Many people don’t know this, but rabbits are trainable animals.
Make sure to bond and get your rabbit to trust you before you start training.
The most important piece of training equipment is a clicker.
A clicker doesn’t command the rabbit to do anything, it just lets the rabbit know that the behavior that he is doing is good and he gets a treat.
Follow the tricks in the order I put them in. If you do an hour of rabbit training, a day, your rabbit will be a pro at tricks.
Rabbit Clicker Training
Clicker Training is to train your rabbit to come and get a treat when they hear the clicking from the clicker.
I suggest you Clicker Train your rabbit before you train it other things because it will need to know when to get a treat when it does a trick, something good, or something you wanted it to do.
How to Clicker Train Your Rabbit
Materials:
A Clicker, a Rabbit, and Healthy Treats
Days 1-4
It is simple to do this. Click your Clicker and then give it a treat. Do this for at most 20 minutes a day. Do it repetitively. Bunny will soon think, Hmmmm… Every time I hear this clicking I get a treat from my owner.
Days 4-7
Take 5 steps away from the rabbit. Then click the clicker. He/she should respond to the clicker.
If the bunny does not respond to it, then it is a good idea to do a couple more days on just the click then give a treat.
How to Train Your Rabbit to Come When Called
Your Bunny Will Come When You Call Him
Materials
A Rabbit and Treats
Days 1-3
Say the same word every time and give your rabbit a treat. Have your Rabbit on your lap and repetitively say “Come” then give your rabbit a treat.
He doesn’t have to come we just want him to realize that when you say come he will get a treat.
Days 3-5
Place your rabbit 1-3 feet away from you and say “Come” your rabbit should come but if he doesn’t go back to step one for another day or two.
Don’t move on to step three until you have completed step two.
Days 5-8
Put your rabbit 5-8 feet away from you and see if he will come when you call him. If he doesn’t go back to step two for a few more days.
How to Train Your Rabbit to Stand on His Hind Legs
Your Bunny Will Stand on His Hind Legs on Command If You Follow These Steps
Materials
Treats, Bunny, and Clicker
Days 1-5
Put a treat under your bunny’s nose and lift it up. When your bunny is up, say “Stand” or “Up”. You need to say a command so your rabbit knows that Stand or Up means to stand on his hind legs.
Days 5-6
Say your command and your bunny should stand on his hind legs. If they don’t, go back to step one for a day or two until your bunny gets it.
How to Target Train Your Rabbit
Your Rabbit Will Be Trained to Follow a Ball on a Stick
How to Make a Target Trainer
Materials
Cat Ball, Drill, Hot Glue Gun, and Wooden Dowel
Instructions
- Take a drill and drill a bigger hole on one of the holes so the wooden dowel fits in in.
- Stick the wooden in the cat ball. Slide the dowel all the way to the bottom of the cat ball.
- Take the hot glue gun and hot glue the cat ball to the dowel.
- Let your target trainer dry.
Target Training
Materials
Target Trainer, Clicker, Treats, and a Rabbit
Days 1-3
Hold the Target Trainer away from the rabbit, when the rabbit touches the target trainer with his nose, click your clicker and give your rabbit a treat.
Days 3-5
Do the same thing as days 1-3 but this time do a three second touch instead of an meditate treat.
Days 5-7
Do a four second chase and a three second touch. Then Click the clicker and give your rabbit a treat.
How to Train Your Rabbit to Push a Ball With His Nose
Your Rabbit Will Learn to Push a Ball With His Nose on Command
Materials
Clicker, Treats, Cat Ball, and a Rabbit
Days 1-3
Put the ball in the middle of the room and wait for your rabbit to touch it with his nose. Immediately after your rabbit touches it, click the clicker and give your rabbit a treat.
Your rabbit should recognize this ball from the end of your target trainer so it shouldn’t take long to train your rabbit this trick.
Days 3-5
Have your rabbit push the ball with his nose. After he pushes it, click your clicker and give your rabbit a treat.
How to Train Your Rabbit to Jump Through a Hoop
Your Rabbit Will Jump Through a Hula Hoop on Command
Materials
Clicker, Treats, a Hula Hoop, and a Rabbit
Days 1-3
Hold the Hula Hoop to the ground and sit on the other side and say “Hoop” as rabbit is hopping through the Hula Hoop.
Sit on the side you want your rabbit to jump to so your rabbit will come over to you. Once your rabbit hops through the Hula Hoop, click your clicker and give your rabbit a treat
Days 3-5
Lift your Hula Hoop off the ground about ten inches and sit on the side you want your rabbit to jump to. Once he does, click the clicker and give the rabbit a treat.
Days 5-8
Do the same thing you did on days 3-5 but this time stand on the side of your Hula Hoop and press the Hula Hoop to your rabbit’s chest to coax him through the hoop.
Don’t forget to say “Hoop” and when he does it, click the clicker and give your rabbit a treat.
How to Train Your Rabbit to do an Agility Hurdle
Materials
Clicker, Treats, Agility Hurdle, Target Trainer, and Rabbit
Days 1-3
Take your Target Trainer and direct your rabbit over the Hurdle as he is jumping, say “Jump” or “Over” so your rabbit knows that jump or over means he has to jump over the Hurdle.
Once your rabbit has jumped over the hurdle, click your clicker and give your rabbit a treat.
Days 3-5
Say the same command you were saying on days 1-3 and see if your rabbit will hurdle the agility hurdle. If he doesn’t go back to step one for a few more days.
Training Your Rabbit to Do Tricks
Rabbits are naturally intelligent, in most cases are easy to train, will quickly pick up new behaviours and learn tricks.
When training a pet it can take anything from a few hours to a few weeks for your rabbit to adopt a new behaviour or pick up training, just remember patience, love, repetition and positive reinforcement are the key ingredients.
If you have just brought your rabbit home it is a good idea to spend some time bonding first.
Training then becomes a natural extension of your relationship that strengthens trust, incorporates quality time and enhances you and your rabbits relationship.
You can start by simply grooming and playing with your rabbit as you get to know and become at ease with each other you can include some training which will keep developing your bond.
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