Male bunny puberty

[PolishRabbitmama]

So Mason is 7 mos old. Will be 8 mos on the 23rd of the month. Today I went to go feed him as my daughter wasn't home and the little booger nipped my arm as I was putting his food bowl in. I even let him sniff me right before I put it in. A little bit later I went into his room and sat down on the floor after I brought him a piece of cabbage. And he kept circling me. Now I do smell like my female bun who lives in another room in the house. So NO OOPS litters in our house. He only starting acting like this after Seffie came to live in our house. How do I break him of nipping? I don't want him to nip my daughter which he doesn't do to her. But with puberty I don't want him to try. I know most will say to fix him but my daughter wants to show him in 4-H and ARBA. He's already won at 4-H. So any other suggestions pls advise!

 

[PaGal]

If he only nips when you put your arm in his cage then he is being territorial which can be common for buns.

You can let out a loud squeal if he nips. You can also try firmly yet gently pushing his head to the floor and holding it there a moment.

 

[Magick_mogwai]

I agree with PaGal, if he has only tried to nip you and not your daughter it's probably a territorial\dominance thing. My 'teenage' bunny started biting and that was territorial and trying to assert dominance. I ended up getting him fixed because I only hadn't till that point because he was really well behaved but I also did the following which seemed to solve the problem too:

When he bites/nips let out a high pitched squeak to let him know in bunny language that he hurt you, then gently but firmly push his head down - head down is how they show their submission to you as alpha. I tended to push gandalfs head down and stroke his ears at the same point to show him I'm boss but love him and in no time at all he was not trying to bite me at all.

All Mason needs is for everyone to show him whose boss in a way he will understand and although he might still try to challenge your authority occasionally he should stop nipping.