Rabbit training?

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funnybunnymummy

funnybunnymummy

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Ifigured I'd start a new thread, since the topic of the old thread seems to have been resolved, and I thought there might be a few members who would be interested in the discussion, but have missed it because of the old thread's original subject.

Here's the old thread: http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=55817&forum_id=48(the topic change starts around post #28)

I'm attempting to use the techniques from this website that Elrohwen suggested: http://www.clickerbunny.com/

I can't get over how quickly Gus has picked it up! He's already learned to "touch" a plastic lid after only 3 short training sessions (maybe an hour in total)!

Anyone have ideas/advice/experiences to share in training their rabbits (either using clicker methods or others)?

I'd like to teach Gus rabbit hopping/agility, too. I know there's a few on here that do that and would love to hear from them.

I've got a few questions (and I'm sure I'll have more as we continue this process!), but I haven't time to cover themright now (about to head out the door, but I wanted to start a thread before I did!). Will be back with those later tonight.

Thanks!

Rue
 
I haven't done any formal training with my bunny Ula, but by using dried papaya as a treat I have been able to train her to stand up, walk on her hind legs for about a 1.5 ft distance, and do some jumping.

She does this just for the treat. I'm interested in clicker training for other things - like maybe getting her to stop chewing the furniture!
 
This is a great thread! I don't have time to post moretonight, but I'd love to have an ongoing discussion about bunny training.
 
I do agility with my rabbits. We don't use treats, clickers or other lures for the rabbits. Our rabbits do it because they want to, not because of any bribes. Most of our rabbits can be doing most of the equipment in 1 training session. Basically, to get the rabbits to jump, you start with a low jump or a pole on the ground and get the rabbit to go over it. Once they are used to that, raise the bar. For the other equipment like the A frame, teeter totter and bunny walk, you gently push them onto it and get them to do it. Once the rabbit figures out what is expected, they will do it better and faster.
Korr and Penelope learned to do it mostly on their own. We has a course set up and were just letting the buns do it on their own. Within about 30 minutes, both were running it on their own. When we are doing races, both are them are fighting to go and don't want to wait for the start call.
None of my rabbits will take a treat when we are not home, even then it depends on their mood so they might not take one. They are not food motivated, so trying to train them that way will not work for long.
 
My two are very food motivated! I would like to start clicker training. Good mental stimulation for the bunnies. :thumbup

Rabbit's are very intelligent! Watch this video made by the Clicker Bunny people.


[align=center][flash=320,256]http://www.youtube.com/v/hgDHWLyztCI[/flash]
[/align]
 
Yeah, Gus is highly food motivated too. :D

Tonight he learned how to hop up on a step-stool and to hop over a cardboard tube (I don't have a proper jump yet)targeting the plastic lid.

I'm still in shock at how well this clicker trainingworks! The kids and I havetried FOREVER to get Gus to hop up on this small plastic stool by tempting him with treats. It just didn't work. He'd streeeetch as far as he could to reach the treat, but wouldn't actually hop up on the stool. And if he did hop up, as soon as he got the treat, he'dhop right back down again!

But this time, it only took three tries to get him to hop on the stool (for whatever reason, tapping the top of stool with one hand while holding the lid with the other and saying, "touch!" seemed to work). And then he sat waiting on the stool for me to tell him what to do next. I really can't believe it!

However, I think I may go back a step tomorrow, and see if I can get him to "touch" (target) my two fingers instead of the lid. The lid can be kind of awkward. :p

I'm wondering, though, if I can segue from the "touch" command to others? I'd like to teach him "hop up" to hop onto the stool (or whatever else I'd like him to hop up on), "jump" for going over jumps, "tunnel" for running through a tunnel, etc. Can I do that? And if so, how?

Thanks!

Rue
 
Cute video of the bunny tricks. I'd like to try a few of those once Benny trusts me a bit more. The only trick he's fond of right now is how to make mommy chase him around the yard. He likes treats, but he expects me to just hand them over no questions asked. Did anyone else notice that she drops the "f" bomb at about the 1:50 mark in the video? At least thats what it sounded like to me.
 
Funnybunny, that's so cool that you've got him doing other things with the touch command! Once he has the idea you can put other commands to what he's doing like "tunnel" or whatever it is. You won't need the target forever.

Korr_and_Sophie, interesting that your buns aren't food motivated. I find it's definitely easier to train when they are. However, I don't see clicker training or luring as "forcing" them to do something anymore than agility. I think they're just different training methods that have the same end result. Though sometimes it is difficult to wean away from the treats with an animal that expects them. For my rabbit, I've decided I don't care if he needs treats to do things - it's not like a dog where we'll be walking together far from home. But you do make a good point. I'd love to see some pictures of your agility equipment!
 
Last night I started working on Otto's newest trick - getting into a basket and letting me carry him with it. Currently, he jumps in his cardboard house whenever I ask and lets me carry him around the house (necessary because he hates the hardwood floors, so I can carry him this way from his pen to the living room carpet and back again). However, the cardboard house is sometims a pain because I really can't get him out if he doesn't want to come out. Now that we're looking to bond him with a friend, I need a better way to get him up to the bathroom and back (without using his carrier - he hates it and I haven't had luck getting him to accept it; I figure starting fresh with a basket is the best idea).

