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Clicker training...

It can be done if you're using the right methods

Most importantly, what are you trying to train them to do and when are you 'clicking'?
 
I trained Dipsy in under 2 weeks. I got him from a rescue September of this year, but turned out to be very, very aggressive, both inside and outside of his cage. In desperation because he was really hurting me, scaring me and upsetting my daughter, I started to look on the internet for how best to manage such aggression. I have had bunnies before with aggression problems, but nothing on this scale. The one thing I kept seeing mentioned was the clicker training, and how effective it had been. I therefore decided to give it a go and have never looked back. I see now that Dipsy was such a angry bunny , because he was so bored and mentally unstimulated, and this has completely changed him. He now has free run of the house all day, because he no longer attacks us, and is really good in his cage as well, when I am cleaning it, or just doing his food and water. I would definately say 'go for it'. Dipsy now comes when he is called, I can make him sit and stay, which especially when inside his cage is just fantastic, and can actually difuse an attack. Sometimes, I can tell just by looking at him that he has got his 'grumpy bunny syndrome, but am now finding that by making him sit and stay, and then giving him his treat, makes him so happy that he forgets all about being angry. He was terrible and always attacking us when we were trying to catch him to put him back in his cage, but now I call and click him, give him his treat, and he sits in his food corner, waiting patiently while I get his food together. I can now also stroke him and make a fuss of him in the cage. without him biting me. Have you got any specific reasons for wanting to 'clicker train' your buns? I got a clicker for a pound, and the book that I enjoyed most was one called 'Clicking with your Rabbit and I got that off ebay. You will have loads of fun with your buns if you decide to go ahead and do this, and no, you wouldn't be wasting your time, because Dipsy is no longer aggressive.
 
I trained Dipsy in under 2 weeks. I got him from a rescue September of this year, but turned out to be very, very aggressive, both inside and outside of his cage. In desperation because he was really hurting me, scaring me and upsetting my daughter, I started to look on the internet for how best to manage such aggression. I have had bunnies before with aggression problems, but nothing on this scale. The one thing I kept seeing mentioned was the clicker training, and how effective it had been. I therefore decided to give it a go and have never looked back. I see now that Dipsy was such a angry bunny , because he was so bored and mentally unstimulated, and this has completely changed him. He now has free run of the house all day, because he no longer attacks us, and is really good in his cage as well, when I am cleaning it, or just doing his food and water. I would definately say 'go for it'. Dipsy now comes when he is called, I can make him sit and stay, which especially when inside his cage is just fantastic, and can actually difuse an attack. Sometimes, I can tell just by looking at him that he has got his 'grumpy bunny syndrome, but am now finding that by making him sit and stay, and then giving him his treat, makes him so happy that he forgets all about being angry. He was terrible and always attacking us when we were trying to catch him to put him back in his cage, but now I call and click him, give him his treat, and he sits in his food corner, waiting patiently while I get his food together. I can now also stroke him and make a fuss of him in the cage. without him biting me. Have you got any specific reasons for wanting to 'clicker train' your buns? I got a clicker for a pound, and the book that I enjoyed most was one called 'Clicking with your Rabbit and I got that off ebay. You will have loads of fun with your buns if you decide to go ahead and do this, and no, you wouldn't be wasting your time, because Dipsy is no longer aggressive.

Wow that sounds amazing! I have started reading the book and brought a clicker on Saturday. Have just started clicking before I give them a treat to get used to the noise and the idea of the clicker. ie. hear the clicker and you get a treat.

Really thought about doing it for Bungee our girlie bun, she does tend to lunge at you sometimes and she is very nervous of us still. I thought this might help her learn to trust us a little more. I also thought I would try it on Bramble, to maybe help when it's time to use his nebuliser. As he does tend to run away and hide when he sees it!

So it's early days yet, but looking forward to getting started :D
 
Well good luck and I am sure you will really enjoy it and your bunnies too. I think sometimes we have to challenge the way our bunnies think, and offer them a more favourable option. I'm so glad it worked for Dipsy, as he is a really lovely bunny and is the one in my picture, but to give you an example, one day my daughter was sat on the floor doing some art homework, and not disturbing Dipsy or anything, but he went over to her and all she did was look at him and speak, and next minute he just flew at her and bit her face. We were so upset, and much as I love rabbits I couldn't keep one like that and in effect make him more important than katie, so I decided to give the clicker training a go, and if it made no difference he would have to go back to the rescue I got him from, but it was great with almost instant results. I think it gave him some much needed ground rules as well lol
 
I'm an experienced horse clicker trainer and recently went to ClickerExpo in the US. I've had great fun clicker training with my bunnies and leopard geckos. I've found that an 'i-click' style clicker is much better than the metal box clicker with these small animals as it's not as loud. Having lost my older rescue neutered male, I have been attempting to bond a rescue neutered female with my existing neutered male. They are not yet able to live together, but shared clicker training sessions seem to be the ideal way to have them in the same space and in a positive mindset - she seems to be doing all the right things, but I think he may have confused ideas of rabbit behaviour as the previous male that he was brought up with was a bit of a 'special case'. Even if I never manage to bond them, it is great mental stimulation and a chance for them to interact in a supervised and active manner. So far I've mainly taught targeting activities, like nose touching, following and standing up.
 
Just a quick update. Since clicker training Dipsy he has just gone from strength to strength, and has even got himself a babe now. So glad I found the clicker training online, because Dipsy's future was starting to look a bit uncertain. Mine too considering the amount of blood I was loosing daily!!
 
I tried earlier this year just for a bit of fun and to mentally stimulate them. I was only somewhat successful... and have no given up - more out of laziness on my part than lack of interest from there.

My questions is: Can you train 2 rabbits at one go? I could not separate my 2 and found it quite challenging to train them with 2 together. They have very different personalities and also a different level of intelligence (Leo is very social and friendly but very simple minded ie. not very smart, Lilou is reserved, shy and nervous but a lot more intelligent and aware of what is going on).
 
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