Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Gaining a General Understanding of Rabbit Behavior
• Method 2 of 4: Teaching the Rabbit Commands
• Method 3 of 4: Littering Your Rabbit
• Method 4 of 4: Fixing Rabbit Aggression
• Tips
• Warnings
• Additional articles

Rabbits are very intelligent and sociable, so they can be trained quite easily. Unfortunately, many people never manage to teach them anything, either because they use the wrong training approach or because they don’t spend enough time learning. If you want to have a good relationship with your rabbit and train him correctly, then you should immediately read this article and start lessons!

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Gaining a General Understanding of Rabbit Behavior

1. 1 Understand what motivates your rabbit. Rabbits are very quick-witted and gladly respond to rewards.Whereas harsh punishments, such as spanking and yelling, will not make the rabbit obey you. If you use the right reward system, most rabbits will try to fulfill your requirements in the right way.
   • Usually food is used as the main motivator, but toys can also serve as a reward for the rabbit.
   • Rabbits in nature are the object of hunting predators, therefore, when frightened, they usually run away and try to hide somewhere. If they exhibit this behavior in front of you, then you should make them feel more comfortable and safe before you start training.
2. 2 Understand how your rabbit uses sight and scent. Rabbits cannot see directly in front of them. Their eyes are spread out to the sides to have a wider field of view and see better further than up close.
   • Your rabbit will rely more on smells and whiskers to locate objects in its immediate vicinity, so you will need to bring treats directly to your rabbit's nose and mouth.
   • You may notice that the rabbit changes its head position as you approach. Thus, he tries to see you better, similar to a person with two-focus glasses, readjusting his gaze through the glasses in the right direction in order to see something.
   • Since rabbits are prey in nature, they need to be able to notice predators from afar so that they can run away and hide in time to save their own lives. For this reason, before touching the rabbit, you must allow it to see and sniff you. This will make it easier for you to pick up your rabbit. Allowing your rabbit to look and sniff at you gives it a chance to make sure that it is not a predator or a danger to it.
3. 3 Know that there is a lot to be gained from rabbits by kindness. Rabbits respond well to kindness and make wonderful companions that respond positively to your voice and presence if you treat them well. While you must gain the respect of your rabbit in order to train it, you will be most successful when the rabbit feels loved and comfortable with your presence.
   • Not all rabbits like to be petted, but some like it so much that it can be even more tempting than an edible treat. Spend a lot of time with your rabbit, stroking it, and making sure its basic needs are met so that it feels comfortable and safe in your home.
   • Never lift a rabbit by the ears! Don't hurt your rabbit. Be kind and affectionate to your furry friend and he will be very trainable.

Method 2 of 4: Teaching the Rabbit Commands

1. 1 Give yourself plenty of time to train. For best results, take some time to train your rabbit each day first. Two or three small lessons a day of 5-10 minutes will keep your rabbit interested in learning.
2. 2 Use your rabbit's favorite treats. Because training is reward-based, you will need to find the treat that gives your rabbit the most positive response. If you don’t know your rabbit’s taste preferences, then you will need to experiment a little. You can offer your rabbit a new type of food once a day, but only in small quantities to avoid digestive upset, and monitor its reaction. If the rabbit refuses this food, then it will not work as a treat, but if he eats everything without delay, then you have found what you were looking for.
   • If you are unsure whether a particular food is safe for your rabbit, consult your veterinarian (someone who has experience with rabbits). Don't give your rabbit anything other than vegetables, herbs, and fruits.
   • If your rabbit isn't used to eating a lot of fruits or fresh herbs, don't overdo it in the first few weeks to avoid diarrhea or digestive upset.
   • Your rabbit may like blueberries, kale, or carrots as a treat (try small pieces).
3. 3 Position the rabbit in the training area. You should place the rabbit where you want it to behave in a certain way. For example, if you want to teach a rabbit to jump into your lap when you call, first sit it next to the couch. If you want your rabbit to go to your crate at night, teach him at the right time, and make sure the cage is where it will always be.
4. 4 Have a plan. Start simple. Plan carefully what you want to achieve from your rabbit and divide the task into small steps. You will reward your rabbit after each step. As soon as the rabbit becomes regularly successful and confident in the task, assign it a specific command.
5. 5 Give your rabbit a treat immediately after he does what you ask him to do. If the rabbit sits down in a post when you raise your hand above his head, as if begging for something, immediately give him a treat and reinforce it with the “sit” command. The encouragement should be given within 2-3 seconds from the moment the correct action was taken.
   • If the rabbit has time to do something else after the correct action, then you will reinforce the wrong behavior.
   • If you want to teach your rabbit to come to a call, start by sitting close enough to each other. When the rabbit comes to you, give him a treat. Be consistent so that your furry friend understands why he is receiving the treat.
   • Always use the same commands for a specific task, such as “sit, (rabbit name)” or “serve, (rabbit name)”, so that the rabbit can understand your requests and associate your words with the opportunity to receive a treat.
   • Add verbal praise to the treat. For example, the words "good" or "clever".
6. 6 Continue giving your rabbit treats until it is almost always following commands correctly. When learning new tricks, don't skimp on treats. You need to develop a deep conditioned reflex in your rabbit.
   • If you’re teaching your rabbit to be comfortable with putting on the harness, start by rewarding the rabbit for stepping on the harness when it is on the floor and sniffing it. Next, move on to putting the harness on his back and rewarding him for staying still. Encourage the rabbit to be calm about raising its front paws to don the harness appropriately. Encourage every step and take your time. Don't scare or push the rabbit. Once the harness is on, leave it on the rabbit for a few minutes and then remove it. Get to the point of letting your rabbit carry your leash around the house on a harness before you start picking it up.
7. 7 Consider using a clicker in training. Many people use clickers to reinforce animal associations. Every time you treat your rabbit, click the clicker to make it associate the sound with the treat. Then, during training, the clicker sound will tell the rabbit that it is close to receiving its treat.
   • Try to click the clicker as soon as the correct action is taken, so that the animal understands what it is being rewarded for. Give your rabbit a treat or whatever he likes, every time within a few seconds of the click, even if you clicked accidentally. The rabbit will know that the click means receiving the treat and will try to earn those clicks.
8. 8 Gradually start weaning your rabbit out of treats. Once your rabbit has fully mastered a particular skill, start gradually reducing the frequency of treats. Give the treat once, not the next time.Or give treats only once in a few executions of the command. In the end, you will not need any treats at all.
   • Over time, start rewarding your rabbit with petting and toys, giving occasional treats to maintain the skill.
   • Rabbits love head stroking. Do not pet the rabbits on the body, as this will excite them. Be patient, take your time, and avoid creating scary situations for your rabbit.
9. 9 Reinforce learned skills as needed. Periodically, the rabbit may need to re-learn the commands. To do this, you will have to re-enter the use of treats. Don't be afraid to do this.
   • Do not yell at the rabbit, do not punish him or even say no to him during training. This is counterproductive and will make the rabbit more fearful, which will delay the learning curve.

