Training-Bunny Trail Farm

Training your pet rabbit can be fun and will enhance your relationship with
your bunny companion.

Yes you can train your rabbit in a variety of ways. Using proper training
techniques you can help avoid unwanted behavior. There are also many fun
ways to train your rabbit if you want to play with your rabbit on a regular basis.
Rabbits can be litter box trained just like a cat.

How To Litter Box Train Your Rabbit:

Believe it or not is it is VERY easy to litter box train a rabbit because they are
naturally clean animals. Rabbits like to choose one area for their potty. To train
your rabbit to use a litter box in a selected area, choose a litter box that is the
right size for the bunny. Don't force a tiny dwarf rabbit to leap into an enormous,
high-sided box designed with a high sides and a lid. You can also purchase an in-
cage corner fitting litter box. The left hand back corner is usually the preferred
potty spot. Do not expect your baby bunny to litter box train when you first bring
him/her home. Allow your rabbit time to get used to his/her new home and
surroundings. Some people have trouble because they're not really sure how to
know when their bunny is about to go. Establishing regular feeding times, and
other routines will help with this problem. Just like other pets, rabbits can show
signs of when they have to go.

Place the box with wood shavings, hay, shredded paper, or specialty litter such as
Care fresh in an area where the bunny can be comfortably confined for a few
days, except for brief excursions for run and play and whatever is convenient as
well as attractive to the bunny. If your cage is large enough, you can place the
litter pan in your rabbits usual potty spot in the cage. After you've achieved
success IN the cage, it's time to provide freedom. The key here is to do it only a
little at a time, step by step (and be willing to go back a step if bunny makes a
mistake).

If you are training your rabbit to use a box outside of his/her cage, use a baby
gate to enclose the bunny in the selected room with his litter box, and be sure to
provide plenty of toys, food, water and comfortable places to sleep. This will be
bunny's area and should be as inviting as you can make it. It may take a few days
for the bunny to reliably use the box. It may help to soak or sweep up "accidents"
(they're not accidents) with a paper toweling and put it in the box. The rabbit will
get the idea!

It often helps to put a handful of timothy hay in a clean corner of the litter box if
you are using other materials in the box to encourage use of the box. A rabbit will
often sit in the box, happily munching at one end. Some rabbits will even nap in
the litter box! As long as the litter box is changed regularly, this should pose no
problem. Rabbit fecal pellets are hard, dry and relatively odorless. It's important
to note that a bunny's litter box doesn't smell if it's changed regularly. The urine
does have an odor. You may get calcium deposits in and on the litter box. Lime
Away or vinegar can help remove these stains.

Once your bunny is reliable about using the litter box in his area, you can
gradually increase his freedom. Be sure that he/she can always get back to
his/her litter box when allowed free in the house. There's a possibility that he/she
may pick a second area in the house as a toilet corner. If the behavior continues,
you may want to provide another litter box or two. Basically, what you want to do
is take advantage of your bunny's natural tendency to deposit it's droppings in
just one or two places.

Positive Reinforcement:

Punishment is NOT a good idea for mistakes with rabbits. It's better to simply hold
back on giving rewards such as out of cage playtime and treats. Praise until you
get the behavior you want. (And use a lot of patience). It is not effective to
discipline your rabbit after the fact. If you come home to find your bunny has
gotten into trouble, it is not the time to reprimand. Rabbits tend to learn better
when they are rewarded for good behavior, rather than when they are disciplined
for bad behavior. Determine what your rabbit enjoys most, such as praising, out
of cage time, petting, grooming, or treats. Provide items that will satisfy the
natural chewing and digging behaviors with items like chew toys, old phone books,
a cardboard box, etc...lLet him/her know this is good behavior chewing and
digging on acceptable objects is good behavior.

Training Steps:

1.Understand what motivates your rabbit. Unlike our canine friends, rabbits aren't
naturally particularly motivated to please. This means that strong punishment,
such as spanking or yelling at a rabbit, won’t make him/her more cooperative
Rabbits, however, are very intelligent and eagerly respond to incentives. If you
use these incentives correctly, most rabbits will respond accordingly.

