Parents bonding

[Mdsine]

I’ve had Curo for 7 months. He’s 9 months old. I just had him neutered a month ago and up until this point I’ve kinda been a bad mommy when it’s come to training. I got litter training down as soon as we got him. He always peed in the box but he pooped wherever he wanted but since his surgery, he’s been a whole lot better about everything going in box which makes cage clean up awesome!!! But now my boyfriend is getting on me real bad about taking more time to train him. We can’t really hold him without him struggling. I was hoping after his surgery he’d be more love able and cuddley but he seems like he wants to be a destructo bunny even more. Snipping at our cloths and us a lot more than he was before. It’s getting to the point where some days I feel so overwhelmed with him that’s I’ve debated taking him to a rescue.

I don’t want to get ride of him but I’m at a loss. I didn’t even know where to start. I’m even wondering now if its too late for me to train him since he’s almost a year old.

if anyone could give me any kind of advice, it would be greatly appreciated!!

[Sarita]

I’m moving this to behavior – I am wondering if you are asking about litter training? Can you clarify what you mean by training?

[Mdsine]

Well right now I’m most worried about handling cause I want him to be a house bunny but if he gets away from me, most of the time I have to chase. When we first got him I tried “come here” “go home” and some private one on one time in a smaller space but I never got anywhere. To tell you the truth, idk if he knows his name is Curo cUse he won’t respond to it. My boyfriend joke around all the time about making hasphenfeffer (so totally spelled wrong) and he responds to that more, bug eyes and all.

Right now our place is no where near ready for a house bunny and that’s our fault but I do eventually want him to be out of the cage all the time..

When it comes to litter training, I think he’s got it down. In his “house” he uses the litter box all the time. There’s a few droppings scattered here and there but that could be from kicking them out or what have you. I would say tho that I need help on getting him to go in a litter box we provide when he is out of his house. He doesn’t spray anymore (THANK GOD) since he got neutered but he’ll just poop where he wants when he’s in his pen. Since the house isn’t ready? For excersize time we put him in a xpen.

[Sarita]

Okay, so he is in the house but he is not free roam, is that right?

Not all rabbits can be free roaming 24 hours a day – usually the best though, if you want a 24 hour free roamer is too start out in a small area (like a bedroom) and gradually increase their space…pretty much the same concept as litter training.

I wouldn’t chase him though – the natural instinct is to run away. If you want to bond with him, let him come to you and trust you. What seems to be most effective is ignoring your rabbit and letting them come to you naturally – don’t reach for them, just let him come up and sniff you maybe while you are on the floor watching TV or something. Rabbits are naturally curious.

[Hazel]

Welcome to BB .

As for handling, it’s important to consider that rabbits are prey animals, which is why almost all rabbits hate being grabbed and picked up. Now, common sense would normally dictate to pick him up often, so he’ll get used to it. Well, for rabbits, that’s the completely wrong thing to do. The only thing it would teach the bunny is that the human can’t be trusted, the bun will shy away from human contact and you will end up chasing him around the house more and more. The best thing, as Sarita said, is to let everything be on his terms, don’t force him to interact with you. Once he understands that you are safe and are not trying to grab him, he will become more social and if you do have to pick him up for something down the line, it will be easier because he won’t be scared of your approach.

Concerning litter box training, rabbits like to go while they eat, so putting his food and hay in the box will greatly encourage him to use it. If you have trouble getting him to go back into his cage, schedule his meal time for when you want him to go back in. The sound of pellets works better than any command . Or you can try a special treat that he only gets when he goes back into his cage. Craisins are a favorite.

Good luck with your bun! We would love to see pictures, too!

[Mdsine]

I love all this advice but do you think a bathroom would be too small of a space to start out in? Most of all is there a time limit for training? I mean we have had him for a while but really haven’t had the chance to get good bonding time with him. I’d like to think he trusts me but yet again he won’t let me pick him up willingly..

[Mdsine]

And I’d love to post pics but I can figure out how to upload them!!!

[Mdsine]

Also, what does everyone think of using a water spray bottle as negative reinforcement? So far we’ve been using it at night if he’s restless

[Peony]

I assume when people say limit space it means have a pen for them. I do not really recommend keeping a bunny in the bathroom (noises and flooring issues) If you have a pen you can lay next to it and that will help him get used to you.

For learning the name. What you do is say “name, come” then give a treat. You gradually increase the distance and actually try to see if he comes to you on his own. Now my bun will come at me from across the house esp knowing I have something.

For “go home” or “Name, bed” that is a bit trickier. I am not sure if my bunny understands it but there was a time when I had her go in the hutch at night, she would dirt flick every time she entered it knowing I would close it after saying “bed” (or maybe she did not want to sleep yet?) regardless your actions after saying something helps them learn what it is.

