Newbie - Rabbit bonding, please help!!!

Hi, we have had our first rabbit, Gizmo since may and she was neutered in september. She started looking a bit lonely so we decided to get her a neutered male to share her time with.
We got Wolverine (Wolfie for short) from our local RSPCA in october and he had been neutered in septemeber also.
They are both the same age, Gizmo being a lionhead dwarf lop cross and Wolfie a pure lionhead.
we read loads of literature on bonding and they are living in seperate hutches right opposite each other so they can see each other. We have swapped food bowls, toys etc and have recently also swapped their hutches over.
we left it about a couple of weeks before an initial introduction - in the garage, with this being neutral. It didn't go too bad and we have been slowly trying to bond them ever since.
Yesterday seemed to go very well, with Gizmo flobbing out (liked she was tranced) constantly in front of wolfie, also bowing her head to him and being very (what looked like) submissive. Wolfie just doesn't seem interested though, he groomed her a bit yesterday (I think it was grooming and not nibbling), but they both seem very jumpy at this point.
Anyhow. After the success yesterday, we swopped the hutches over and tried them again today. Again all seemed ok to start with, the usual bit of chasing to start, then they got a bit more confident and even layed right next to each other for a bit.....
Then it all kicked off!!!!.. They both seem quite interested in sniffing each others genitals, but it doesn't normally go much further than that, but today they really started fighting, there was fur everywhere and they were in a head to genital position and seemed to really be going for each other. I had to step in with a broom and just about managed to break it up, but they went straight back in again at each other. We managed to seperate them and calm them down and put them back in their respective hutches.
What has gone wrong?!!!!
Are we doing something wrong?
Sorry about the long post, but I thought as much info as possible might help!
Thanks

Bowing the head is, as far as I'm aware, a dominant action. It's demanding to be groomed from the other rabbit, so if he isn't obliging then she may be getting annoyed and wanting to put him in his place. One of them will need to back down to work out who is going to be the dominant one.

Next time they are together try and watch for body language, raised tails etc to see if a fight is brewing. I think part of the problem might be that you are seperating them after introductions. Everytime they come back together they have to work out who's boss again.

Erm...it sounds like they were trying to mount each other to me? When rabbit are trying to mount they grab hold of the loose fur around the neck or bum in order to get a grip and as the other rabbit tries to run away this causes the fur to pull out.

This is normal behaviour and totally acceptable despite looking rather frightening.

My personal preference is not to split a pair of rabbits once bonding had begun as everytime you put them back together they subsequently have to reestablish their hierachy....in effect moving back to square one each time.

Also should a pair fight, be seperated and then retried later they will automatically be on the defensive as all they will remember is last time that rabbit tried to hurt them.

I agree. Its best to find a time when you have a whole day to spare, if possible to observe them and then put them together with the intention of them staying together from then on. Start off neutral - as you have been - then once things - hopefully! - settle down, move them into their permanent accomodation, which you should scrub thoroughly and clean with vinegar to remove odours.
It sounds like it has been going well in general. The problem with separating them and starting up again the next day is that you will be taking a step back and to some extent be starting from scratch. Try not to separate at all if possible - unless you think they are seriously trying to hurt each other. Fuer pulling, chasing mounting and some nipping is normal. But the head to tail mounting you describe is bext broken up (very carefully with heavy gloves or something else!) in order to avoid nasty bites to the genitals!
Its a good idea to make sure you have a tunnel and a small cardboard box with a hole cut out when you are bonding so that either of them have somewhere to retreat should it get a bit much for them. Also plenty of hay and a few nibbles for distraction.
A good place to do bonding is the bathroom as it can be made nice and clean and neutral and if you aren't confident with them being together over night by the end of the day then they can be left in their for the nightime and its easy to keep checking on them - well preferable to keep going outside to look!

Bonding is an ABSOLUTE nightmare, isn't it? I have only had one successful bonding (well, and one that doesn't really count - I put the rabbits together and they fell in love), but I think I learnt a lot from it as it was so hard. This is what I think:

I'd give it a fews days' rest as they have had a fight and you want them to forget that. When you start again what I think you need is:

Good, thick gloves so you can separate the buns and not get injured
Vinegar, so you can scrub the garage floor with it before you start so that it doesn't smell of bunny at all
A whole weekend (at least - preferably a long weekend) completely free
A BIG pile of books, or a radio, or a tv set and a pile of films or SOME form of entertainment for the long, long, long weekend you are going to have.
Somewhere very comfy to sit, as you'll be spending a lot of time there.

It sounds as though you are basically doing things right - finding a neutral place and all that - and it sounds as though it is actually quite hopeful, in that it went well for a day.

You could try giving the rabbits a ride in the car together to start the whole thing off - they hate it and so cuddle together for comfort. Ducking the head is a dominant activity - the subordinate rabbit licks the head of the dominant one (as they are not carnivores the rabbit with the head underneath isn't putting itself in any danger). The rabbits do have to sort out who is boss though, so there may be nipping and stuff. It is REALLY HARD not to intervene and help the under-rabbit, but this is what you have to do. Unless, of course, it turns into a real fight (which it sounds as though yours did - a real fight is where they bite and hang on with their teeth and kick with their feet and it is REALLY HORRIBLE), when you have to intervene, and quickly before the fighting really kicks off (I think that it is possible for rabbits to learn to fight each other as well as learn to live together, and you don't want this to happen).

The only other thing I'd say is that if it isn't working in one neutral environment, see if another one will work. My buns REALLY weren't getting on, and I was in despair, but they had got blood (mine) all over the back seat of the car where I was trying to bond them, so I put them somewhere else and it all started to work. When things are peaceful (as it was initially for yours) I think you should leave them there and not separate them,. If possible, sleep with them at night so that if it kicks off you can separate them before injury happens. It is a very labour and time intensive process. But worth it in the end....

Good luck though - hope this hasn't been too negative

When you put them in the garage the 2nd time had you cleaned it with white vinegar to remove scents from the last time? It was just a thought that if they could both smell themselves and each other they may both try to claim the territory as theirs.

All the mounting, chasing, furpulling etc is par for the course. You just have to let them get on with it and seperate if it turns nasty

Thanks for all the help
Gaffer - we didn't clean the garage after the first time - good thinking and we'll give it a go for next time.
I'm starting to think part of the problem could well be Gizmo is trying to be the dominant one, with the head bowing etc and Wolfie not up for any of that!!!
Giz seems very happy in his company most of the time, with her trancing out etc, but after everyone's help, I'm definately thinking dominance issues..

We tried the car thing, might try it again, but Gizmo is petrified of the car journey and Wolfie loves it, and doesn't try to comfort her!!!

We shall keep trying.........!!!

Definately every tiem you separate you are effectively startgin all over again, so best to do it as said above with a long weekend that you can spend time with them whilst they are gettign to know each other.
Maybe try a smaller place next tiem liek the bath tub, then gradually move them to larger places - again same bondign session and keep at it. If you have to do it step by step cos of fighting then make sure it ends on a positive note each time since they are quite likely to remember a very bad experience. Lots of toys and treats to distract etc... try this link too, lots of good info/advice:

http://www.mybunnies.com/bonding.htm

Good luck to you all