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Rabbit Show Jumping... your views

FredW

Alpha Buck
I am seeing more and more videos, photos etc of Rabbit Show Jumping competitions, and seems that most Pet Shows have events for it these days. Just wonder what peoples views are on those. I remember after Bunbuns got spayed she had to wear a vet shirt (http://www.medicalpetshirts.com/index.php/en/medical-pet-shirts-en), and absolutely hated it, it took her a few days to find out how to get out of it, after that she got out of it in minutes. Thinking she'd be the same with a harness.
Anyhow, I don't really know what to make of it all, it doesn't seem natural for them to do that, but they don't usually look unhappy doing it. Not asking because I want to train my little babies, just wondered what others thought of it.
 
i don't like it at all. it seems to be more for the owner than the rabbit. i saw it on the apprentice episode recently where they were at a pet show and the woman had to tap the bunny on the bum to make him/her jump which is forcing them in my opinion. they also have to wear a harness and/or lead for it which is dangerous. and at the shows, there is so much noise and people there with dogs aswell. and inbetween the actual shows, i assume they have to just wait around in a cage or carrier.

not a fan here!
 
yeah I keep seeing when you watch anything them tapping on the bum, which would indicate that they don't want to do it. and agree, it seems an owner thing more. but I am happy to be proven wrong here. but right now, I am with you in your views.
 
I agree with biscandmatt that it is for the owners pleasure and I don't think the rabbits would choose to do this, I wonder how they "encourage" their rabbits to jump?!
 
well all I could think off is with treats, bunnies don't seem to do anything unless there is a treat in for them, well mine anyway, but then I don't make them do anything they don't want to anyway.... ok cutting claws doesn't count.
 
I don't think it's a bad thing in itself, as long as owners are doing it for the right reasons and are sure that the rabbits themselves are happy.

Rabbits are all very different and I think some of them would enjoy the physical exercise and also the mental stimulation. Some aren't fussed by wearing a harness and, if the harness is linked with something rewarding/enjoyable for them then they are likely to see it as a good thing. Mostly it would involve positive reinforcement and clicker training - so lots of treats when they're doing what you want. Try searching old threads for clicker training and/or jumping as I remember somebody posting a video quite a while back now of their rabbit going over some simple jumps at home and she'd taught it all with a clicker, not with any force.

I didn't see the bum tapping but it doesn't sound like excessive force and more of a nudge in the right direction maybe. Presumably, if the bunny really didn't want to do it then it would have ignored the bum tap or hopped off in the opposite direction. Alfie certainly would have. :roll::lol::lol:
 
I think in most circumstances, with a good owner and a happy, healthy, active, outgoing bun with no issues with being in a harness, it shouldn't be a problem. However, you always get bad owners forcing their rabbits to do it, or inexperienced owners that can't tell if their rabbit doesn't like it. Most rabbits I think just wouldn't do it if they didn't want to!

One of the funniest videos I've ever seen is of an unharnessed Dutch rabbit at one of these hurdles, with the arms of the owner encouraging from behind with no touching, and the rabbit deciding to just move one of the sticks out of its way instead of hopping over. It is absolutely hysterical.
 
Buns do have a way of doing exactly what they want - and a tap on the bum isn't going to make it do something it doesn't want to do.

I actually bought a small bunny jump and was 'training' Sheldon - we had such great fun and most nights as soon as I put the jump up, he jumped over it - it was all treat based of course (tiny bits of science select) :lol:. Even his wifey-bun Holly joined in and was soon copying Sheldon - and getting a treat too of course. But when they'd had enough off they hopped - they were never in any harnesses or leads - all free range.

