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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE Bun Harness/Leash

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    • bmt87
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        Disclaimer: I had read a lot of past BB threads and people seem to be VERY opinionated on putting a harness on a rabbit.  I have worked with animals (wild and domesticated) extensively in the past and can honestly say I understand my rabbit and I know that if she were to be startled that things could happen – as they could with any animal.  Please understand that I love her and take excellent care of her.  I am looking for advice – not to be attacked. I have seen rabbits on leashes and harnesses on the San Diego House Rabbit website and FB page – so I know not everyone in the bun world is vehemently opposed to them.

        Ok – with that said!

        I live in an apartment complex and having an xpen is pretty much out of the question – Lola would need to be on a leash.  There are too many neighbors with dogs that could easily knock over the pen and I live in southern California so there are plenty of birds of prey that could easily pick-up my 3-pound bun if it were without a cover.  And a stroller just doesn’t give her all that grass/digging/flopping-in-the-flower-bed time she loves.  I also do not take care of the landscaping (although I have checked with the complex and they do NOT use fertilizers but as a precaution I have also talked extensively with a very rabbit savvy vet about issues with herbicides/pesticides/dog waste/fleas etc. — so she has to be carefully monitored if she starts to eat grass/flowers/plants…but she doesn’t really seem interested when she just wants to soak up some rays and feel the grass under her paws.  So, for the above reasons, xpens are not an option – which leads me to her harness.

        Lola is a VERY calm rabbit and very rarely (honestly probably only seen her one time) runs around (typical lazy holland lop!).  She LOVES her harness and enjoys bunny flopping in the grass with it on – as soon as she hears the little bell on the back of it she gives me the “helicopter” ears and runs over in excitement. I was wondering if people had suggestions on the leash.  I have only used the leash that came with her harness because it is super stretchy so if she were to run it gives a lot – have people tried the retractable dog leashes?  

        Also, has anyone had any success with other things when taking their buns outside (again, other than an xpen)?  Any leash suggestions?  Anyone had any luck leash training a rabbit (obviously, not to go on “long exercise-style walks” but just to hop along next you when you walk 50ft to get the mail)?

        Phew, I think I covered all my bases to convince you that I know what I’m doing and have heavily researched the topic and just want some more advice from people who have worked with buns on leashes.

        Thanks in advance! 


      • Monkeybun
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          Hmm. As an apartment dweller in a complex that also has a lot of dogs, I would caution against letting her out in the complex, not just for the fact that the landscapers likely do use pesticides and such, but even if you girl doesn’t eat the grass, she still bathes herself, and laying on grass dogs have pooped/peed on could give her some nasty bacteria and possibly viruses/parasites. If you do want her to be outside, check and see if there is an area of the complex that dogs are not permitted in.


        • RabbitPam
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            Hi, I appreciate that you’ve already read the posts regarding leashes and wish to stave off those discussions against their use. You are making an informed choice with information provided here. As you know, many of us are not in favor of leashes, so it’s unlikely that you will meet an experienced leash user among our members. Also, as a House Rabbit site, we advocate remaining indoors for safety etc. where leashes are not needed.

            The only places I can think of that may have experienced leash users to provide an answer to your question about what is better to attach to your harness are those that work with show rabbits. I think the sites where bunnies demonstrate their skills from training on obstacle courses and compete might be much more sophisticated in their use of equipment to recommend. I don’t mean to send you away, but it’s possible that the sites used by competitors (I’d start with links to their demonstrations in YouTube, for example) might connect you with their suppliers. It may be that there’s a harness designed for bunnies with a safer leash as part of it.


          • Sarita
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              Do you have a balcony that she can go out on?


            • Stickerbunny
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                One thing you will also have to be cautious of, even on a leash, is still predator birds. People have had their small dogs taken right off the lead in front of them, most recently a playboy model had her little dog taken away and her second dog lost an eye to a bird of prey and she couldn’t stop the bird… if they see easy prey, a human being nearby won’t stop them all the time. So keep that in mind as well. And people walk their dogs without leads (gr) and that has caused many a cat/small dog injury as well. When you have a small animal of any kind on a leash, you have to have your eyes open at all times for predators above and below.

