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Body language please
- Thread starter j3nny
- Start date
Santa
Wise Old Thumper
In bonding, I'd say the most important things are:
ears flattened on back (if bunny is not a lop!) and tail up often means "I'm about to attack you". A good idea to get ready to gently hold buns apart until they calm down, especially early in a bond and especially if they are both adopting the same posture. If they launch into a full-on attack, it can quickly escalate into a fight. Some people will leave them unless it's getting really bad; personally I prefer to gently hold them apart (but still in the same pen) until they calm down, and find that after a couple of hours, they settle a lot more and do this less anyway, and instead tend to creep up with ears forward.
ears forward tends to mean 'I'm interested in you'. If a bun is creeping towards another bun during bonding in this posture, I would leave them to it
sitting in a corner with head down can be submission and fear, whereas putting head down next to the other bun, and/or pushing head underneath the other bun's head is a demand for grooming. Sometimes they can get cross if the other bun doesn't groom them so watch out for those ears going flat and tail going up if it's not returned! If there is lots of demands for grooming but no actual grooming, a little smear of something yummy like apple and pear or apple and banana baby food (check the ingredients carefully and go for one that is 100% pureed fruit) can encourage them to start
This is also a good site: http://language.rabbitspeak.com/
It's not in the context of bonding but it's all still pretty similar Good luck!
ears flattened on back (if bunny is not a lop!) and tail up often means "I'm about to attack you". A good idea to get ready to gently hold buns apart until they calm down, especially early in a bond and especially if they are both adopting the same posture. If they launch into a full-on attack, it can quickly escalate into a fight. Some people will leave them unless it's getting really bad; personally I prefer to gently hold them apart (but still in the same pen) until they calm down, and find that after a couple of hours, they settle a lot more and do this less anyway, and instead tend to creep up with ears forward.
ears forward tends to mean 'I'm interested in you'. If a bun is creeping towards another bun during bonding in this posture, I would leave them to it
sitting in a corner with head down can be submission and fear, whereas putting head down next to the other bun, and/or pushing head underneath the other bun's head is a demand for grooming. Sometimes they can get cross if the other bun doesn't groom them so watch out for those ears going flat and tail going up if it's not returned! If there is lots of demands for grooming but no actual grooming, a little smear of something yummy like apple and pear or apple and banana baby food (check the ingredients carefully and go for one that is 100% pureed fruit) can encourage them to start
This is also a good site: http://language.rabbitspeak.com/
It's not in the context of bonding but it's all still pretty similar
Good luck!