How to Train Rabbits

Rabbits are very intelligent and sociable animals and are quite easy to train. However, many rabbit owners are unable to train their pets because of the wrong approach or not arranging enough training time. If you want to develop a good relationship with your rabbit and train it properly, just read the article below and start applying!

Table of Contents

Understanding Rabbit Behavior

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Get to know your rabbit’s motivator. Rabbits are highly intelligent and respond quickly to encouragement. This means that harsh punishments like hitting or yelling will never work. However, if you give it the right amount of encouragement, nearly every rabbit will respond positively.

Food is often a common motivator, but toys can also serve as a reward for rabbits.
Rabbits are hunted animals, so when they are scared they will run away and try to find a place to hide. If they engage in this behavior, you should find ways to help your rabbit feel safe and comfortable before training begins.

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Learn how rabbits use sight and smell. Rabbits cannot clearly see objects close in front of them. Rabbits’ eyes are located far above their heads and so they can see objects on either side at a distance more clearly than on opposite objects at close distances.

Rabbits often use smell and mustache to detect objects in the vicinity instead of eyes, so you should put food under the rabbit’s nose and mouth.
You may notice that the rabbit adjusts to the position of its head as you get closer. They do this in an effort to see you better, like when a person wearing bifocals raises their glasses to the correct eye level to see.
Rabbits are hunted animals, so it is necessary to detect enemies from afar to run away and hide in time to protect themselves from lurking danger. ^{[1] X Research Source} For this reason, before you want to touch a rabbit, you should get close to your field of view and let the rabbit sniff it first. This step makes it easier for you to reach your rabbit. When rabbits see and sniff you, they can determine that this is not an enemy so no harm will be done.

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You need to remember that kindness works well for rabbits. Rabbits respond with kindness and will make ideal companions and will respond positively to your voice and presence if you treat them well. Although if you want to train your rabbit you need the rabbit to respect you, but if the rabbit loves you and feels comfortable around you, that will be the greatest success.

Not all rabbits enjoy being petted, but some enjoy it so much that they see it as more of a motivator than food. You should spend a lot of time cuddling with your rabbit, and taking care of all of its basic needs so that they feel safe and comfortable in your home.
Never pick up rabbit ears! Don’t hurt the rabbit. Be kind and gentle with your fluffy friend and you’ll get a positive attitude response in training.

Training Rabbit to Follow Commands

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Spend a lot of time training. For the best results, you need to initially plan a time each day to train your rabbit. Set aside two to three training sessions each day with each session lasting 5 to 10 minutes to get your rabbit interested in learning. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Use the rabbit’s favorite food. Training is incentive-based, so you need to find a food that will make your rabbit respond most positively. If you don’t know what they like to eat, you can experiment with a few. Feed your rabbit a new food in small amounts so as not to upset the digestive tract, once a day, and observe the rabbit’s reaction. If the rabbit doesn’t touch the food, it’s not the rabbit’s favorite food. And when the rabbit chews through the food, you have found the right food.

If you are unsure about a food that is safe for rabbits, you should consult your veterinarian (who has experience with rabbits). You should not give your rabbit anything but vegetables, greens, or fruit.
If your rabbit isn’t used to eating a lot of fresh fruit or vegetables, you can slowly feed them over a few weeks so they don’t get diarrhea or upset stomach. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
Rabbits often like to snack on Blueberries or Kale or Carrots (grate them first). ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Have the rabbit stabilized for training. You should conduct training in places and situations where you want your rabbit to behave. For example, if you want to teach your rabbit to jump on you when called, you should bring the rabbit closer to the sofa. If you want to train your rabbit to go into the cage after dark, you should do so during that time and place the cage in a fixed location.

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Plan. Start with simple steps. You need to plan your rabbit’s behavior according to your wishes very carefully and break it down into small steps. After the rabbit completes each step you will reward them. Once the rabbit executes the command frequently and boldly, you can give the command a name.