Here Sheldon has done his jump and chomping on his bit of SS - and Holly in the background showing how it's really done :lol:


I think done correctly it is lovely physical and mental exercise for both bun and owner
 
Interesting things here. that's exactly why I wanted to ask this question. because it is easy to see it from one side, but seeing the picture of the jumping here is nice to see. I guess it all depends really how it is done, and how the buns are trained. well bit like with any animal I guess
 
My rabbits used to do it and performed at shows to help promote better rabbit care and that rabbits are active and need space. We always had the buns in big pens and surrounded the display in hutch is not enough signs. I was invited to places like london but as I live in Yorkshire I refused to attend as thought it was too far for my bunnies to travel. We went to the local agricultural shows and encouraged people to vaccinate, neuter and have bigger housing. We always annoyed the rabbit breeders as we were telling the public the complete opposite to them who thought 3ft hutches were fine!

My current 3 aren't interested in jumping at all and that's fine I'd never force them. My bridge buns Jasper, Hector, Mischief and Theo loved it though! I'd never harm them or make them do something they didn't like. They would jump on and off lead and were not stressed.
 
that's a great inside and a different side to how I was seeing it. so it's really great to hear your experience. my pen I have for my babies has a bit where they have to jump over to get in and out, and I noticed they are finding ways to make it more exciting. latest one is to jump from the shelf, onto the bed and out the door. it looks like they should hurt themselves doing that as it's a bit crazy, but they love it and keep going back in to do it over and over again. Bunbuns my dutch doe kept touching her back legs on it, and I was worried, but she just kept going back up until she mastered it, so I guess that very much fits in what you're talking about too.
 
Here's a video of one of our meet ups for training. We had the meet ups so that when we went to events the rabbits wouldn't be stressed out. No forcing at all and what annoys me is when some people tar us all with the same brush and call us cruel owners. There are always going to be people who force their pets but people in our club 'rabbit jumping U.K' had strict rules to keep the bunnies safe from harm. Unfortunately none of us participate anymore but that's fine as none of our rabbits are interested. :lol: Anyone who knows me knows my rabbits mean everything to me and it's ludicrous to suggest I would do something to harm them.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the video! :)

http://youtu.be/AERfx35YPiQ
 
that is a cute video. I love it and they do look like they are having fun. Again the exact reason for starting this post, because I was very anti about it, but open to be proven wrong. seeing and hearing what you have shared here, makes me rethink things in a big way. so for that I thank you for giving an inside into it all.
 
that is a cute video. I love it and they do look like they are having fun. Again the exact reason for starting this post, because I was very anti about it, but open to be proven wrong. seeing and hearing what you have shared here, makes me rethink things in a big way. so for that I thank you for giving an inside into it all.

No problem :) Glad I've been able to help and thanks for being open to hear the other side of it all. It definitely depends on the rabbits, some love it and some would hate it! My current 3 certainly wouldn't be impressed if I put a hurdle in front of them. :lol:
 
well both of mine love to jump. well my boy more then my girl, she prefers digging. but I never thought about hurdles, and I thought it seemed cruel, seeing how the bunnies hop around and interact with each other does give a different perspective to it all. I think a lot of videos out there are not done to show things in the right light. Like it looks as if they are being kind of pushed over the hurdles, which it often looks like it is, but that doesn't seem the case from seeing it there, it even looked, if I saw it right, some jumped there without harness and lead.
 
well both of mine love to jump. well my boy more then my girl, she prefers digging. but I never thought about hurdles, and I thought it seemed cruel, seeing how the bunnies hop around and interact with each other does give a different perspective to it all. I think a lot of videos out there are not done to show things in the right light. Like it looks as if they are being kind of pushed over the hurdles, which it often looks like it is, but that doesn't seem the case from seeing it there, it even looked, if I saw it right, some jumped there without harness and lead.

Yep and all of the buns in the video can actually jump off lead. Some were wearing them in the video as it's practice for them as at events it was required for safety :)
 
yeah I guess for events you have to have them on a lead after all if anything happens etc.

And Bunny Buddy... that's so funny, that's what my little girl would do, no doubt. she is certainly full of bunnytude
 
I watched it at the national pet show and felt very uncomfortable with it. Some genuinely did jump around but others were prompted by a poke to the bum or lifting of the leash. Didn't feel right to me.
 
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