My House Rabbit's Blog » Rabbit Training

Clicker Training

My House Rabbit — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:21:33 +0000

Andrea Bratt Frick has been clicker training rabbits since she adopted a bunny named Filbert who was able to jump 36 inches. She used a clicker to train Filbert to use his leaping ability to clear hurdles. She uses the clicker to signal the rabbit to do a trick, which is followed by a reward. The reward is dependent on the rabbit, some rabbits like particular veggies or pellets, while others are satisfied with a nose rub.

She also uses the clicker to help abused or neglected rabbits become comfortable around people. Clicker training helped these rabbits become less aggressive and more willing to be handled by humans. Frick works with the rabbits at Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter in Santa Barbara, CA.

Read the full article at The Examiner.

Rabbit Show Jumping in England

My House Rabbit — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:45:47 +0000

Inspired by rabbit show jumping videos on YouTube, two brothers, Mathew and Thomas Haslam, from Doncaster, England, have been training their two rabbits to participate in the rabbit agility competition at the Ultimate Pet Show in Birmingham. The two bunnies, Bubbles and Lilac, are a favorite to win the competition. To prep the rabbits for the contest, Mathew and Thomas set up obstacles in their backyard and initially used leashes to guide the rabbits over the fences.

For more info: The Daily Mail

February is “Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month”

My House Rabbit — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:08:38 +0000

I wrote an article for the local paper here in southeastern CT about the benefits of adopting a rabbit in honor of February being “Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month.”

Here’s an excerpt:

If you are uninitiated to the world of bunnies, you may not realize that February is “Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month.” So in the spirit of spreading awareness, here are a few benefits of adopting a pet rabbit from a rescue or shelter.

But before you get too excited about getting a rabbit, it should be noted that although rabbits make wonderful indoor companions (who can be easily litter trained), they are not low maintenance pets. Rabbits require the same amount of care and attention as cats or dogs, and they can live around 10 years or more. But if you and your family are willing to make the commitment, read on!

Read the full article here >

Best in Show for Bunnies

My House Rabbit — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 06:49:56 +0000

This video has been around for a little while now, but it still cracks me up. The man’s jubilant “YESSS!” accompanied by the double fist pump when his rabbit jumps over the hurdle is hilarious. But, apparently this was the winning high jump of 33.5 inches in the 2002 Danish Championship.

Training (Take 1)

My House Rabbit — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:04:07 +0000

I quickly learned that putting the treats in the same cabinet as the paper towels used for litterbox cleaning was not a good idea. Now, every time Cosette hears the cabinet door opening, she bounds over with a crazed look in her eye. And since Cosette is excited, Coco will come running over so that he doesn’t miss out. (Even though he has no idea what’s going on.) So after I cleaned their litterboxes last night, I decided that I didn’t have the heart to withhold a treat from them since they were so excited. However, I thought that maybe I could at least make them work for it and learn some tricks.

So, I thought I’d teach them the command, “Up!” I didn’t think it would be that difficult since they enjoy jumping onto tables, boxes, beds, chairs, shelves, etc. And they usually come over if I tap my finger on the ground (only to leave immediately if they see I don’t have food.)

So, I said, “Up!” and tapped the top of the box. After about fifteen minutes of this and Cosette running around and inside the box frantically with Coco chasing her, I settled for the command, “Walk!” which entailed me holding the treat in front of them so they had to stand on their hind feet and walk. Not quite as impressive as I would have hoped…

Especially when compared to these clicker trained bunnies:

It makes me want to buy a clicker, but on the other hand, I kind of find Cosette’s sometimes surly attitude endearing.