The training series: Training a new rabbit

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Gone are the days when rabbits sit in hutches, munching solitarily on a carrot and wishing they could play inside with us in the warmth of our homes. Now our ‘bugs bunnies’ are just as welcome inside as they are out and, what’s more, they’re mighty intelligent and love to learn new tricks.

To get you started, here’s the third in our training series, providing you with a

few pointers on how to train your new rabbit:

1. Time: For effective training results, you need to devote at least one hour each day to training your rabbit. Results won’t happen immediately, but if you stick to your training regime, it will only take a few weeks for you to achieve results. Just because your bunny is highly intelligent doesn’t mean he or she will learn how to do a roly-poly in day one. Remember to have fun with your training; if it becomes a chore for you, just imagine how it must feel for the rabbit. Make sure you are both enjoying yourselves and the time will fly by.

2. Teaching skills: When teaching your rabbit, always be consistent. Make sure you use the same commands each time such as ‘sit’ or ‘up’ – your rabbit will soon recognise what each request means and don’t forget to accompany each command with a treat. Your rabbit will soon associate these words with a reward. Once your rabbit understands the skills and effort required, gradually start to wean it off the treats. Eventually your rabbit will obey all commands without expecting anything.

3. Potty training: Surprisingly, an older rabbit is easier to ‘potty train’ than a younger one because they have already established personal grooming habits. Remember, be patient with your bunny. While it is living in a hutch, your pet will usually find a favourite ‘bathroom’ spot. Once you’ve worked out where this is, place the litter tray there and bunny should start using it. When you let your rabbit loose in the house, it should return to where the litter tray is placed.

4. Incentives: Rabbits don’t understand yelling, but are very intelligent and will respond to treats. Try to figure out your rabbit’s favourite treat and don’t stop dishing out the treats too soon. You need to establish consistency, so if you stop treating your pet before it completely understands what you expect, it will lose interest fast. Always check with your vet if you are unsure about what your rabbit can eat.

5. A misbehaving rabbit: Do not, under any circumstances, hit your rabbit for not co-operating with you. Your rabbit will not understand what is happening. Consider a ‘time out’ zone back in its hutch to highlight any wrongdoing.