Bonding with my rabbit

I have just got a rabbit and want to know the best way to bond with him. He is an adoption and they informed me he was in a house with dogs before and seems to be quite jumpy. He is slowly starting to explore my bedroom and me but I want to know if you have any advice on good ways to encourage him to come to me.

I am new to the forum so I am sorry if there is another thread for this!

Thanks in advance!!

hi!
first thought - the majority of rabbits are 'a bit jumpy' - getting a chilled bun is unusual, its a survival thing for them. so don't worry about it and don't take it personally.
best way to encourage him to come to you is to sit still on the floor - he'll explore you eventually. if you have treats (a few of the pellets he eats, or a dandelion leaf , rather than commercial treats, or he'll get fat) to offer when he comes close, he'll come to you more often.
many buns do't like being cuddled, so if you let him stay on the floor and just rub his nose if he allows it, he will probably appreciate that.
many experts will turn up later - i don't know much about it.

Hello again.

I usually sit still and find that with time buns will come and see what you are up to. They seem quite nosey. It just takes time. My girl Matilda loved nose rubs and being stroked from a couple of days of getting them home. My boy Kyle has only just started liking them and we adopted him almost two months ago. Just takes time.

Offering pellets (from their daily amount) or healthy treats is a great incentive for bun to come out and spend time with you.

hand feeding i find always helps

Hand feeding is a good idea. To get my very nervous bun to come out of her shell a bit I sat and read a book, totally ignored her. Even when she came over to me I initially ignored her. Then I gradually started stroking her nose and gently nose rubbing.

Don't stroke under bunny's chin just yet. That is bunny speak for you asking the bun to groom you. He might take offence, try stroking his head and nose etc. Don't go for the back at first, he might think you're trying to pick him up.

You need to get him to trust you and that can take time but it's so worth it when, in a few weeks, he comes up to you and shoves his head under your hand for grooming

So it kind of works on a reward basis? He comes to you give him a treat.

Thank you so much I will give this a go!

hopefully he'll learn to associate you with goodies

I always take pellets out of Doughnuts allowance and sit on the floor and she now jumps on my lap for them, then have a sneaky cuddle. As time goes on your rabbit will trust you more. Doughnut doesn't like being picked up or cuddled but likes being stroked if you go down to her level. In the morning I open her hutch and she jumps on my lap and puts her paws on my chest looking up at me. She's a very friendly rabbit but it's only because she knows her pellets are due. Onces the treats have gone she's off my lap again!!