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Icho for a run!!

Hi! Icho was vaccinated yesterday and I was thinking taking him for a run in a garden that is just next to my house. Of course being sure there aren't dogs, that most of times there is none. I am not really up to get a leash, I wanted to do it more naturally.
What you think? Any tips? I could do this in my garden, but my neighbor's dogs usually come in and they are not very friendly...
 
Most rabbits really do not like leashes and harnesses and it can be very dangerous for them as they may panick and seriously injure themselves. If you bun is very new, then it is not a good to let your bun run loose either, even if supervised as he will not come to you if there is a predetor or he gets scared. The best option is to get him a very secure large run that is predator proof and stay with him whilst he is in the run. Make sure he has a shelter in the run in case it gets sunny and give him a large bowl of water.
 
He is a indoor rabbit and is already quite bonded, even he is starting to come when called. That is why I wanted to try outside, of course no leashes...
Maybe I should go before to my friend's garden first :roll:
 
Two of my rabbits are very tame and will come when called, but I still wouldn't want them running loose outside of my own house/garden. They can be the best-behaved bunnies in the world, but if they see or hear something frightening and they bolt, it would be very hard to get them back. :(

Could you try getting a puppy pen and blocking off a section of garden for him? Just for short periods of time at first? That's how I got my house rabbits used to being outside.
 
Taking a rabbit outside to a field and not putting him on a lead would be saying goodbye to your rabbit. Even the most friendly of rabbits you may struggle to get back, as they may decide they want to run around, and they can run much faster than us! Rabbits are prey animals and designed for escaping, bolting and eluding capture. You also risk dogs, cats and birds of prey...

Rabbits are not dogs and don't do as they are told to please us, they will do as they are told only if they want to or if there is something in it for them (a reward). As such, rabbits also aren't good at being 'walked' like a dog, they don't really grasp the concept of walking beside you, the rabbit ends up walking you. Rabbits are also prey animals and territorial, so taking a rabbit outside of it's normal territory where it doesn't know the escape-routes and hiding places can be stressful for them and can make them flighty.

If you did use a harness, you should be aware that if the rabbit bolts it may break it's neck or back - rabbits' bones are very brittle as they are designed to be light-weight. There was a rabbit on here recently that choked himself with his harness when he freaked out. The jacket-style harnesses are safer than the H type, if you do use one, and they can be made safer by not using an extendable or very long lead. I wouldn't recommend using a harness in anywhere that wasn't safe and enclosed - rabbits can escape harnesses so you need to know they can't escape the garden too.

If you would like him to get some outside exercise and eat some grass, do it in a secure garden, preferably in a run. Be careful to build up the amount of time he is in there slowly, as too much grass when they are not used to it can cause bloat or diarrhea. House-rabbits can find outside scary at first, so make sure he has a hiding place in the run.
 
In my experience, dogs see hedges/bushes/fences etc as a barrier, rabbits see them as an escape route through which to chew/escape :lol::lol: I would definitely go with the secured run idea. Very few gardens are properly escape proof. I had many many escapes before mine finally ended up with wire mesh/bricks/slabs etc dug down under the grass along the fences :oops: And unfortunately one of my escapees never returned :(
 
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