Clicker Training a Rabbit

Clicker training a rabbit will require much training and hard work. By doing this you can teach your bunny many useful skills which you can use later on when you are either in the garden and playing a game, or when you are going to compete your bunny in either bunny agility or bunny hopping. These events are most popular in the United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia. I personally think that this is something worth doing!

All you need to do this is:

• a clicker (this can be purchased at pet shops or online)
• as well as a small amount of treats to use (try to get more of the natural ingredient ones)

You can start off simple at first such as teaching your bunny to come when their name is called. What you would do for this is be a few steps away kneeling facing them and call his/her name. Whilst you are doing this get a treat out and show it to them.

Once they realize, they will probably hop over to you and try and get the treat. When they are by you, click the click and reward them with a treat! Repeat this until you have used up all of them treats, but when they are getting used to it, go a few steps further back and then do it. If you want you can continue practicing with them without treats and clicking the clicker and giving them a bit of a fuss. You don't want them to become obese!

When you feel you can move on from this, you can start getting them to hop over a large branch or something like that so you can just use it like a jump. What you would do here is stand at the other side of the jump and call them over.

At first they will need a bit of persuading, but once they get the hang of it, it is much easier. You would click the clicker and reward them with a treat when they jump over it successfully! I remember when I tried this with my bunny and it went very well!

I'm sure that after you have done these two exercises of clicker training a rabbit successfully, you will be able to think of ones on your own making higher jumps or buying a small hoop and getting them to jump through that!

Here are some bunny product which I thought that you might be interested in! Click the pictures below for more information!

I hope that this post about clicker training a rabbit helps you to train yours!

Rabbit Hopping

Right now you may be thinking "This is the same as bunny agility!". These are quite different as in the agility you will travel round a course as fast as you can trying to get the best time without knocking over any obstacles. In rabbit hopping, you are ONLY doing jumping and is also known as show jumping. Also agility is commonly off the leash whilst the hopping is on a leash. I hope that you now know the difference and now I will tell you more about rabbit hopping.

This is very popular in Scandinavia, the UK and Germany. There can be a competition every week along with up to 200 competitors. Some of the lengths and heights in which these creatures jump can be amazing! Even if you didn't want to compete straight away, I would recommend that you go to watch at least one competition so you can see what it is all about.

The jumps which your bunny goes over can vary, and they may be going over a series of different shaped and sized jumps or just one large one. The idea of this, is you bunny to jump far and high.

Even though these two events are different, they will both be focusing on your bunnies agility and they work the same way. The one with the least faults and the quckest time wins!

If you were ever going to start doing either of these events, I would suggest that you lead train your bunny and you could do some clicker training work as well. This would require much training and hard work, so you need to remember to this everyday to keep your bunnies abilities very high. You will also need to find out when events in your area/region are taking place and where.

Here are some products which you may be interested in.

I hope that this post helped you to gain more information about rabbit hopping and how it is different from the bunny agility!

Rabbit Agility

You may be thinking "What is rabbit agility!?" Well I am here to tell you all about it. If you have heard of dog agility before then you might have some idea of what rabbit agility is. This is really similar to what dogs do, although it is on a much smaller scale and the jumps are mainly the same but there are some different ones.

The way in which you can come first is completing the circuit without your bunny knocking over any jumps and doing this is in the fastest time. This can be a very entertaining sport for people very keen on bunny exercise, rabbit agility along with loving to spend many hours of fun and training with their bunny!

This species is more intelligent then what you may have expected. They have been easily litter trained like other domestic animals along with being capable of performing a trick for a treat! That is after MUCH practice of course!

Having a good breed

All that I mean by having a good breed is that you make sure to pick a breed which is very active and not too large. The large breeds which I have heard people not suggest to race is the breeds like the English Lop as it has large ears which could be stepped on by himself as he is running and their is a possibility that his/her ears could get caught in an obstacle or jump. This could result in a very hurt bunny.

I have also heard that it is not a good idea to use angora bunnies in OUTDOOR races as their fur is long and could easily pick up many twigs, leaves or anything else in the grass, which means that this is a danger as well. People have said that this breed has done quite well in indoor events though.

