How to train and play with a rabbit, rules of education at home

A pet rabbit can be trained like a cat or dog. Toy and farm breeds are litter trained and respond to their own name. Smart animals walk on a leash and jump over obstacles. If you handle your pet carefully and patiently, he will get used to your hands and learn to play without biting. The foundation of successful rabbit training is trust.

What breeds are trainable?

Of the large breeds, Flanders are distinguished by their intelligence and good nature. Rabbits grow up to 67 centimeters in length and, on average, weigh 7-10 kilograms. Grey-red-white and big-eared, they look like giant hares. Branches of the breed are gray and white giants, as well as Belgian, German, and English breeding species.

Flanders - farm meat-skinned rabbits, which are sometimes kept as pets. Of the decorative breeds intended for keeping in an apartment, the following are the most intelligent:

• dwarf shorthair - with small erect ears and a round nose;
• Dutch two-color - gray and white eared one looks like a bunny, with ears on the top of its head and a smart face;
• fox - a red animal with pointed ears, similar to a fox cub;
• lion head - a rabbit with a curly, slightly disheveled head;
• fold-eared ram - their long ears hang freely. Lambs have difficulty hearing, but love to play and become attached to their owner;
• A squirrel is an animal with a mischievous squirrel face and a red color.

Rabbits perceive learning as communication and play. Curious animals get involved in the process with interest and learn simple tricks.

When is the best time to start training?

Training begins with three-month-old rabbits. At this age, they understand commands faster and are rarely aggressive. Character is shown by adult animals that lived with other owners.

Raising an older decorative rabbit is more difficult, as it will require twice as much time and patience. Thanks to a friendly attitude, the animal will get used to the voice and hands. Every response of the animal should be rewarded with a treat. It is believed that rabbits with higher intelligence exhibit aggression and reluctance to obey commands.

Rules for training a rabbit

From an early age, you need to create safe and calm conditions for the animal. You should not shout at rabbits or show anger or irritation. Otherwise, the pet will sense danger and lose trust. If the animal reacts calmly to the presence of its owner, it can be toilet trained, sat in your arms and walked on a leash.

To the tray

How to teach hygiene to a baby rabbit:

• place the tray in the corner of the cage, which the pet uses as a toilet;
• move the feeder to the opposite corner;
• transfer waste left by the rabbit in other parts of the cage into the tray.

You can put grass, sawdust or straw with a “toilet” smell in the tray. Rewarding your pet with a treat after each successful trip to the toilet will reinforce the results.

To the hands

In a new home, the animal needs time to get used to its owner. How to help him get used to and tame:

• let sit in the cage for 2-3 days. An accustomed pet will eat, sleep and wash itself;
• When serving food, talk quietly and affectionately to the little eared animal, call its name. The rabbit will associate the owner with food, and not with danger, and the animal will learn to respond to its name;
• offer a treat from your hand. A baby rabbit may bite, but this is a natural first reaction to a new object. Gradually, the pet will calmly take the treat;
• When your pet gets used to eating from your hand, try petting it. After the rabbit eats the treat, scratch behind the ear with your finger and then offer the food again.

The pet will remember that the hand means food. If you place an empty palm in front of him, he will begin to sniff it, look for a treat and allow himself to be lifted. In order not to disappoint your pet, you need to treat him with a treat from the other hand.

For occasions and walks

The rabbit is also taught to walk on a leash step by step:

• put a harness nearby so that the animal does not perceive it as a hostile object;
• put on for 10 minutes a day and gradually increase the time;
• When the little ear gets used to walking for a long time in a harness, fasten a leash and walk at home, as on the street.

If the pet obediently walks on a leash, it is taken out for a walk on the grass in the yard.

Teaching a rabbit simple commands

Before starting training, you need to draw up a plan for the trick: write down the sequence of actions and commands in order to repeat them without changes. This way the pet will remember what a certain word means and how it should act. The delicacy serves only as a sign that he understood the owner correctly. The main thing in training is to develop a language of communication with the animal.

Name

In order for a rabbit to remember its name, it must be short with hissing and whistling sounds. The animal must be called, offering food. Accustoming to a name takes place successfully during the period of adaptation to a new place.

Making a stand

To instill discipline in a rabbit, start with a simple exercise:

• put the animal on the floor;
• lift with one hand by the front legs, saying “stand”;
• show the treat with the other hand and pull it up so that the rabbit also reaches;
• hold the treat over your pet's head and gradually remove your hand from under its paws so that it stays in a straight position.

The exercise can be divided into two stages: first learn a handstand, and then gradually remove your palm.

Jumping over obstacles

How to master rabbit show jumping:

• install a low obstacle;
• bring him on a leash and slightly pull him forward so that he jumps;
• If your pet slows down in front of an obstacle, lure him with a treat and use a leash to set the direction, giving the command “jump.”

When the rabbit has mastered the low jump, the leash can be removed and the jump bar placed higher.

Turn over the saucer

How to teach an animal to turn over a flat plate:

• put a treat in front of him and cover it with a saucer;
• give the command “search”.

In order for your pet to gain dexterity, you can start with a deeper and lighter dish - a plastic cup. Then cover the food with a ceramic bowl, and then move on to the saucer.

How to play with a pet rabbit?

The path of a rabbit walking around the apartment unattended can be traced by chewed furniture and wallpaper. Curious animals need to be occupied with games and toys, like children.

At first, it is better to accompany the animal while exploring the apartment, allowing it to inspect and sniff interesting objects. If the eared dog crawls into a forbidden place or starts gnawing on something, you need to let it know with a command that this cannot be done.

Choosing toys for a rabbit

If there is not enough time for games, the pet’s attention will be occupied by toys:

• light rubber ball;
• a wooden rodent in the shape of a carrot or other shape;
• any small toys for dogs or cats.

Rabbits love to burrow under blankets. To avoid accidentally sitting on your pet, you need to give him a linen towel, from which he will make a nest for himself. For the little ears, you can put it on the floor in a cozy place with toys. He will also enjoy sharpening his teeth on a cardboard toilet paper roll and rolling it across the floor.

Rabbits enjoy chewing on paper and cardboard. Especially for these purposes, it is good to select a separate box, make holes in its walls at different heights, and put old magazines, newspapers, and branches of fruit trees inside. A soft toy smaller than the pet will become his best friend while the owner is busy.

Games with rabbit

Rabbits, accustomed to their owners, willingly play hide and seek. For Ushastik, the sudden disappearance of his “big brother” comes as a surprise, and he begins to actively look for the loss. Other simple and interesting games:

• catching up - it’s better to catch up with the rabbit on all fours so as not to scare it;
• with a ball - roll the ball towards your pet so that he rolls it back. The animal will learn to carry a toy in its teeth and bring it back;
• tunnel - construct an extensive system of plastic bottles and teach the little ear to crawl inside.

Rabbits love to climb to heights. The animals will love the multi-level house with ladders, which can be made from planks. Hang pendant toys on each floor - bells, figurines, balls.

Teaching your rabbit a non-aggressive play style

The pet may react sharply if it is resting or feels threatened. If the little ear is ready to play, he will bring the toy himself.

What to do if your pet bites during play:

• distract attention with a treat;
• remove your hand and wait a couple of minutes for the animal to calm down, and then stroke it.

You should not interrupt the game and lock the rabbit in the cage. He still has unspent energy, which he will throw out in another way - by turning over the feeder or drinking bowl. Rabbits are intelligent animals with an individual character that does not tolerate rudeness. They show obedience in response to kindness and patience.