                If you want advice on bunny leads, I would suggest finding a group near you that does rabbit agility and discuss with them. It might be a fun exercise for Lola as well to join the group. Most agility work is done on a leash.


              • bmt87
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                  Thanks so much for your responses guys! I was just trying to make a better informed decision.

                  I really wish we had a closed balcony she could go out on but it’s open and we would have to find a way to enclose it in and that still wouldn’t give her the opportunity to dig in the dirt which she loves.

                  I will definitely look around to see if there are any agility-style classes or bunny show people (although Lola might get a complex being around purebred buns).


                • KytKattin
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                    I just want to add that I do not recommend the retractable dog leashes. Really, I don’t think they should be used by 90% of the people that do use them. Too many times I have been walking a big dog at a heel and had someone, both adults and little kids, let their smaller than small dog come up to mine while they are a good 10-20ft away. You shouldn’t let a dog get that far away from you unless you are in a designated off leash area, and you especially shouldn’t let your small dog approach someone else’s dog, especially if that dog is 10X larger. One bite could and has killed dogs that small. I would also suspect that those who have lost their dogs “right in front of them, on leash” were using these darn leashes and their small dog was actually 10+ feet away. I doubt most predators would go for a small dog at a heel. Not that some wouldn’t, but most wouldn’t get within striking range of “momma”. Not to mention that I can more easily pick up my dog if she is at my heel when I see any of those big off leash dogs.

                    So now that I had my little rant about those things…
                    Training her to come when called would definitely make it safer to take her out with you, and just make sure you stay close to her!


                  • LBJ10
                    Moderator
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                      Leopold is fine wearing a harness. He’s a holland lop. I don’t take him outside with it on though. I use it more for indoor things and not very often (i.e. for the vet). I always have the option of letting go and I know he won’t get far.


                    • Sarita
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                        I see the point about training her to come when called, however I don’t think that if she is in danger, that is going to be enough to keep her out of danger, unless I’m misunderstanding why you would do this…neither is a leash of any kind – retractable or not. Even if you tug her in, you could break her back or break some bones – rabbits are built heavy but have very fragile bones.


                      • Mr.Buck
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                          I love the idea of taking your bun out on a leash. I bought one harness, tried it on and he wiggled right out of it. Him not liking it was enough for me not to push the issue. Buck is in a 1000sq ft apt and has a pretty large, I think 20sq ft condo.

                          I’m thinking you should make a youtube video of her playing outside.

                          Always watch out for your bun because no matter how little time you spend not looking or pre-occupied, something could happen. But I think as long as you are well aware of the dangers, that it’s ok. I talked to a vet who told me about a flea tick treatment I could get Buck if I was to take him out. So I guess that’s my only suggestion.

                          Also, you should try focusing on further bunny proofing the apartment because they do need so much daily excercise. Buck gets about 3-4 hours of free roam a day.

                          Last little comment, your bun is ADORABLE!


                        • Hazel
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                            It’s great that you want to enrich Lola’s life by letting her experience the outside, and I believe that you have a reasonable understanding of how she would react to sudden sounds or the such. What you will never be able to control however, is other people and their pets. What if someone has their dog offleash, or loses control of it? It would be nearly impossible for you to protect her from a charging dog unless you saw him coming from very far away and were able to grab her before she tries to run. Very risky in my opinion.

                            Just my 2 cents. Please don’t take offense, I love Lola, she’s the cutest thing!


                          • bmt87
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                              @KyKattin – I 100% agree with your retractable leash rant. I guess I should have specified – I hadn’t planned on “walking” her on the retractable leash…I was just curious because it would give her more room to hop about and has more give to it. The elastic-style leash I have now has a ton of give but is just not long enough.

                              I think my thoughts are kind of what Mr. Buck said – my main question was how to just take her out and have some outside time safely with the leash being my way to keep track of her and keep her at a safe distance from anything that might be a threat to her.