I personally think that people are recommending you to have breeds such as the dutch bunny or any which may be this size, with this sort of fur, along with being quite active like them. I am not saying that you should but a dutch bunny just because of this, also I am NOT saying that they are the best, I am just saying that they fir the description for ONE of the better types. You may know of another breed which does quite well in competitions as well though.

Here are some products which you may be interested in! Click them below for more information!


I hope this post helped you to have a much better understanding about rabbit agility!I would love to know if anyone is involved in any!

Homemade rabbit treats - recipe 2

Here is another homemade rabbit treat recipe which I thought that you may like. It is very easy to make and I would say is around 3-4 servings. Make sure that you keep this refrigerated and use up within 5 days. These are completely natural ingredients and involve minimum effort. Here is the recipe:

 Ingredients:

1 banana
2 box's of raisins
1 cup of hay
with a sprig  of rosemary

Recipe:

1) Start by chopping up and pureeing your banana and putting this into a bowl.

2) add in all the raisins and the parts off of the stalk of rosemary (you could also cut up the stalk an put it into this as well)

 

3)If you want, you could cut up your hay into smaller parts about an inch or 2 long and add this into the mixture in the bowl. I didn't chop up the hay but it would be better if you did!

 

 4) This now complete! You can put this into a tub and have it ready to feed your bunny or bunnies! Remember to keep refrigerated! 

This is the simple recipe which I have made and I hope that you try it for your bunny. If you do, tell me your thoughts about it!

Rabbit Needs

Rabbit Needs are important. You have to make sure that you give them lots of hay (it is cheaper to just buy a whole hay bale from your local pet shop but if you can't, bags and compressed hay are fine) this is a large part of their diet and keeps them warm in winter, as well as toys since they can die of boredom. This is a picture of my rabbit pumpkin enjoying playing with his toys.


If you have a bunny or are thinking about buying one, make sure you have the time to look after them properly as well. This involves (if they live in a hutch outside) letting them have a run around in your garden or their run. This is also quite an important part about rabbit needs. They love to have a nibble on the grass and to hop around freely. This is a video of my bunny Bomber enjoying to be in the garden!


If you have any questions or concerns about your rabbits needs please contact me.

Rabbit Body Language

Until I got my bunny I never knew they had rabbit body language. They do this for numerous reasons such as they are happy, they are angry, or it could be because they are scared. Here is a list and description of rabbit body language:

BINKY
They do this to show you that they are happy. They do a little jump and spin in the air. this is hard to get a picture of since they do this really fast.

Standing on Back Legs  
They will do this so they can get a better view of the room if they think there may be danger, or they will do this to try and get the treat/food that you might be holding.

Flat on the ground
This could be because your rabbit is saying "Don't hurt me...your the boss here......I surrender!" or it could also mean your rabbit is enjoying getting his head stroked and is happy.

Upside down, legs in air
This means they are in total happiness and often do this after a lot of binkying!

Thumping
This can mean that your bunny is telling you that he is frightened or there is danger. I have also noticed that my male rabbits thump when one of them rubs their chin on the hutch and the one inside the hutch dosn't like it.

Tooth Grinding
If it is a low tooth grinding, this indicates that they are happy. This is like a cats purr. If it is loud grinding, this indicates that your rabbit is in pain.

 Sniffing
 This can mean that they are talking to you or they are annoyed. Female rabbits may sniff when you are picking them up.

Grunts
 Normally because they are angry. They may bite.

Tiptoeing Bunny
 They will do this when you have placed something they haven't seen/smelt before near them and they go to investigate it. There ears will be forward when they are doing this.

interesting fact- Rabbits will usually sleep with their eyes open. The only giveaway that they are sleeping is that they often twitch and their noses stop wriggling.

Here are some very nice rabbit products which I thought you might like so have a look!

Rabbit exercise

An important part of bunnies life is to stretch their legs and have a run around. All bunnies enjoy this and here is some advice for rabbit exercise.