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Reward your rabbit immediately after performing the behavior you want to praise. For example, if the rabbit sits up when you raise your hand above the rabbit’s head, you give the rabbit an immediate reward to encourage the “sit up” movement. You should reward the rabbit within 2 to 3 seconds of doing the move.

If the rabbit does another behavior before you reward it, you will reinforce the wrong behavior.
If you want to train your rabbit to come close when called, you’ll need to start the lesson by keeping the rabbit close to you. When the rabbit approaches, you give the rabbit a reward. You need to be patient for this fluffy friend to understand the reason for the reward.
Use the correct command, such as “Sit down, (Rabbit’s name),” or “Stand up, (Rabbit’s name),” each time so that the rabbit learns to recognize your commands and associate the from there with rewards.
Add words of praise when giving rewards. For example, “Good for sitting” or “Good for standing.”

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Continue awarding until the rabbit responds correctly nearly every time. When teaching new skills, don’t forget to give them rewards. You need to make sure to train your rabbit thoroughly.

If you want to train your rabbit to wear a leash, you can start by rewarding your rabbit for stepping on a leash on the floor and sniffing or touching the leash. Next is to put a leash on the rabbit’s back and reward when the rabbit will stay still. Then reward the rabbit to calm it down so that you can raise your front paws and then fix the legs to the part of the leash. Continue to reward and walk the rabbit slowly. Do not threaten or push them to go fast. Once you have secured the leash, leave it on the rabbit’s body for a few minutes and then take it off. Let the rabbit pull the leash around the house on its own before you control the leash to lead the rabbit.

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Consider using a clicker to train your rabbit. There are many suggestions to use clickers (buttons) to strengthen the correlation. ^{[5] X Research Source} Each time you feed the rabbit, press the clicker to have the rabbit associate the clicker sound with the food. When you do the training, the clicker sound will let the rabbit know that the food is about to be rewarded.

Click the clicker as soon as the rabbit performs the behavior you want to let the rabbit know that the action comes with a reward. Feed your rabbit a snack or something else they like within seconds of making a sound, even if you just accidentally clicked the clicker. The rabbit will understand that the sound is the food signal and will try to get this sound.

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Gradually reduce the reward for rabbits. Once your rabbit has mastered the skill, you can begin to reduce the frequency with which you reward your rabbit with food. Alternate one bonus and one no-reward, or once in a while. You won’t need food after all.

Over time, you can reward your rabbit with petting and providing toys and occasional food for long-term behavior reinforcement.
Rabbits love to be stroked gently on the head. It is not recommended to stroke the body part because this action can be confusing to the rabbit. You need to be patient and do it slowly so as not to scare the rabbit.

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Reinforce training if necessary. After a while, the rabbit needs to be retrained. This means you have to give encouragement again, but don’t be afraid to do it.

Do not scold, punish, shout or even say “no” to the rabbit during training. This is just counterproductive and will frighten the rabbit and delay training.

Training Rabbits to Use the Tray

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Locate the rabbit used to “resolve sadness”. Rabbits instinctively choose a specific spot in the cage to defecate. Rabbits tend to defecate in certain places, so you can take advantage of this.

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Spread some shavings of the dirty litter and manure on the litter box. This step works to encourage the rabbit to use the tray. But remember to clean up the rest of the cage and leave only a few for the litter box.

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Place the tray in a place where rabbits often go to the toilet. There are several types of rabbit trays that are designed to fit in the corner of the cage, or you can use a rectangular tray if the cage is large enough. If you put the tray in the right place, the rabbit will continue to defecate in that spot, but this time in the tray.

Of course, you can use a larger litter box as your rabbit enjoys spending time outside the cage.

Handling Aggression in Rabbits

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You need to let the rabbit know who is in control. Maybe the rabbit wants to rule your house. While you can’t have the same submission as a dog, you need to earn respect from your rabbit in order to train them.

A common way of asserting leadership that rabbits use is to bite you to drive you away or get you out of position. If this happens, you should give a loud, short scream in a high voice and put the rabbit on the floor (if it jumps on your seat) or pick it up and move away (if it is on the floor). home). You need to do it firmly but still gently. Don’t hurt or scare your rabbit, simply let them know that you are the owner of this house. If your rabbit continues to engage in this behavior, you should keep the rabbit in a cage to give it a “break.”

