You need to teach your rabbit to associate the sound of their name (or whatever command word you choose) with getting a reward. To do this, start by saying their name as you hand them a treat. You'll want to do this every time you give them a treat, at least 5 times a day.
As he grows used to this, he'll soon start to appear as you call – even when there may not be a treat involved. 'In this way, it's easy to build up your bunny's confidence and teach him to come when you call,' says Michelle. 'Rabbits are very intelligent animals and will learn quickly.
They are smart and love to learn through play – and get rewarded with treats. With patience, your bunny can be trained to run agility courses, fetch, jump, and spin on cue. And Louise suggests that training rabbits to hop on to scales or sit still for nail trimmings makes them even easier to care for.
My rabbits like being stroked on their forehead and cheeks. They put their head on the ground and close their eyes in contentment. They also love getting a good back scratch around the shoulders. That said, they tend not to like being touched on the ears, neck, feet, stomach or tail.
Welcome, and as an FYI, rabbits say “hello” by going nose to nose just like cats do. And the one that lowers its head first so that its chin touches the ground thinks they're the boss.
Most rabbits love being pet. Many will calmly sit with you for long periods of time while you give them a nice massage. Petting is a great way to calm an anxious rabbit down and to bond with your pet rabbit. However, it's important to learn the techniques to pet your rabbit in a way that they will love.
The best way to gain your rabbits' trust is by simply spending lots of time being near them, while allowing your bunnies to approach you in their own time. By sitting quietly with them in a safe enclosure, you'll show your rabbits that you aren't to be feared and that you can be trusted.
Rabbits will remember the people that they spend a lot of time with, and this includes their owners and caretakers. As prey animals, they have neurologically developed with a strong long-term memory for places and routines. You can use these associations to help strengthen your rabbit's memory of you.
Most rabbits love to be cuddled and stroked when approached in the right way. Few like being held or carried as being so high up from the ground makes them feel insecure, however, many will happily sit on your lap or snuggle up next to you for a cuddle.
When your bun does something he shouldn't be, use his name and say 'NO', firmly and sternly. Make eye contact with your bun when you say this. Stay calm and raise your voice, but do not yell. Example: Oliver the rabbit is digging at the carpet.
If they are sitting upright and their front paws are 'boxing' at you, they are likely very unhappy. Vocalising. Rabbits don't tend to make much noise and when they do it's a sign they're feeling very threatened. You may hear them grunting or growling and in extreme cases, they can scream.
They also lose much of their depth perception at close ranges, seeing in two dimensions (instead of the three that we are used to). Their vision also isn't as sharp as humans' vision. This grainy vision is why it's so easy to startle your bunny – they might not always recognize your shape.
We usually tell our adopters that we expect the average bonding is going to take about two and a half weeks.
Move slowly and talk quietly around rabbits so as not to startle them. They're more likely to be relaxed in a quiet and calm handling environment. Picking rabbits up when you're close to ground level is less likely to scare them, and is also safer, as it helps prevent them from being dropped from a height by accident.
Licking: Licking is a way bunnies groom each other. If your bunny licks you, it's a sign of affection as you'll often see pairs of bunnies grooming each other this way. A bunny lick is a sign of a bond.
Many rabbits enjoy being kissed on the top of the head. Your rabbit will not kiss you back, but will return your affection in other ways. Licking is a key sign of affection from rabbits. You can teach a bonded rabbit to 'kiss' you with training.
Rabbits communicate using body language, and apologizing is one example of this behavior. Rabbits apologize by touching heads. Bonded rabbits rarely fight, but it can sometimes happen. If the rabbits groom each other after touching heads, then the apology has been officially accepted.
Offer a treat
The easiest way to apologize to a rabbit is to offer them the treat. For many rabbits, this will immediately get you back into their good graces and they will no longer hold a grudge against you. However, even for rabbits who refuse the treat, the act of giving them something yummy doesn't go unnoticed.
Objects to play with or throw - such as untreated straw, wicker, sea-grass mats and baskets, balls and plastic flower pots. Solid plastic baby toys such as 'key rings', rattles, stacking cups and some robust cat and parrot toys can make good rabbit toys.