It is good to let your bunny be in their pen or in the garden for at least 4 hours. This is the recommended amount. The more their out the better! Just make sure they have access to water and some shade to cool them down in the hot weather. Here is my rabbit enjoying his daily time out in exploring garden.

If you have an indoor bunny, exercise is just as important. You can litter train them and putting some hay in their litter box is said to help. You will also need to bunny proof your house. If your bun has their own toys, they normally won't chew on house hold objects and mainly play with their toys.

Rabbits can also be trained. Have a look at this to learn how to train and care for your rabbit.

If there is any problems please contact me.

Grooming your Rabbit

Grooming your rabbit is very important especially if they are lionhead rabbits. Here are some tips about grooming your rabbit:

 SHEDDING

They shed every 3 months and sometimes they shed more hair then other times. You should always have a rabbit brush handy all year round.

rabbits are very critical cleaners similar to cats. But unlike cats they cannot cough up hairballs since they don't have the muscles to throw-up. If they end up having a large hair ball in their stomach disallowing them to eat so they end up starving themselves. If this were to happen, their stomach would  look very large.

Make sure to brush your bunny AT LEAST once a week to get rid of any of there loose fur. If your rabbit looses their whole coat in one day, make sure to brush or use your hands to get rid of a majority of the loose fur instead of them digesting all of the hair.

If you find bald spots on your bunny, DON'T PANIC! This  is completely normal and is commonly found angora rabbits. This type of rabbit looses all of its fur apart from the head and the feet during shedding. If you find a bald patch on your rabbit, it will grow back in a week or two. Give it time.

LONG HAIRED BUNNIES

As you may know, this type of rabbit is truly lovely to look at. The only problem, is that they require a lot more care then their shot haired cousins. I recommend that you use your best scissors and keep their nice hair trimmed to about an inch long. If you don't do this, then you may have to battle hairballs most of the time.

If you are uncomfortable with doing the above, you can always visit a vet to do these tasks.

FLEAS AND MITES

During you having your pet bunny, you may come across them having fleas or anything else. If this does happen, these are you options to get rid the fleas:

You can go into a pet shop or visit your vet for a medicine that you put on them and rub into their skin

OR

you can use a flea comb which is harmless to them and non-toxic. This takes more patients but still does the job good! As well as most rabbits love the attention of you using the flea comb on them and can be used as a supplement to your main flea-control program. 

MAKE SURE TO CHECK OVER THEIR FUR FOR ANYTHING AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK

BATHS

Most rabbits hate being in water, but you will get the odd rabbit that loves swimming in the pool. Even giving your rabbit the occasional bath can put them under a lot of stress. NEVER- unless your vet suggests it to bring down your rabbits fever-should you give your sick bunny a bath. Bunnies that seem healthy, may have undiagnosed problems. It is the best to avoid putting them under the stress of having a bath. 

If your rabbit has extremely bad fleas, there is a good chance he has already compromised and will go into major shock when getting a bath. There are many safe alternatives of avoiding a bath if your bunny has fleas. As well as a soaked rabbit takes AGES to dry. Spot cleaning the dirty area with an application of baby cornstarch (found in baby isle at local shop BUT AVOID talcum as it is carcinogenic) then gently combing out the dirt with a fine flea comb. This is much BETTER then a wet bath. 

If your rabbit is wet, he/she can quickly become hypothermic. IF for any reason your bunny is wet to the skin, I strongly recommend that you blow dry them until under coat is dry and fluffy. The normal bunny body temperature ranges from 101^oF to 103^oF. Considering rabbit skin is very delicate and rabbits are sensitive to heat, NEVER use a blow dryer on a setting higher then warm. Also constantly monitor of the air on your bunnies skin by placing your hand in its path.

MATS

Bunny skin is delicate and highly susceptible to cuts, so if your bunny gets a mat in his fur do not cut it off with scissors. Instead, use a mat splitter or mat rake to simply get rid of the knot. Unlike cats and dogs, bunny fur requires a much finer blade.