Method 3 of 4: Littering Your Rabbit

1. 1 See where your rabbit likes to go to the toilet. They usually choose one of the corners of the cage for this. Since they tend to always use the same place, you can use this to your advantage.
2. 2 Place some dirty litter in the litter box you purchased for your rabbit. Be sure to clean the rest of the cage after moving the dirty bedding.
3. 3 Place the litter box in the location the rabbit has chosen for the litter box. There are special corner litter boxes for rabbits, but if the cage is large enough, you can use a regular rectangular tray. If you position the litter box correctly, the rabbit will naturally continue to go to the litter box in the same place, but only in the litter box.
   • Of course, larger litter boxes can be used if the rabbit is able to enjoy “walks” outside the cage.

Method 4 of 4: Fixing Rabbit Aggression

1. 1 Make sure the rabbit understands who is in charge. There is a chance that he himself will want to run everything. While you cannot expect the same submission from a rabbit as you would from a dog, in order to train him you must teach him to respect you.
   • The most common behavior in rabbits when trying to assert their superiority is to bite you in an attempt to force you to move or move away from your place. In this case, you should emit a short, loud, piercing squeal and either knock the rabbit off of you on the floor (if it has jumped on you), or pick it up and set it away from you (if it is on the floor). Do it firmly but gently. You don't have to hurt the rabbit or make him afraid of you, you just have to show him your superiority. If the rabbit continues to behave like this, put it back in the cage for a “break”.
2. 2 Correct any aggression of your rabbit. Walk up to the rabbit slowly at first so as not to scare him. Stay next to him on the floor. Spread out treats for him on the floor. Reward the rabbit for coming closer to you. Lower your hand next to him. If the rabbit comes closer, shows no fear or tries to bite you, try gently stroking the head (just for a few seconds).
   • If you do not withdraw your hand and restrain this automatic "self-defense" reflex, if the rabbit tries to attack you, then he will quickly realize that such behavior does not frighten you.
   • Never hit a rabbit. You and your hands should be the sole source of food and head-stroking pleasure for the rabbit.
   • If you are afraid of bites, you can wear long trousers, boots, a long-sleeved shirt and gloves to protect yourself from bites, if necessary.
3. 3 Check to see if the rabbit's aggression has a valid reason. Any changes in the rabbit's behavior, including the appearance of aggression, must be analyzed to rule out the possibility of any disease causing these problems.Check with a veterinarian experienced in rabbit care to rule out possible painful sensations in the rabbit that might cause it to be aggressive.
   • The hormonal background can also affect the behavior of the rabbit, so spaying or neutering the animal can help cope, for example, with territorial aggression.

Tips

• If your bunny starts squealing or dodging when you pick it up, carefully place it back down on the floor to avoid injury. Always handle your rabbit securely so that it doesn’t have any concerns for its own safety.
• As an additional source of information, you can read the book by Fritz Dietrich Altmann "Domestic rabbits" (translated by K. Lunin).
• If you hold your rabbit in your arms and he is scared or nervous, wrap him in a towel. This will calm him down a bit.
• Be affectionate and understanding in dealing with a little rabbit, he just had a huge change in his life, he was recently taken away from his mother and now he has to rely on himself a lot. He doesn't need unnecessary problems, so always try to put yourself in his place.

Warnings

• Avoid overfeeding your rabbit during training and do not use treats that are harmful to its health. In particular, be careful when using off-the-shelf rabbit treats. Many of them are far from useful, especially in large quantities.
• Do not under any circumstances hit your rabbit, as the result could be serious damage to both you and your furry friend.
• Don't expect your bunny to always do what you want. Even a perfectly trained rabbit will occasionally not want to completely obey your requests. Don't get angry and think that the training was in vain. As long as the rabbit follows your commands most of the time, do not worry about the rabbit's occasional refusal to obey, as it is just an animal.
• Never deprive your rabbit of food to make it hungry for training. He should always have fresh hay or grass and clean water. Hunger will only hurt your rabbit.

Additional articles

How to feed your pet rabbit How to toilet train your rabbit How to train your rabbit to crawl on command How to bathe a tame rabbit How to make your rabbit get used to its owner How to play with a pet rabbit How to set up a rabbit cage How to please your bunny How to cut the claws of a bunny How to understand your rabbit How to get rid of an unpleasant smell if you have a rabbit How to determine the age of a rabbit How to take a rabbit correctly How to transport a rabbit