                              The walking questions were an after thought – I was just curious if anyone had actually trained a rabbit to be leash walkable and had no idea that they used them for showing rabbits and for agility – ya learn something everyday! She has PLENTY of free roam time in our apartment – but she really loves to dig outside and put her nose up towards the wind which is why this whole thing came up – even though she also loves us gently blowing in her face, it’s not the same as the natural sunshine and wind.


                              @Hazel
                              – thanks! no offense taken at all! it’s all stuff i am thinking about. that’s why i love BB. i put my little “disclaimer” up just in case because i didn’t want people to think i wasn’t examining all options or my bun had a “bad mom”.

                              and i am partial to Lola’s cute-ness as well.


                            • jackikal
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                                Hey there,

                                I have definitely had success with training my bunny to walk on a leash. I’m fortunate enough to have a long, straight, outdoor trail that she just LOVES to walk on. I can honestly say that leash training her was the best decision I have ever made!

                                It’s all about easing into it. My trick was putting her in the harness, then distracting her with treats until she forgot about it. The first few times trying to get the harness on were tricky, but after she learned that wearing the harness means she gets treats and outdoor time, she got past her hesitancy.

                                She’s actually able to walk around just about anywhere (that I feel is safe enough). My favorite place to take her is into the city. I’ll put a link to a video of her walking around on the bottom.

                                After taking her anywhere, though, I always make sure to wipe off her feet when we get home before she cleans herself. 

                                Have fun, and be safe!

                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYxi…ure=relmfu 


                              • SuperCheesetastic
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                                  I take Penelope to the park (no dogs allowed) to play with the kids/whoever is there sometimes.
                                  I think the experience will be great for Penelope if she’s going to be a future therapy animal.

                                  Other times, i’ll just take her out in her soft-carrier.

                                  Anyway, if you don’t like leashes, you can try walking LOLA in a stroller. They have them for cats.
                                  I’ve even seen a lady at Walmart with her cat in a stroller.


                                • lwayne
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                                    I am very hesitant about rabbits outside on a leash. Several years ago I took Arduina outside in a very similar harness to Lola’s in my own fensed in back yard. I figured the fense plus the harness plus me being right there would be a safe bet. I was wrong. The neighbors dog on the other side of the fense barks all the time and Arduina was pretty use to it. But when the dog sensed a rabbit on the otherside of the solid wood fense, he changed the tone of his bark. Arduina sensed the change as well and even though she could only hear him she bolted into a run. The harness leash did not stop her and I let go of the end of the leash. By the time I caught her she had broken her front leg from running with the harness/leash. Luckily we have an amazing vet and $800 later she is good as new. But image if there was no fense?


                                  • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                                      Could you get netting to enclose the balcony, and then fill a big litter box with dirt or sand? You could even buy like a few pieces of grass sod and make a little lawn for her! You could put some potted roses out for her to munch on….Put a hammock out there for you…

                                      A caution about public-not only running into dogs, but also parasitic worms, bacteria and viruses are in public places -especially where dogs frequent. Just one more caution I’m sure you have all that in mind though!


                                    • Megan
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                                        I have a buck Holland lop 1 years old may of next year he will be 2. I’ve had him since April of this year and he needs to be neutered, but he hates people, like wants nothing to do with us and this is his decision. He currently is free range in my home litter trained but has zero interest in humans. The people who had him before I think neglected him. What ever the case I need to take him to the vet but since he can be a spaz or skittish I was wondering thoughts of leash for vet purposes for a bunny of his nature?


                                      • Mikey
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                                          Hi Megan, welcome to binkybunny! This post is really old, so youre not supposed to comment on it because itll confuse people with similar problems. Plus, youll get answers more specific to your problem if you make a post yourself. You can make a post by going to the forum, and clicking “Add Topic”

                                          For a skittish rabbit, DO NOT use a harness and leash. Harnesses can easily cause permanent damage including death if a rabbit jerks while in it. Harnesses should only be used for very calm rabbits, and only after a lot of training. I would recommend, instead, that you get a cat carrier for your bunny. You can lure your bunny in with pellets/treats/greens, close the carrier, then transport him with you to the vet

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                                      Forum DIET & CARE Bun Harness/Leash