Naughty little buck! Help!

[Hill-Hutch]

So we have a 1 year old chinchilla mini lop buck named D.B.

He is the naughtiest little bunny! He won't let anyone touch him. He thumps and growls and gives us wild cow eyes!

He's the son of my show-quality mini lop buck, fuzzy, and I really want to take D.B. to the fair this year.

I'm really scared that he will rip my hand to shreds as soon as I open his cage door!

Anyone have any advice?

~Sydnie

 

[Hill-Hutch]

He also sprays pee/some sort of scent marking fluids on me. Its rather gross.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Try wearing gloves while you get him used to being handled.

 

[JennaLynn]

I haven't had personal experience with aggresive rabbits, but i've read that some rabbits are very territorial. Especially when you're near their hutch. Unneutered/Unspayed bunnies tend to mark their possesions by spraying them with urine. Sometimes they will mark other bunnies [or you]. You should look up the Language Of Lagomorphs. It's really helpful!!

 

[Hill-Hutch]

Nancy McClelland: I will have to invest in some extremely thick gloves! He is an awful little poop. He big a big chunk out of my right thumb through a pair of my dads work gloves... But I'll work on it!

JennaLynn: So neutering him would be a good idea? I'll have to go to my Public Library and see if I can find that book or one similar to it.

If anyone has any other advice, please feel free to post it!!

 

[LakeCondo]

Did this behavior start suddenly when he was 4-5 months old? Depending what fair you mean, a neutered rabbit might not be allowed, but he'd be happier. Some of the he socialization he needs doesn't require touching. Let him hear your voice, when you're on the phone or whatever & sit by him when you read something or listen to music. He's not really naughty, because that requires a choice, which rabbits are too much in the here & now to be able to do. Well, after they're socialized they can be naughty: doing something they know you don't want them to do, but he's confused & frightened.

 

[Hill-Hutch]

I actually had him to the point where I could safely handle him once, but something happened and now he acts meanly towards me. I'm not sure what happened.

I'd really like to get him back to the point where I can handle him. I was thinking about letting him get some run time in so I can observe him and he can run some of his extra energy out. It might make him a bit easier to handle him if he gets all of his crazy energy out, right?
Maybe if I turn all his negative energy on to something positive like play time and treats he will be a little more pleasant?

 

[LakeCondo]

Sounds good. Honey is never mean with anyone, just scared. When something bothers her, like going to the vets, she runs into her hide box every time she sees me for a few days. But she gets over it.