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harnesses and leashes

JLG

Mama Doe
Does anyone use these for their buns and what for? How did the buns take to it? How would you introduce them and start to train them to follow you in the harness?
I'm just curious :oops:
 
Lots of people on here do, but I never would as buns are so fragile and prone to running away when scared, maybe some one with better advice will answer soon:wave:
 
depends on the rabbit, some like it some dont.
is rabbit happy and confident aroud you / you holding it?
you can place it on him gently and see how he reacts, if he reacts well you can try clipping it up etc.
just watch them very carefully and also make sure they have no bad experiances with it. Oh and dont leave it on while bun is unattended
generally, you just follow the rabbit.
 
I remember trying this on my rabbit I had when I was kid. Within about 10 minutes he had wiggled out of it backwards and set off down the garden!
 
I would never put a harness or leash on a Rabbit

Neither would I, but then I have no need too anyway. I did try it many years ago with my first bun Stan and he freaked out and was swinging around all over the place.. Was a frightening experience for us both.
 
hmm, if you google rabbit show jumping there a buns who look happy enough in one, and they are wearing them for saftey reasons so they don't run off and get lost or in to a fight in a strange place. I would tend to agree that unless you have a specific purpose or reason for it you're better of just not doing it.
 
I use one for Domino, I just put it on her and let her loose in the garden. I have old shoe laces tied to it too to extend it but a gentle tug will ensure she stops and comes back from where she is. She doesn't mind it at all

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Just to add I don't use it often on her, only in the garden (which isn't very secure for her) when she was on her own. I don't see the problem in them but they're not a dog and it's best for them to free range if poss.
 
I have done but it's important to remember that it's not like having a dog on a lead. They go where they want and you should never pull/tug it and rabbits cant be 'trained' to use them (in my experience anyway).

The front garden isnt secure but has lovely long grass and dandelions so that's why i've used it in the past. And he wasnt bothered - he seemed to enjoy the new experience, if anything.

When we are out the back he has free range and he follows me around and stays very close to my heels but when we were out the front on his lead, he seemed to know he was the boss. :lol: He sort of hopped where he wanted and i followed, always making sure that the lead was slack. He's not scatty or unpredictable - if he was, i'd never have used it on him.


A passer by commented on my 'funny looking cat'. :shock:

TBH, i dont think i'd use it again - it just didnt feel right and it's certainly not natural. I'll just wait to get a run out there before he can use the front garden.
 
When we had our first rabbits, years ago, me and my sister had harnesses for them. I also used one on my rabbit, Daisy, several years ago. Something spooked her and she panicked and got the lead caught round her leg. She panicked more and the lead tightened and she actually screamed.

It all happened in a matter of seconds, we managed to get the lead from round her leg and she was unharmed but I would never use one again.
 
thanks all, I was just curious about why you might use one - not planning anything with my 2 as they have safe free ranging etc.
I did wionder about showjumping but would try it 'loose' anyway :D
 
I have one for Pepy, he doesnt mind the harness at all, but I barely use it.
 
Had one for Fluffy (over 15 years ago!) and he detested it and escaped, then ran round the garden. It made him so stressed, i could never do it again, but i didnt know then it wasn't good :(

You think because people sell something for a purpose, it would be 'suitable' or 'fit for purpose' ... :roll:
 
I would never use one even if my buns seemed not to mind.

The problem, as I see it, is that, even if the rabbit appears happy to wear one, you never know when/if something is going to startle him/her. I wouldn't like to imagine the injuries that could occur if they were wearing a lead/harness when that happened. :(
 
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