SKIN

Itchy, scratchy, flaky skin with bald patches are usually symptoms of mites OR more rarely an allergic reaction to having fleas. Products described under the description "FLEAS" will normally clear up this problem or go into your local pet shop and find something under mites or anything for skin. You should consult a veterinarian for such conditions as open sores or chronic skin inflammation.

SCENT GLANDS 

Rabbits have scent glands under their chin (they use this to to mark items including people when they chin things!) and around their anus.  When the anus glands build up, the rabbit usually has an unpleasant odor. 

It is very easy to clean them, however. You simply dip a Q-tip into some Vaseline and hold your rabbit in a comfortable, safe position that gives you access to the genitals. if you can hypnotize your rabbit SAFELY, this is a good way to go. All you do is locate the two slits either side of the genitals. Use the Q-tip to swab away the brown buildup. It will take 2 seconds and you will be done!

FEET

Bunnies who live in the house and spend their time inside on carpet and other soft flooring's will generally need to have their toenails clipped  just like dogs and cats. 

From the risk of infection, declawing is definitely NOT recommended for your bun.

If your bunny excessively digs and claws and it is becoming a problem, then a large box of hay or straw where your bunny can dig should help this problem.

If the fur on your bun's feet for any reason is worn down, exposing inflamed or callused skin, then soft dry resting pads (rugs) should be provided. Exposed skin on the feet that becomes urine burned or broken is very likely to infect. Take lots of care that rugs and litter box's are kept clean and dry

EARS 

Ear wax can be removed with a cotton swab, as long as you take care not to push on the wax canal. You could also try a mild ear cleaner containing Chlorhexadine, such as Nolvasan Otic. For ear mite infestation, apply a topical medication. 

TEETH

Your buns teeth will grow continuously and if they grow to long without being cut shorter or ground  down, will make your rabbits teeth feel uncomfortable. They must also be checked that they are wearing down properly. Whilst you brush your rabbit or are clipping his nails, take a glance at their teeth to make sure there is no problem.


Bunnies who have straight teeth, will keep them worn down with everyday gnawing and chewing. Buns with crooked teeth, will need to have their teeth kept trimmed with guillotine-type clippers. If this occurs and is left untreated, the rabbit will not be capable of eating and may starve to death. Your veterinarian can show you how to clip a rabbits teeth or they can clip them for you if that is something you are uncomfortable with doing yourself.

NAILS

Bunnies nails can grow to be very long and sharp and will be uncomfortable for the rabbit. If the rabbit has light colored nails they will be quite easy to trim . You can easily see the blood inside the nail and you clip just before that point. The dark colored nails are harder to see where they should be clipped but this is still visible.


Some people are often afraid to clip nails for fear that they will cause the rabbit to bleed.If you are one of these people, DON'T PANIC!  You can purchase a product called Kwik Stop to keep on hand if this ever occurs, but I've found that just holding pressure with a cotton ball will work just as good. Your veterinarian will also clip nails for you if you are uncomfortable with that. They're nails should be checked every 6-8 weeks.

EYES

Watery eyes or and eye discharge needs to be diagnosed by your veterinarian. In addition to any medications or eye drops, the cheek needs to be kept dry and clean so the area will not become chafed or the fur peeling. A few clean tissues will absorb mild wetness. A touch of prescription anesthetic powder on a finger can be applied to the area if there are painful lesions.

Newborn Rabbits

Newborn rabbits can be quite a handful, especially if it is the first time that you are looking after them. Follow these tips on newborn rabbits so you know how to care for them.

1)  You may find that the mother of the litter after they are born won't stay in their nest. This is so predators can't find them as easily. The only time that she will be in the nest is when it is feeding time.

2)  Normally, the mother will nurse her young the night after them being born. Seeing as the milk is very rich for the litter, they will only be fed once every 24 hours. This is usually between midnight and 5 am. 

3)  She will only stand over her nest to feed her newborn rabbits. She does clean each one by licking them though.

4)  If you aren't to sure that these babies are getting the proper care they need, check them quite early in the morning. If they feel warm and have round, full looking bellies then you can be assured that they are being looked after. You can always check that they are gaining weight by weighing them on the kitchen scales everyday.

