Need help in dominating doe behaviour

[Rabbers]

Last year Rolo (spayed 8 year old doe) started to get very humpy with her partner Ozzie (also neutered, 8 year old dwarf lop buck). They have been bonded for about 6-7 years. Last years behaviour was quite sudden and we think might have been related to her finally getting rid of EC. She is like a different bunny now.

She isnt agressive to me apart from the stamping when i come to Ozzie's rescue. She will be lovely one day with just a couple of minor humps. But the majority of the time she is like a rabbit possessed. SHe humps and breathes heavily/grunts and will not stop. I try to separate them, but she'll have locked her jaw on the skin around Ozzie's shoulders. He is slowing down a bit due to his age and is quite a laid back rabbit so he doesn't really retaliate, but i think he's a bit bemused by it all as she never used to be like this.

This behaviour continued throughout the Winter too although it was probably more manageable. I think it gets a bit better after feeding I suppose because she is full and would like a lie down! The vet ultrasounded her last summer and told me to keep an eye out for tumour like symptoms in case it was hormones from left over reproductive tissue.But otherwise there was nothing they could do.

What tricks do you have for calming rabbits like Rolo down? The only things I can think of now are to try and bond them with a 3rd rabbit to dissipate the aggression or separate them and get Oz a new mate (he's very very calm!), but unfortunately these options are pretty much out of the question until i have more room.

Please help!

 

[prettylupin]

The vet ultrasounded her last summer and told me to keep an eye out for tumour like symptoms in case it was hormones from left over reproductive tissue.But otherwise there was nothing they could do.

I was just about to suggest it could be something like this. :? Did the ultrasound show anything? Perhaps ultrasounding her again now and sending the scan to an exotic vet to interpret might be worth doing?
It could also be that it is Spring and so increased light levels are having more of an effect than usual over her other hormones elsewhere in the body (from the pituitary, hypothalamus etc).... my two were busy just now in the garden trying to get their leg over each other... neither lets the other get away with it so they end up going round and round in circles til they give up! :roll:

I would be concerned about separating them in case the stress of doing so allows her EC to flare up again, or makes him poorly instead. :? They seem to have been together such a long time, it would be a shame to part them wouldn't it?
Perhaps he controls her behaviour by doing nothing... rather than responding... have you left them long enough to see what he actually does do? Maybe he doesn't mind so much. If my male bun is dozing and Poppy takes advantage (the only time she knows she can) he will soon wake up and turn around and give her a nip and see her off when he's had enough. I used to worry and intervene - I now just leave them to it, unless he's poorly, in which case i make a quick sharp 'ttch' sound and say Poppy sternly and she normally listens and stops, or I gently push her off, but she's learnt now, the rest of the time I leave them to it. It's hard I know, but she may settle down once we hit summer.

 

[Rabbers]

Thanks so much for your reply. They couldn't see anything on the ultrasound so that's why they said to keep an eye out for swellings etc. They did mention the pituitary gland too and said that might be a source... but so far there have been no symptoms of anything or swellings. So I'm a bit lost what to do over this. I will definitely ask at the vet when i have to go next (we have vaccinations due soon) about more advice and a 2nd ultrasound. Anything that may help!

I definitely agree with you it would be horrible to separate them now, and I'd rather not get another rabbit at the moment! I'll try not doing anything for a few days and see what happens. Overnight I can hear them and obviously I don't intervene then... so maybe it won't be as bad as i think. She must stop eventually then and they don't seem to have fought overnight. I'll update on this soon.

Thanks for your advice :wave:

 

[Rabbers]

I have a bit of an update and would love any thoughts on this.

I have tried to not get involved and let Ozzie deal with it himself. But sometimes it's a little too aggressive so I have intervened. Much less than normal though. But over the last few weeks I have noticed the patterns of when she makes this behaviour: when she's hungry, when she wants him to get out of the way, when humans are around etc. So I've come to the conclusion this is a mixture of dominating behaviour but also territorial behaviour i.e. the garden is hers and Ozzie is hers, not mine. And that she wants food!!!

So today I sat in the garden and she started humping. So i tried a different appraoch. Everytime she went to nip him/start humping I stroked HIM affectionately. We did this for about 10 minutes. Then after a while she tried to get my attention, so I gave her some. Then she hopped about the garden for a bit, thumping occasionally and coming to me for more attention. Then eventually they sat down together.
So that session was averted! Any thoughts on what all this means? Should I continue with this approach when i see her at it?
Also the humping is accompanied with jaw clamping/nipping on his neck and sides. And today while i noticed that she occasionally licks him before/after the nipping. Any thoughts on this too?

Thanks!