I would only negative reinforcement if they do something bad (chewing on something you don’t want to) generally you want to stay away from doing it unless the “bad issue” is a big one.

[Mdsine]

I don’t mean keeping him in the bathroom lol I meant to start bonding more

[JackRabbit]

For bonding with you, try just hanging out wherever he’s playing. Our hallway is an extra play area (doors closed, baby gate at the open end) and a perfect place for them to do their bunny 500’s. When they are in the hallway, I just go lay in the floor. At first they ignored me, then they got to where they were curious about me, then I had bunnies climbing on me (that’s how I became their jungle gym!). It was always on their terms. Now, I worry about tripping over them because they run circles around my feet whenever I step into their area.

Some bunnies don’t mind being picked up, but most hate it. Have you considered clicker training to get your bun to go where you want him to go without having to pick him up?

Marlee comes when she’s called *most* of the time. Kieko looks at me (“What? I’m busy right now. Can this wait?”) when I call her name but doesn’t always come. Moshi can’t hear a thing so calling him is pointless — waving my hands toward their area or toward their room in a shooing fashion usually works with him (even tho he can’t hear, I still talk to him all the time). I can’t imagine that it’s ever too late to try training.

[Peony]

Posted By Mdsine on 5/19/2014 10:07 PM

I don’t mean keeping him in the bathroom lol I meant to start bonding more

I would start with a pen and lay next to it. When he starts to take interest in you then open in (Pen is only needed if you need to retrain litterbox habits/ and or room not bunny proof), if you have a bunny proof house/room and you can let him free roam then the size of the room does not matter, like said before just lay on the floor and let him come up to you.

 

For the calling thing.. um.. still need advice on that?

 

Posted By JackRabbit on 5/19/2014 11:30 PM
For bonding with you, try just hanging out wherever he’s playing. Our hallway is an extra play area (doors closed, baby gate at the open end) and a perfect place for them to do their bunny 500’s. When they are in the hallway, I just go lay in the floor. At first they ignored me, then they got to where they were curious about me, then I had bunnies climbing on me (that’s how I became their jungle gym!). It was always on their terms. Now, I worry about tripping over them because they run circles around my feet whenever I step into their area.

Some bunnies don’t mind being picked up, but most hate it. Have you considered clicker training to get your bun to go where you want him to go without having to pick him up?

Marlee comes when she’s called *most* of the time. Kieko looks at me (“What? I’m busy right now. Can this wait?”) when I call her name but doesn’t always come. Moshi can’t hear a thing so calling him is pointless — waving my hands toward their area or toward their room in a shooing fashion usually works with him (even tho he can’t hear, I still talk to him all the time). I can’t imagine that it’s ever too late to try training.

Yep mine can be like that, even knowing I have a treat.

 For the one that does not hear, I bet he gets your trying to talk to him with your moving lips. I do that little lip movement with mine and her nose. Sometimes she does this tongue thing and I do the same so she does it again.

[Mdsine]

I have recently started thinking about clicker training but I I don’t know where to start. I feel so clueless about this stuff. Guess that’s what happens when your a new parent lol

[Sarita]

My rabbit doesn’t like to be picked up – I do it but I know he doesn’t prefer it.

I’ve never done clicker training but I think it would be a good idea – I’m not at all a fan of the water bottle though – I just think it’s mean and nor particularly useful. I think the positive reinforcement is definitely the way to go.

[Mdsine]

Yea we’ve only done the water bottle thing when he was being restless in the cage and it keeping one of us up.

[Peony]

I gave mine a towel when she did that, I do not think a water bottle is good to solve that.

 My first night with this one was horrible, then I had the idea of giving her a towel to dig and push around at and the nose stopped. :3

 

(She even spilled her water dish that before the towel thing night geeze)

[Mdsine]

I always make sure he has something in his cage to lay on and chew if need be whether it be a towel, old shirt or a piece of fleece but that doesn’t stop him so me nights.he’s been really good lately so I have no complaints.

my boyfriend just switched to 3rd shift so it’s been an adjustment for everyone including the baby lol

[Mdsine]

i give him another towel to chew on during play time but I’m always worried about him swallowing the fibers and choking or something… Are towels really not a good chew cloth for that reason? Has it happened to any other buns?

[Peony]

Well if they are regularly eating it, then it is bad. The thing with towels or rugs in general is they just chew to rip it up to “get somewhere” so you should see fragments of it laying around if they are actually chewing it. (Not eating it)

Mine uses them more to “dig” and push around to make a bed or something.

[Mdsine]

He seems to be chewing and eating some fibers..

[Author]

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