dogs and bunnies

aBeautifulHope · Jun 14, 2015

I think this is in the correct sub forum? If not I am so, so sorry!

I am the proud caregiver of a very high energy/medium-high drive 8 month old border collie/mini aussie mix, and the brand new caregiver of a fairly chill (my family likes to joke and say she's stoned most of the time) 12 week old(ish) holland lop. I have a bit of a problem, though. Thanks to my BCs high drive (he was originally bought to work cattle, but he turned out to be much smaller than expected...I'm hoping to do some agility with him in the future) he has quite the fascination with the bunnies. So far the most we've done is let the buns hop around room while Max is on a leash 'settled' (he has a stupendous stay/wait). He also is allowed to (when I am in the room) go up and sniff the buns through the cage...and I was hoping this would help him get used to them/fixate on them a bit less but he seems just as obsessed with them as before. He doesn't try to hurt them, he just sits there and stares at them (he lunged at them once when they went from super still to explosive jumps)...the same way he'll stare at my sister's chihuahua when he wants Sammy to play but I won't let him. When they move you can also see that it takes IMMENSE self control to keep himself from trying to herd them/play with them and that only the knowledge that I put him in a sit-stay keeps his booty glued to the floor...I know that this is a rabbit forum, and I'm looking for a good BC forum to post this on as well, but I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this? He's not aggressive towards the bunnies, he's just obsessed/fixated on them at all times. I do clicker train with him so I JUST started clicking him for ignoring the bunnies...but does that seem like a good idea or no? He also completely ignores/will just periodically come over to sniff the bunnies if I'm holding them/chilling with them while I watch a show or movie...I just would like them to be able to hang out in the same room together (never alone!) while I'm chilling/working on an art project and whatnot

Mrsmcarey · Jun 14, 2015

I can't help but didn't want to read and run but I know collies are bouncy but the clicker training seems a good idea I suppose he might just ignore the bun eventually

Good luck

I have 2 cats who really don't bother with the bunnies and I have 2 indoor rabbits, the rabbits chase the cats tho :roll:

AmberNikSee · Jun 14, 2015

I am by far no expert and got extremely lucky(?) with my BC/lab mix and bunny but the biggest thing with her (dog) was time. I would be sitting in the rabbit room and she would wait by the baby gate at the door and watch. We did this every day multiple times a day and she would lay down and just wait. Bofur(bun) would hop over and sniff her and she would sniff back and then he would lose interest and carry on with whatever he wanted to be doing. Eventually I would open the baby gate so she could lay in the room with her head on my lap but the gate across in front of her body, and she would watch him that way. She learned he was part of the family and now she ignores him when he's out of his room with us as a family. (Though she also seems afraid of him after he launched over baby gate onto her the first day they were introduced!!)
Time and patience and really good obedience training are gonna be the key I think!
Best of luck!!!!'

aBeautifulHope · Jun 15, 2015

Mrsmcarey said:
I can't help but didn't want to read and run but I know collies are bouncy but the clicker training seems a good idea I suppose he might just ignore the bun eventually

Good luck

I have 2 cats who really don't bother with the bunnies and I have 2 indoor rabbits, the rabbits chase the cats tho :roll:

Thank you for not reading and running

So far it looks like it's helping...basically I'm clicking and treating whenever he's either calmly looking at them or just ignoring their antics completely

AmberNikSee said:
I am by far no expert and got extremely lucky(?) with my BC/lab mix and bunny but the biggest thing with her (dog) was time. I would be sitting in the rabbit room and she would wait by the baby gate at the door and watch. We did this every day multiple times a day and she would lay down and just wait. Bofur(bun) would hop over and sniff her and she would sniff back and then he would lose interest and carry on with whatever he wanted to be doing. Eventually I would open the baby gate so she could lay in the room with her head on my lap but the gate across in front of her body, and she would watch him that way. She learned he was part of the family and now she ignores him when he's out of his room with us as a family. (Though she also seems afraid of him after he launched over baby gate onto her the first day they were introduced!!)
Time and patience and really good obedience training are gonna be the key I think!
Best of luck!!!!'

I've been doing it fairly similar to that...but the baby gate's a good idea (although Max would probably need two because man can this dog JUMP :lol: ) Thanks for the information! I'll definitely try to implement some of it

I'm also trying some reactivity training-esque ideas because while it's not aggression (rather it's extreme excitement) that's showing he DOES react quite strongly to most things while on leash (he stops when I tell him too though which dogs with true reactivity issues won't stop even when reprimanded)...I now have a couple of new tools under my belt I can't wait to try out!

Mrsmcarey · Jun 15, 2015

So glad it's working with the clicker:thumb:

My sister has a Lab and a Jack Russel cross Pom :roll:

The Lab whilst bouncy only wants to investigate what the rabbits are :roll: but she is a bit too enthusiastic lets say :lol: the other whilst the Russel part is bread for chasing rabbits is not at all interested

even when they are binkying round the garden like nutters:thumb:

tulsi · Jun 16, 2015

Our collie also takes an IMMENSE interest when the rabbits move. She has lunged at them as well but recently has become afraid of the thumping noises that they make and keeps well away.

Clicker training sounds a great plan. They are designed to stare and stare. Good luck with working on her self control. Something that I do with Tass every day. She is soooo much better all round.

aBeautifulHope · Jun 16, 2015

Mrsmcarey said:
So glad it's working with the clicker:thumb:

My sister has a Lab and a Jack Russel cross Pom :roll:

The Lab whilst bouncy only wants to investigate what the rabbits are :roll: but she is a bit too enthusiastic lets say :lol: the other whilst the Russel part is bread for chasing rabbits is not at all interested even when they are binkying round the garden like nutters:thumb:

Dogs are strange aren't they? :lol: My old labs would have eaten the bunnies on sight :lol:

tulsi said:
Our collie also takes an IMMENSE interest when the rabbits move. She has lunged at them as well but recently has become afraid of the thumping noises that they make and keeps well away.

Clicker training sounds a great plan. They are designed to stare and stare. Good luck with working on her self control. Something that I do with Tass every day. She is soooo much better all round.

He's already getting better...but I've been neurotic about his self-control since he was 8 weeks old. By the time he was 16 weeks you could kick a ball (that is so much more fun than actual fetch you know

) and he would sit there in 'wait' until you would release him. I have been lax with his self control over the past month or two

oops

, but it's looking like all of his old training is coming back to him fairly quickly!!! And thank you so much for your reply

dogs and bunnies

aBeautifulHope

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Mrsmcarey

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AmberNikSee

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aBeautifulHope

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Mrsmcarey

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tulsi

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aBeautifulHope

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