

Make sure you're not rewarding her for doing it. If she digs and chews and then you give her attention, you're actually telling her that it's ok. If she digs and chews, you should make her get off the couch (assuming she likes to be up there in the first place) and don't let her up again for a few seconds. However, if she's digging because she wants to get down, then you make just need to let her down.