5)  An odd thing is that you can handle your bunnies litter even if they don't know the person holding them. This is because domestic bunnies are not concerned about all the human smells on them.

6)  If you neuter your male bunny, he can remain with his family. He will act very playful with the  male half of the litter as they start to reach the puberty stage in their life. This means it is time for them to be separated. The male bunny needs to be neutered before going back with his mother because you probably will end up with another litter if you don't. After they are neutered they need to be kept separate for a minimum of 2 weeks. This is because they would pull out each others stitches.

They were some tips if your female bunny was going to have some newborn rabbits for the first time. If you have any questions, contact me.

Rabbit Toys

Rabbit toys are a big part of your bunnies life. If you don't provide them with any they could die of boredom and if they are in your house, might chew household objects. If you give your bunny some rabbit toys, they will most likely stop chewing your furniture.

Mental Stimulation...........

Without your bunny having anything challenging to do, they will become bored epically if they have no non-human friends to keep them company. This isolation can often lead to depression and/or destructiveness. This includes injured (disabled) and old bunnies that need a nice environment where they can do more then eat and sleep. 

Physical Exercise.............

 You need to provide your bunny with safe activities to keep their mind and body in shape. These can be things to climb on, crawl under, hop on, dig into and chew on. Without any of these, they will become fat and possibly depressed. This is why they might start chewing your furniture. My bunnies enjoy to freely hop around the garden nibbling at the grass. The only problem with that is you need to make sure that there is no escape routes in the garden.

How to Choose Rabbit Toys...............

From all bunnies being different, they will all like and dislike different things. They will also use the rabbit toys differently then each other such as one of them might nudge a ball and another will chuck  it around. Some rabbit toys are more complex then others which makes the costs vary. But overall your bunny won't mind what rabbit toys you give them. Just make sure you give them something! As long as they enjoy the rabbit toys you give them, then they should be happy. They are usually only interested in an activity that will occupy them and their mind for a long time. It is a good idea to give  your bunny a variety of rabbit toys so they stay occupied and don't get bored of playing with the same rabbit toys everyday. 

When you provide your bunnies with these objects, it doesn't mean that you can leave them alone for 8 hours without supervision if you go out for the day. You might come home and your house is almost turned upside down. You shouldn't give them to much freedom at an early age. You can make a schedule when you give your rabbit a small amount of freedom and in that time you can build trust and learn their ways. When they start aging and have been spayed or neutered, you may find that they are more behaved and you can give them more freedom but make sure you don't give them too much!  

Here are some pictures of me with my bunny. This can help you come up with ideas of what to do with your bun!

Rabbit Lifespan

How long is a rabbits lifespan is a general question that most people ask. This usually depends on the breed. Here is all different breeds and the average age they live till:

Angora- 5+ years

Belgian Hare- 5+ years

British Giant-5+ years but generally shorter life span

Dutch- 5-8 years

English-5+ years

Flemish-5+ years

Fox-5-10 years

Harlequin-5+ years

Havana-5-8 years

Himalayan-8+ years

Lionhead- 7-9 years

Lop-5+ years

Netherland Dwarf-7+ years

New Zealand- 5-6 years

Polish-7-10 years

Rex-5-11 years

Satin-8-10 years

Silver-8+ years around

Tan-8-10 years

Overall the average rabbits lifespan is on average 12-15 years old. If you don't know what breed your bunny is, use this average age. 

If you have had a bunny and it has not lived for that long, this could have been from boredom, not the right diet, or anything else relating to your bunny. Make sure to give your bunny the best food you can find as well as the proper exercise and mental stimulation.This will help to keep them living longer. If they gain any weight and get fat, this will shorten their life span as well.

If you have any concerns please contact me.

Hairballs in Rabbits

Hairballs in rabbits can become very dangerous and possibly lead to death if not treated when first spotted. This is more likely to happen in malting season as this is when they are loosing more fur and cleaning themselves more frequently which means that they are more likely to digest lots of fur causing what is also known as a fur ball. This is quite a rare condition in domestic bunnies yet there is still a risk.

