am i on the right track? bonding with my rabbit

[DutchRabbitsFtw]

 i know i only got my rabbit 1 week ago and im trying not to rush into things or anything but i do want to try and bond with him. so far i have been “grooming” him with my nose, and when i do this he stays very still and doesnt move. he doesnt lower his head or anything (he used to but not anymore / not as often). is he scared? or just accepting it? he isnt closing his eyes or anything just sitting extremely still. and even after i stop and walk away he still stays very still for around 10 more seconds. i hand feed him treats (TINY pieces of cut up apple, not even a table spoon. he seems to prefer apples over bananas) also he is out of his cage whenever i am home / when he is awake. and sometimes i leave him unattended (in my bunny proofed room) for a few mins while i go to the bathroom, get a snack, etc and when i come back my rabbit will run towards me (probably expecting treats or something lol). i let my rabbit hop on me and my stuff when he is out, i dont try and pet him (for the most part) but i do  stick out my hand so he can sniff it. i dont bother him while he is eating or anything. i did that a few times and he ended up taking his veggies / pellets and running away so i cant touch him ha… so yeah i wont be doing that anymore. he is comfortable eating around me and not hiding or anything (sometimes i will sit in front of him and watch him for a few mins). i do hand feed him veggies and pellets SOME times, but for the most part i put them in a dish and let him eat on his own. 

is there anything else i should do? am i rushing into things? i dont think i am but how would i know, this is my first rabbit lol. also, tomorrow is when my xpen arrives, i plan on taking him outside so he can dig and eat grass. should i put the xpen in the backyard (fenced) or front yard (not fenced)? the backyard would seem like a more safe option but the grass there isnt too great (no pesticides or anything, its just sort of dead and dry) and the front yard has lots of green grasses and stuff (no pesticides or anything either) but it isnt fenced. we dont have any hawks or anything here but i will try and cover up the top. also my neighbors who live right infront of us are animal obsessed people., they have like 6-7 dogs which im pretty sure isnt allowed in our neighborhood? and they dont take good care of their pets but they love their pets. and im afraid my neighbors (14 and 16 i think) will come over and want to pet the bunny, which isnt a problem but… eh… i mean… i dont want to be rude or anything. but lets just say they arent gentle by any means. and my neighbor doesnt really understand when i tell her that now isnt a good time to do things and blah blah. but she is a good friend. also my backyard is sunny all the time while my front yard isnt. 

[Sarita]

Moving to behavior

[Elrohwen]

I would take him out in the fenced in back yard – in the front yard he’s more likely to be bothered by the neighbors or their dogs (especially if a dog gets loose and comes running right up to his pen).

It sound like you’re bonding with him just fine. When they don’t want to be petted they will run away or otherwise let you know – I’ve never known a bunny to just “accept” anything they don’t want to do. As long as he’s not skittish (and he sounds like he’s definitely not) then you’re fine. You’ll learn his mannerisms and he’ll learn yours the longer you have him.

[DutchRabbitsFtw]

ah okay, thanks !

[Rei]

My bunny doesn’t like to be touched much at all when she is out and about playing, thats sort of “her” time to do her thing but as soon as she stops to eat or lay down, she is all about me petting her til she falls asleep! lol You are doing just fine If he doesn’t like it he will try to get away, trust me.

I agree…put him in the back yard. And if your bunny is still in the process of jsut getting used to you, you don’t want all kinds of new people trying to put their hands all over him. Also, this is probably the first time he has been outside?? Thats going to be a whole new experience, don’t add into the mix new people and possibly their dogs.

[Rei]

And if your backyard is really sunny, make sure you provide some type of shade and lots of water for the bunny, especially if he is going to be out there for a good while. Bunnies overheat very easily so you have to be careful not to leave them baking in the sun, but I’m sure you knew that, just still wanted to mention it anyway just in case

[DutchRabbitsFtw]

thanks, and yes i agree ha he isnt too keen on pets from people he doesnt know very well (somewhat including me sometimes ha) and he has been outside before just not in my house. his foster mom would take him outside to eat the grass and dig in the dirt; thats sort of why i wanted to take him out (: and oh thanks for the warnings, he wont be out that much! maybe around 10mins or so ha. but it was raining today lol /: so i cant take him. i also heard it was going to rain tomorrow too -_- .

[RabbitPam]

He clearly is bonding with you, and when you enter the room as you described, he’s not running toward you just for treats, but because you are back. Nose to nose is unusual, so you might just try petting with your palm up and using your hands, but if it did really bother him he’d probably run away not freeze up.

I’m afraid I am not an advocate of bunnies outdoors. So many yards are sprayed with pesticides or have neighbors who use them that’s carried on the wind that modern grass is not as naturally good as it used to be. And a bunny needs to feel safe to be happy, so open tops to any outdoor space is just risky and not fun for them either. I’ve never found a house bunny to be unhappy by only being indoors. Other members have good outdoor habitat suggestions, however.

[Author]

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