Teach Your Rabbit to Come when Called


A rabbit can be a great pet but it is very different from a cat or a dog. Unlike dogs, rabbits are not naturally obedient.[1] They are super smart and independent, and thus need incentive to do what you want them to do. In order to train a rabbit to come to you, you need to figure out what will motivate it and use repetition and kindness to make the action attractive to complete.

Steps

Building Trust with a Rabbit

  1. Provide for your rabbit's basic needs. Give your rabbit adequate food and shelter. You need to make sure that your rabbit is healthy and happy before attempting to train it. If a rabbit is unhappy or ill, it will be less likely to be interested in completing training sessions with you.
  2. Use a calm and even temperament with the rabbit. Rabbits, and other pets for that matter, don't usually respond well to anger and aggression. The saying "you catch more flies with honey" is very true when it comes to training an animal. Having a positive attitude and being nice will build more trust with a rabbit, and thus make the rabbit more likely to follow your commands, than brute force or hostility.
  3. Devote plenty of time to training. Spend a bit of time every day on training. Training should be done in short sessions, consisting of only 5-10 minutes. The goal is to do training consistently but in short bursts.[2]
  4. Use your rabbit’s favorite treats. Since training is based on incentives, you’ll need to find a treat that provides the most positive response. If you don’t know what your rabbit’s favorite treat is, experiment a little. If the rabbit leaves a treat alone, then it won’t work as a treat. If the bunny munches a treat right down, you have a winner.
    • You can offer a new food, in small amounts to avoid digestive upset, once a day and watch the rabbit’s response.

Training a Rabbit

  1. Sit on the floor near your rabbit. Bring healthy rabbit treats, such as carrots and celery. Hold out the treat and say "[your Rabbit’s name], come.”
  2. Give the rabbit a treat and verbal praise if it approaches you. This will positively reinforce the rabbit's actions. Also, repeat the command as it approaches.
  3. Move a little further away. In the beginning, don’t move very far; just a couple feet will do. Over time can move further and further away from the rabbit.
  4. Hold out a treat and again give the command. If the rabbit follows you without you having to say the command, then simply say it as it approaches. If the rabbit doesn't respond to your command and the promise of a treat, move back to your closer position and repeat.
  5. Repeat this training frequently. During the course of the day, occasionally call your rabbit. Use treats each time for the first few weeks to get your rabbit to associate the command with the treat. When your rabbit comes every time from a close distance, start calling it from further away.
  6. Replace the treat with a toy or petting. In time, reward your rabbit with petting and toys, but use food occasionally to keep the behavior strong. This will keep your rabbit coming when called but will also keep your pet healthy.
  7. Consider using clicker training. Many people suggest using clickers to reinforce association.[3] Each time you feed the rabbit, click the clicker so that the rabbit associates the click with food. Then, when you’re training, a click from the device tells the rabbit a treat is coming.
    • Try to click right as the desired behavior is happening so the animal knows what it did to get the reward. Give the rabbit a treat or something else they enjoy within a few seconds of the click for each and every time you click, even if you click accidentally. The rabbit will learn that a click means a treat and try to earn clicks.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/training.html
  2. ↑ http://www.clickerbunny.com/rabbit_feeding.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.clickerbunny.com/
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