Dono finally binkied

[MarkBun]

This may not be something I had mentioned, but Dono had not binkied once since I have had him.  I’m not sure if it was due to the fact that he preferred being in the condo than out or that since he follows Maryann around like a sycophant that there’s just no room for grovelling and binking at the same time – but he just never binkied.

Well I was sitting on my bed, reading a book and letting the two of them run around.  Maryann had hopped up to get some pets from me and of course Dono didn’t want anything to do with me.  So while I was petting Maryann, I was talking to Dono.  He turned, gave me the bunny butt and began to hop away when suddenly he launched into the air, turned 180 and landed looking at me.  He looked stunned – as if to say “What?  I’m actually happy???”

He then immediately took off for the condo and hid in the box home inside. 

 

[TARM]

Aw…yay for Dono!

[Ana]

Haha! Cute. My bun rarely binkies, and when she does it’s a tiny little thing. It’s a big victory when they show their happiness to you.

[jerseygirl]

Go Dono !!!

Sounds like he’s finally coming into his own! Or maybe he’s been a closet binkier for AGES! Congrats on helping to achieve true bunny happiness!

[MarkBun]

I still want to know who and how they deduced that a binky is a sign of happiness. To me, it still looks like they’re getting a breeze on their bum.

[jerseygirl]

*snort* Yes! I guess it looks like a frolic? Sometimes I wonder thou. Maybe it’s just practicing some moves? A kung-fu kick defence mechanism?

[kralspace]

You go Dono! Don’t you love it! Maybe he ran off to figure how he did it.

[JK]

Awe that’s great.  Edson still has not binkied.  Maybe there’s hope yet…

[RabbitPam]

That’s wonderful, Markus. I love Dono. He’s so patient.

I’ve also wondered why it always means they’re happy. Sometimes it looks like they’re just practicing their anti-prey moves. Kind of a series of fakes in case someone is after them in one direction. Of course, they may be happy after a successful fake.

What exactly did you say to him just before he launched?

[Erbear]

They always look bewildered afterwards like, “Wha? I was just facing the other way…what happened?”

I bet he binkies when you’re not looking, like he’s too stubborn to let you know that he’s really happy. Kind of like a cat when they don’t want you to know that they actually like the toy you brought home for them.

[MimzMum]

lolz…My guess is, he saw Maryann was too busy to notice that he might binky and did it before even he realized it, then beat feet thinking, “Oh no! I hope she didn’t see that!”
Poor little henpecked Dono. He finally felt it was safe to get his freak on. ^_^ Then he decided to split before anyone noticed.

[Cassi&Charlie]

HAHAHA a bunny getting his freak on! Thats class, must remember that for when Charlie finally binkies again for me.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Awwww Dono’s first binky teehee!!

[osprey]

Must be a dwarf thing. Deanna has binkied maybe 5 times in the 2 years that we’ve had her. She also has but one eye, so she is limited in her field of vision. She does little head shakes sometimes in lieu of a full binky.

I read someplace that rabbits in the wild binky as a way to escape predators, just as rabbitpam suggested. It is like a running back that feints in one direction to throw off a tackler, and then cuts back the other way. Why our house bunnies do this, and why we think it indicates that they are happy, who knows. It is funny to watch, though.

[kimberleyanddarren]

dono sounds like a royal character! is he just not the kind of bun to be accepting head patts? or is he still in the learning phases? i could just imagine his cute bunny expression! hehe

[kimberleyanddarren]

ps. i would say it is because they are happy simply because rabbits who arent well cared for and who arent happy are never seen binkying right? even if a bunny has alot of space they just kinda scuttle around, they dont binky so i cant see what else it could be other than an expression of if not happiness then certainly contemptment.

[RabbitPam]

Feints, not fakes – thanks Osprey, that’s the word I meant. Really up on my football terms.

MM- Getting his freak on??? LOL

It’s possible that it’s a response originally designed for the wild but now is done just when they’re happy. Like a human’s fight-or-flight response used to kick in when we would see a tiger coming, but now it just happens when we see the boss.

Camera at the ready, Markus, in case it happens again.

[MooBunnay]

Yay! I’m happy for Dono He probably didn’t know he had it in him.

I usually associate binkies with happiness because usually when I bring a shelter bun home for the first time, when they get to run around for the first time I usually get a binky or two from the buns. It might just be because they finally have the room to run around, but they always look like they are enjoying themselves.

[MimzMum]

I remember seeing Mimzy’s first binkies. I couldn’t understand what was up with him, but darn it was funny as heck! It was while he was still in the Bun-Galow, and he’d binky into the shed, and then run around the legs of the hutch, stop and wash, then the head shake and then ZOOOM! Past me and out to the grassy area and binky a full turn and land and look at me like, “What??” because I was laughing my head off.

Yeah, and what’s so funny about what I said? ^_^ Isn’t that the terminology these days? Or am I an old fuddy-duddy who doesn’t realize what she’s talkign about? :X
I’m actually quite happy for Dono. This is a wonderful thing to happen. I sure hope he does it again, and I hope Maryann doesn’t catch him and give him a tongue-lashing!

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