They may become dehydrated so you have to be aware of this as well as this could lead to death from becoming dehydrated. Make sure they always have access to lots of fresh water everyday.

The domestic bunnies which are kept indoors are at more of a risk as they are in a 'warm house which the heat can cause them to malt more then ones which are outside. If you do keep your bunny indoors, remember to groom them everyday (especially if they are long haired which should be groomed everyday anyways) but if they are outdoor you won't have to groom them that much in the winter but you will have to everyday in the summer.

When your bunny malts, it starts at the top of the forehead and goes right down the body and can sometimes last up to several weeks and they can appear malting continuously. They will malt twice a year, but if they are indoors it can be quite a few years.


Symptoms - The symptoms for hairballs in rabbits includes:

Smaller or fewer droppings, droppings which contain quite a bit of hair and your bunny is unwillingly to move around freely.


Treatment/Prevention - They will need lots of fiber in their diet so make sure that lots is available at ALL times. This will help keep your bunnies digestive system moving. You should make sure that you brush them AT LEAST once a day to get rid of the molting hair so they won't digest it. If you think your bunnies digestive system is slowing, make sure that you take them to the vets immediately as this could lead to gut stasis.

I hope this post helps you to know more about hairballs in rabbits and that you now have a better understanding. Here are some bunny products which I thought you may like! take a look if you are interested:

Rabbit Water Bottles

Rabbit water bottles are quite important. If you have an outdoor bunny, in the winter they will freeze so you need to thaw them out and in the summer, this will overheat so you will need to give them some nice cold, clean aqua. Like anything else, they need to have some liquid in them.

In the summer time, these containers will get algae forming on the inside. This is from the suns light beaming onto the water bottles. It is very simple to clean. All you have to do is use a bottle brush. This is also known as a baby bottle brush.

Before cleaning the container:

During cleaning:

After cleaning:

Algae isn't bad for your rabbit to have in the bottle, but-like any animals including humans- much prefers to drink nice, fresh, clean aqua.

In the winter time, the bottles will freeze which prevents them to drink. This is also very simple to sort out. You just rinse it out with hot water until all of the ice has gone, then you fill it up with mild water. I hope this post helps! If you are interested take a look at the bunny products below:

Fly strike in Rabbits

Fly strike in rabbits is something which they could all catch and can become very fatal. This happens when your bunnies hutch may not be particularly 'clean' which attracts flies. They will then lay eggs in your bunnies fur (usually around their bottom) and mature into maggots and eat their flesh. With some flies, this can happen in under 24 hours and is more likely to occur in warmer months.

Some things like obesity, sticky or dirty bottom, long hair, diarrhea, unhygienic living conditions and runny eyes can make your bunny more at risk. Make sure to check all of these regularly to make sure your bunny has none. If you spot any maggots on your bunny, make sure to visit your vet as soon as possible. Your bunny can become very ill, very quickly. This does look very awful yet can be quite a common disease. read below for more useful information about fly strike in rabbits.


Symptoms - The symptoms for fly strike in rabbits are:

bunny is quiet or no energy/ enthusiasm, as well as bunny moving very uncomfortable or seems to be quite restless.


Prevention/Treatment - Make sure to check your bunny at least once a day so that you can make sure there are no signs for this illness. Make sure that you are keeping their cage/hutch clean and free of flies. make sure to scoop any waste out daily in hotter weather and if you think necessary hang up some fly strips around or in their living quarters out of 'chewing distance' for them.

If you did see any signs, make sure (as mentioned above) that you do take your little bunny to the vets immediately for the safety of them. If you did see any maggots on them, grab a pair of tweezers and pick them off of them as this will help them. This is something that is quite difficult to treat and your bunny will be on anti-biotics, but there is a high chance that they won't survive.

Here are some products which you may be interested in. If you are, click the pictures below! For the safety of your bunny, keep them for being obese, and keep their hutch clean and tidy! I hope this post helps you to have a better understanding of fly strike in rabbits.
Self Clean Litter Tray