So, last night I set it on the ground and gave him treats (high value treats - dried papaya) whenever he would put his paws up on the basket. He got to the point of dangling into the basket, but not jumping in. I figured that was a good start. I tried to leave the basket and see if he would investigate, but he just chewed it (rolly eyes) so I took it away. Hopefully it will only take a day or two to get him to actually go in, and then it should be relatively easy to get him comfortable with being carried around.

Has anyone else used this technique? I actually read about it in a clicker training with rabbits book, and I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner considering we've been using his cardboard house for the same purpose.
 
Thanks, Elrohwen! I almost feel like Gus has been starving for some brain stimulation and that's why he's so eager to learn. You can almost see his little bitty bunny brain's gears turning as he works out what he needs to do to get that treat. :D

My next question, though, is how long, usually, does it take before the click starts becoming the reward and we can phasing out the treats? I don't mind feeding him some treats, but 20 at a time (even if they are just tiny pieces!)is a bit much!

If you've done some clicker training before with Otto, maybe, instead of the baby-steps, tryupping the ante and see if he'll hop right in before rewarding him? I've already noticed this tendency with Gus: that if he can get away with the bare minimum necessary to get the treat, he will. What a turd.:p

Hope that helps!

Rue
 
In clicker training, a click always always equals a treat. You never want to click without giving a treat because you'll break the communication you had with it and cause confusion. It won't work effectively as a training tool anymore.

Instead, you want to phase out the clicker first. After a trick is ingrained, don't click but use a word instead (like "good") and give a treat. After using "good" for a while, you can phase out the treat, but keep using "good" (and give a treat maybe every other time, or every third time). The word now becomes the reward and it means "You've done what I wanted. Sometimes you'll get a treat for it and sometimes you won't." The continue using the clicker to train new tricks.

The clicker essentially marks the exact moment your bunny does something right. In the initial stages of training a trick, this is essential because it's how you communicate. That's why you want to keep the click=treat thing going or your bunny will think "Well, that other time she clicked I didn't get a treat, so maybe I'm not doing the right thing"

Unfortunately for little Otto, he's pretty timid and would never just jump into a basket. He's a total wuss. And pushing him too fast gets him nervous and he backs down and thinks the object is scary. So far he sees it very positively so I'm hoping a day or two of the slow method will get him in it. I wish he was more adventurous because there are so many things I could train so much faster! Sounds like Gus really has no fear and that makes him great to train.
 
Well, I'm not sure what I did wrong, but tonight, when I was trying to work with Gus on hopping onto the step-stool, he either just wasn't that interested or I did something to confuse him, because he started off hopping on and off the stool, then suddenly didn't seem to remember how to do it. :p

Rue
 
Haha, it's pretty common to have set backs like that. Just try to go backwards a step and work on things he really knows. In clicker training I think you want the dog to be successful (ie get a click) at least 75% of the time. If it's less than this, they can lose interest or get confused.
 
Thanks, Laura! Your advice has been really helpful with training Gus!

So this week I built Gus a jump and he's been learning to go over it. He can jump 4 rails (12") now, but isn't very consistent at that height yet. He'smore comfortable with 3 rails. I've got the materials to build two more jumps, just gotta put some time aside to put them together.

We've continued working on hopping onto the stool, touching the plastic lid and also hopping througha hula hoop. He seems to really enjoy it. It really seems to keep him busy so he doesn't get bored and destructive!

Here's a video of himgoing overhis jump:

View My Video

I'm very proud of my little bun. Can you tell? ;)

Rue
 
Ooh how did I not see this thread sooner?
I love a thread that talks about rabbit training!

I would love to learn more about the touch command, and giving more detailed cues.

I have taught Magic how to spin, but unfortunately I didn't work with him on it for several weeks, and now it seems he has forgotten how to do it.

My buck, Taj, is very food motivated and I'm sure he will do anything for food, so I'm hoping to maybe work with him on some tricks with the clicker.

Is there any way I can get him to be more active/outgoing once brought inside? I don't want him to be skittish in a new area where I want to train him - but I also want him to be able to complete his tricks whether he's in his cage or outdoors, or inside.

Should I just start bringing him up to the house for a hour or so a day and let him get used to the area/noises before I start with training?

Emily
 
That's how I would start. Let him run around and explore and get comfortable.

Definitely watch the videos on the website. I learned a lot more from those than the articles.

Can't wait to hear about Taj's progress! :)

Hope that helps!

Rue
 
funnybunnymummy wrote:
That's how I would start. Let him run around and explore and get comfortable.

Definitely watch the videos on the website. I learned a lot more from those than the articles.

Can't wait to hear about Taj's progress! :)

Hope that helps!

Rue
Click to expand...

Alright, thanks. :) I will either start today or tomorrow. I hope he progesses well and I will definitely update frequently! :)

That is amazing that Gus is already jumping 4 rails! You haven't been training him long have you? That's a very impressive height for a new jumper! :p

Emily
 
Well, he CAN jump 4 rails, but he refuses more often than not.:p

I started training him at the beginning of the month.But Iknew he could jump before I started. He hops over his 6" cardboard tunnel no problem, plus the rails on the bottom of the dining room chairs.He alsohops in and out of his cage (about a foot off the floor) and in and out the patio door (again, about a foot off the floor) on a regular basis.And I'vecaught him on the shelf where I store his pellets (about30" off the floor! :shock:). So I'm not that surprised he's figured out the jumps already. :)

Next, I want to teach him the teeter totter and to run through his tunnel on command.

Rue
 
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