I bite. D:

My rabbit bites a lot. It is a netherland dwarf. It is 2 years old. He bites all the time especially when out of his cage. Can anyone help me or give me advice on how to help him?
We're thinking of getting a girl rabbit too and we don't know if it will help.

I'm not really a professional rabbit person, as I only have one rabbit, but I can try and help. My rabbit has never bitten me, but he lunges at me and puts his ears back like he's going to bite. I think it is because he isn't neutered (he's getting neutered next week), so if your rabbit isn't neutered that would be a good thing to do. He has bitten my friends and my parents because they don't know how to be with him. He only does this stuff in his hutch part, not when he is running in his shed/play house (the hutch is inside the play house).

This is what I do to prevent him from biting me: I don't put my hand in front of him when he's in his hutch. When I want to take him inside or out into his run, I put my right hand over his ears/head/eyes and then scoop him up under his tummy with my other hand. If you do the first step right unless he is really persistent, in which case you have to be a little more firm with your grip, then I think he won't be able to bite. If I have time I could try and get some pictures explaining what I mean since it looks confusing. Let me know if this helps.

Is he neutered? He needs to be neutered for 6 weeks before being introduced to a girlie bun anyway, but hormones can often make a bun aggressive. This is probably the most common cause of aggression.

Does he only bite in his area? He may be territorial - often this can be reduced by neutering aswell - but some buns just are that way.

Is he eating/pooing ok? Or crouched & hunched up? That can be a sign of pain - so bun would need a vet ASAP.

Is he scared? If you move quickly about him - like pulling your hand away fast or making a lot of noise, he may bite through fear. I have an extremely aggressive bun - we have ruled out all other causes - it's just him - but he is very tolerant of me if I walk quietly & slowly around him & keep my eyes down & talk gently when I'm in his space. That way I'm not a threat. He needs to see hands as "good things", so never punish him for biting & feed him treats.

Is he poorly sighted? Does he sit & "scan" the room. If a bun can't see or hear what's around them they can be quite defensive. Scanning is very common in red-eyed whites.

Is he bored? Does he have toys to play with/hay to munch constantly? Does he get enough attention? He could be lonely. Neutering & pairing him with a girlie bun may well make him happier If you get a spayed girlie from a Rescue, they may bond them for you too.

Aren't Netherland Dwarfs quite a grumpy breed? May be imagining it. My vet did say recently that larger rabbits often have calmer temperaments than small ones though...

Hi, my netherland dwarf used to bite and was a bit grumpy, but he calmed down alot after neutering. I paired him up with a female netherland dwarf from a rescue and he is much more relaxed and has never tried to bite me since. I do think nethies can be a bit more feisty than other breeds but they are not always aggressive.

Thanks a bunch. He has not been neutered yet.

Oh, then that is probably it. Remember it takes up to eight weeks (I think) for his hormones to calm down. I think it can even take like 6 months but I'm not sure. Aw I just love my bunny so much! Hehehe I just felt like saying that .