outdoor play time! lets see some pictures!!

[britt and yeti]

so basically it’s time for all our heads to explode from cuteness…

[Deleted User]

So cute! I’ve always wanted to take Skipper outside but it’s just too hot in FL for that. How in the world did you leash train Yeti?

[britt and yeti]

…. he took to it really well i suppose… i bought the harness and leash when i first got him knowing pretty much NOTHING about bunnies.. so i put it on him.. took him outside… and we havent had a single problem. LOL i suppose im lucky. do some buns reject the harness, leash idea?

[TH004]

Rex’s favorite thing to do is run in the backyard. He loves to run the length of it really fast, then binky his whole way back.

 

Here is Rex hanging out on the deck (he won’t wear a leash, but our yard has a privacy fence and he is highly supervised)

Rex investigating something he smelled (he was going through a molt, which is why you see the lines)

 

 

[TH004]

My first rabbit wore a leash just fine. However, Rex will lie there, lifeless, if I put one on him (won’t even take treats). I’ve tried two different kinds. He was 2 yrs old when I adopted him. Maybe he had some kind of traumatic experience with something wrapped around him?

[bmt87]

Lola loves her leash and harness!  But sadly I am too concerned with pesticides and fertilizers in and around our apartment complex so she isn’t allowed out much.  

Not worth the risk. 

[britt and yeti]

cute cute cute! rex is a lucky boy having free run of the yard.

and Lola and Yeti are harness buddies! matchy matchy. i really despised the leash that came with the harness. i was not a fan of the elasticity of it.. so i switched it out for a solid 5+ footer.

[Deleted User]

I haven’t tried putting a leash on Skipper. I won’t try it until she’s fixed and her moods have settled more. And the bf won’t let me try. He says it’s “just sad” to put a leash on a bun like a dog. =[

[Milove]

My buns get free run in the backyard back home, but while at school they
either have their harness on or get to run on the patio that is blocked
off with an expen.

Here they are smooching on the patio.

 

here is Odie enjoying the nice weather

 

 

…and Milo relaxing

[britt and yeti]

OH. MY. GOD. that picture of Odie.. omg omg omg.. cuteness overload!!!!!

[Cristina]

Aww Odie is soooo adorable! I keep forgetting to take a camera out with me when Toby goes to play in the back yard. I’ll have to do that tomorrow!

[britt and yeti]

please do

[peppypoo]

Awww, adorable pictures everyone!

However, I just wanted to pop in with a reminder on leash/harness safety. Aside from outdoor dangers like pesticides and predators (never leave your bun outside and unattended, even for a moment!) the leash itself can pose a safety hazard to a bunny. Rabbits spook easily as many of us know, and sometimes from the smallest things. When this occurs with some sort of leash or harness involved, the rabbit can very easily injure their legs or their back. The outdoors is unpredictable, even in an enclosed backyard…something like a bird flying overhead may trigger an escape response due to prey instinct. This has happened before even to members here on BB who’ve had bunnies accustomed to the harness, and is absolutely heartbreaking to see. Because of these concerns, many of our members choose to keep their rabbits happily indoors. However, in the end this is a decision to be made by each bunny slave .

[BinkyBunny]

I ditto Peppy’s caution. And though we don’t want to be big party poopers, I think it’s important to bring this up every once in while as a reminder with information that may be helpful in preventing injury or worse. Here is an example of one members experience that ended up in a serious injury https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/106086/Default.aspx

This is a good article to check out regarding some of the dangers of leashes http://www.orlandorabbit.org/html/leashes.html

Again, this is not to rain on the leash parade, and it is up to each individual, but it’s good information to know so you can make an informed decision and weigh the risks.

[britt and yeti]

i have a completely fenced yard but i still take him out on his leash because there are tons of bushes to hide under where i cant reach him..
i never take my eyes off him while im out there. today he got a little spooked by a car going too fast down the back alley and i knew from his ears that he was about to bolt so i immediately dropped his leash and away he went.
i wonder if there is a way to devise a “quick release” at the leash harness connection.. i love a project and tinkering.. im going to see what i can make.. with a certain amount of “pull” it’ll just let go. hmm hmmm

[TH004]

With my first buns, who was willing to leash up, I hooked her to one standard leash and hooked that leash to one of the extendable ones. That way, she had a ton of running room. I had my first buns for 6 years. The only thing that scared her were small children approaching her. She wasn’t as well trained to come on command as my buns now, so sometimes I would give her free run, where she dragged her leash. That way I could easily catch her.

My rabbit now (who is 4, but I’ve had him two years) hasn’t been scared of anything (but the leash ). Since it is our backyard, I know exactly what has been put on it (water!). However, no judgement to the others. I took my first one to public parks a lot. I lived in a small studio and she never had a ton of area to run. She loved to be able to run a few laps around me.

I think there are dangers with a lot of things (I don’t even give mine processed treats, because I’m so scared of GI Stasis– He thinks his digestive supplements are treats . I’m an expectant parent, and I know I’ll have to face a lot of tough decisions with a real kid too. Riding bikes can be dangerous. Rollerblades! There are a lot of things. I think you need to think of if your pet needs it to be fulfilled (and/or you). My Rex will run more in the backyard than anywhere else. When he is going through a molt, the change of scenery cheers him up. I feel like the extra running helps get his system moving too.

[RabbitPam]

I’m afraid I have to caution against the use of leashes as well. There are good alternatives if your goal is to get a good run in fresh air and ease of capture when you want to go back inside. People have made some very simple, inexpensive, or creative bunny runs that can be quite long in a yard, have a screen top cover, but be a blast for the bunny to run the length of. Also, one xpen can be set down on a lawn with only one side wide to be extra long and make a fun running space. Get a second, and you can have it twice as long.

But a leash, more so than a harness, just has potential for fast and serious injury. I don’t really advocate unprotected yard play, but I am even more concerned when all that is being used is a leash. Sorry, but that’s my point of view, guys.

[Author]

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