How to train a rabbit: the rules of the game and education at home

A domestic rabbit can be trained like a cat or a dog. Decorative and farm breeds are accustomed to the tray and respond to their own name. Smart animals walk on a leash and jump over obstacles. If you treat your pet carefully and patiently, he will get used to the hands and learn to play without biting. Trust is at the heart of successful rabbit training.

What breeds are trainable?

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

Flanders are 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 smart:

• dwarf shorthair - with small erect ears and a rounded nose;
• Dutch two-tone - gray-white eared like a bunny, with ears on top and a smart muzzle;
• fox - a red animal with pointed ears, looks like a fox;
• lion's head - a rabbit with a curly, slightly disheveled head;
• lop-eared sheep - their long ears hang freely. Lambs do not hear well, but they love to play and become attached to the owner;
• squirrel - an animal with a mischievous muzzle of a squirrel and a red color.

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

When is the best time to start training?

Training starts 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 take twice as much time and patience. Thanks to a friendly attitude, the animal will get used to the voice and hands. Each response of the animal must be encouraged with a treat. It is believed that rabbits with higher intelligence show aggression and unwillingness to obey commands.

Rules for training a rabbit

From an early age, you need to create a safe and calm environment for the animal.You can not shout at rabbits, show anger and irritation. Otherwise, the pet will feel the danger and lose confidence. If the animal calmly reacts to the presence of the owner, it can be toilet trained, sit on your hands and walk on a leash.

To tray

How to teach a rabbit to hygiene:

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

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 result.

To hands

In the new house, the animal needs time to get used to the owner. How to help him get comfortable and tame:

• let sit in the cage for 2-3 days. A settled pet will eat, sleep and wash;
• when serving food, talk softly and affectionately with the eared, call his nickname. The owner will be associated in the rabbit with food, not 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 a treat;
• When the pet gets used to eating from your hand, try petting it. After the rabbit has eaten the treat, scratch behind the ear with your finger, and then offer food again.

The pet will remember that the hand means food. If you put an empty hand 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 the pet, you need to treat him with a treat from the other hand.

On occasion and walks

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

• put a harness next to it 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 eared one gets used to walking in a harness for a long time, fasten the leash and walk at home, like on the street.

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

Teaching a rabbit simple commands

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

Name

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

Making a rack

To discipline a rabbit, start with a simple exercise:

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

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

Jumping obstacles

How to master rabbit jumping:

• set low obstacle;
• bring him on a leash and slightly pull forward to make him jump;
• if the pet slows down in front of an obstacle, beckon him with a treat and set the direction with a leash, giving the command "jump".

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

Turn the saucer over

How to teach an animal to flip a flat plate:

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

To get your pet dexterity, you can start with deeper and lighter dishes - 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 without supervision can be traced through gnawed furniture and wallpaper. Curious animals need to be occupied with games and toys like children.

At first, it is better to accompany the animal during the exploration of the apartment, to allow it to inspect and sniff interesting objects. If the eared one climbed into a forbidden place or started to gnaw something, you need to let him know with the team that this cannot be done.

Choice of toys for the rabbit

If there is not enough time for games, toys will occupy the pet's attention:

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

Rabbits love to burrow under bedspreads. In order not to accidentally sit on a pet, you need to give him a linen towel, from which he will arrange a nest for himself.For an eared one, you can put a cozy bed with toys on the floor. He will also enjoy sharpening his teeth on a toilet paper roll and rolling it across the floor.

Rabbits like to chew on paper and cardboard. Especially for these purposes, it is good to single out a separate box, make holes in its walls at different heights, and put old magazines, newspapers, fruit tree twigs inside. A soft toy smaller than a pet will be his best friend while the owner is busy.

Ringing, squeaking and mechanical toys should be offered carefully, as sharp sounds and movements can frighten the animal.

Rabbit Games

Rabbits, accustomed to the owners, willingly play hide and seek. For the eared, the sudden disappearance of the "big brother" becomes a surprise, and he begins to actively look for the loss. Other simple and interesting games:

• chasing - it is better to catch up with the rabbit on all fours so as not to scare him;
• with a ball - roll the ball to the pet so that it rolls back in response. The animal will learn to carry the toy in its teeth and fetch it;
• tunnel - construct an extensive system of plastic bottles and teach the big-eared crawl inside.

Rabbits love to climb high. Animals will love the multi-level house with ladders, which can be made from planks. On each floor, hang toys-pendants - bells, figurines, balls.

Teaching a rabbit non-aggressive play style

The pet may react sharply if he is resting or feels danger. If the eared is ready to play, then he will bring the toy.

What to do if your pet bites while playing:

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

Do not interrupt the game and close the rabbit in the cage. He has unspent energy left, which he will throw out in another way - he will turn over the feeder or drinker. Rabbits are smart animals with an individual character that does not tolerate rudeness. They show obedience in response to kindness and patience.

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