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Treatment of aggression in rabbits. First, you should approach the rabbit slowly so that the rabbit does not feel scared. Play with rabbits on the floor. Prepare snacks on the floor. Reward food when the rabbit comes close to you. Keep your arms down. If the rabbit approaches and doesn’t seem scared or intent on biting, simply pat the rabbit’s head gently for a few seconds.

If you don’t back off and don’t have a “defensive” response when the rabbit attacks you, the rabbit will gradually understand that this behavior cannot frighten you. ^{[6] X Research Source}
Do not hit rabbits. You should only use your hands to feed the rabbit and provide relaxation, such as gently rubbing the top of the rabbit’s head.
If you’re afraid of getting hurt, wear long pants, shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and gloves if needed to protect you from being bitten. ^{[7] X Research Resources Sharon L. Crowell-Davis, Behavioral Problems in Domestic Rabbits, Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, Volume 16, Issue 1, January 2007, pp. 38-44, ISSN 1557- 5063}

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Find out if your rabbit’s aggression is related to the underlying cause. Changes in your rabbit’s behavior, including becoming aggressive, should be checked, in case this is due to a health problem. ^{[8] X Research Resources Sharon L. Crowell-Davis, Behavioral Problems in Domestic Rabbits, Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, Vol. 16, Issue 1, January 2007, pp. 38-44, ISSN 1557- 5063} You should take your rabbit to a veterinarian (with experience in rabbit care) to rule out possible causes, such as pain due to illness, because that is what causes aggressive behavior in rabbits. .

Hormones also partially influence rabbit behavior. Therefore, you should have your rabbit spayed as it will most likely reduce the typical territorial rivalry of rabbits.

Advice

If your rabbit screams or wriths while being held, you should safely release it to avoid injury. You should hold the rabbit with a firm position so that the rabbit does not have to fear that he will fall.
Some books on rabbit training that you may want to check out include: High Fist with the Rabbit by Bernice Muntz, Training the House Rabbit by Patricia Bartlett, and Getting Started: Using the Clicker with the Rabbit by Joan Orr .
When you hold the rabbit and it struggles or tenses up, you can wrap the rabbit with a towel or blanket. Rabbit will feel calm down a bit.
Be gentle and understanding with your little friend as they have just undergone a major life change when separated from their mother. For baby rabbits this is not a very good experience and they do not want to have any more problems, so you should put yourself and in the rabbit’s shoes to sympathize with them.
Make sure the baby rabbits smell or know you well before training.
Rabbits should not be treated harshly. They are very prone to fractures, and if panicked, rabbits will try to struggle and run away, resulting in self-injury.
Do not use a leash while training or walking your rabbit. Many rabbits have died for this reason. Rabbits’ necks are very weak and they will accidentally break their neck bones if they try to escape or resist.
Do not hold the rabbit in an upright position (like a baby). This scares rabbits, ruins their relationship, and isn’t good for them.
If you find the rabbit lying on the ground and supporting itself, it means that the rabbit is happy.
When training you should use two-syllable commands, rabbits will learn faster.

Warning

Never intentionally let your rabbit starve and wait until training to eat. You should always have fresh or dry grass ready as well as clean water for your rabbit. Otherwise the rabbit will be hurt.
Do not overfeed your rabbit during training, and avoid using junk food that is not good for your rabbit’s health. Special attention should be paid to industrially produced snacks for them. Many can have adverse effects, especially if absorbed in large quantities.
Under no circumstances should you hit the rabbit, as it can cause serious injury to both you and this little friend.
Don’t expect your rabbit to do whatever you want. Even if the rabbit is well trained, a couple of times the rabbit will not want to do the action. You shouldn’t get angry or worry that the training won’t work. As long as your rabbit responds most of the time, you don’t have to worry too much every time he doesn’t.

Steps