2.Devote plenty of time to training. For best results, you should plan on initially
devoting at least 30 minutes, and preferably an hour or two, every day to training
your rabbit. It may seem like a lot of time, but in the long run it’s well worth it. Don’t
worry: you’ll probably only need to do this for a week or two. In fact, you may
begin to see results on the first day.

3.Use your rabbit’s favorite treats. Since training is based on incentives, you’ll
need to find a treat that provides the best incentive possible. If you don’t know
what your rabbit’s favorite treat is, try to figure it out. If you’re not sure if a
particular food is safe for your rabbit check the fresh food list.

4.Get your rabbit in position for training. Stage your training in the area and
situation where and when you will want the behavior to occur. For example, if you
want to teach your rabbit to jump up on your lap when called, first put him/her
near the couch. If you want to train your bunny to go in his/her crate at night,
train the bunny around the appropriate time, and make sure his/her crate is
positioned where it will normally be.

5.Give your rabbit a treat immediately when he/she performs your request. If you
want to teach your rabbit to come when called, start his/her training by having
your rabbit positioned very close to you. When he/she comes to you, give him/her
the reward. Be consistent. Make sure that your rabbit companion knows why
he/she getting a treat. Use the exact same commands, such as “Sit,” or “Up,”
every time, so your rabbit will learn to recognize your requests and associate
those exact words with getting a treat.

6.Keep providing the treats until your rabbit responds correctly nearly every time.
When you’re trying to teach a new skill, don’t skimp on the rewards. You need to
make sure you are thoroughly conditioning your rabbit.

7.Gradually wean your rabbit off the treats. Once your bunny has a skill down pat,
begin to give the treats less frequently. Give him/her a reward once and then
don't the next time, or give him/her a treat only every few times. Eventually you
may not need treats at all. In time, reward your rabbit with petting and toys, and
only use food occasionally to keep the behavior strong.

8.Reinforce the training as necessary. From time to time your rabbit may need to
relearn a skill. That is, you may need to bring the incentives back. Don’t be afraid
to do so.

Teaching A Rabbit To Follow A Target:

Affix an object, such as a ping-pong ball, on the end of a stick. Hold the object
near your rabbit. You don't need to give a command, as you just want your rabbit
to associate the object with a treat. Give him/her a treat and verbal praise if
he/she looks at the object or if he approaches the object. Give him/her another
treat and verbal praise when he/she touches the object. Move the object. If your
rabbit approaches or again touches the object, give him/her a treat. Repeat
several times in a row, several times a day. Once he/she has the idea of touching
the target, you can use this to move your rabbit around, get into a basket, go
over or around obstacles, and spin in a circle.

Rabbits enjoy playing ball. A small whiffle ball or even a larger plastic ball is fun
for rabbits to push around with their nose. If you push the ball towards your
rabbit your bunny may then return it to you with it's nose. This may take a while
but most rabbits pick up on the fun of this game right away. You can use other
objects that roll or move to play this game as well. Treat balls used for dogs/cats
filled with a few treats are fun for your rabbit to play with. The treats fall out as the
bunny moves the ball around.

What Not To Do:

1. Don’t expect your rabbit to do what you want every time. Even if your rabbit is
perfectly trained, he or she may not want to fulfill your request from time to time.

2. Don’t get angry, and don’t worry that your training hasn't’ worked. As long as
your rabbit responds as desired most of the time,

3. Don’t sweat those occasions when he/she isn't feeling cooperative.

4. Never withhold food from a rabbit to make it hungry for training - always have
fresh hay and clean water available.

5. Avoid overfeeding your rabbit during training sessions, and avoid using treats
that are not healthy for your rabbit. In particular, exercise caution with
manufactured rabbit treats. Many of these are unhealthy, especially in large
quantities.

6. Never scold, punish, shout or even say "no" to the rabbit during training. This is
counterproductive and will make your rabbit more rebellious and withdrawn.