The Adventures of Tiny R
A Bunny's Tale
Letters to Tina and Dodger
Dear Mrs Cassano,
My little Dodger is doing exactly what I tell him not to do. I don't want him to be afraid of me. I tell him NO nicely, sternly and seriously. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Tina
Dear Tina,
I received your note a week ago about Dodger and your questions about how to get him to mind you. I have given it a lot of thought and have written down a few ideas that might help.
I am very interested in helping you to have a happy relationship with your little Dodger. Our rabbit, Tiny R, is one of the most interesting pets we have ever had. If I can pass on some of the tricks we have learned so that you can have the same kind of experience, then it will make me happy.
Sincerely,
Betty Ann Cassano
Dear Tina,
Your little Dodger is more than likely just being "a bunny".
Bunnies are very independent. And judging from our bunny, Tiny R, and the articles I have read, rabbits have very strong instincts that determine most of their activities. They don't have much control over the basic characteristics they are born with. If they were out in the wild, they would need those independent instincts to stay out of the clutches of some other animal that would eat them.
It is up to us to create a living space where both we and our bunny friends can live together happily. Raising a house bunny DOES take more preparation and attention than raising a puppy. Puppies usually bond to their new families automatically and have a very strong instinct to please. Rabbits are not as domesticated as dogs and have to be treated differently.
If you could tell me a little bit about Dodger it would help me think of some solutions that might work with him. Oh yes, is Dodger a girl or a boy? Also, how old and what kind of rabbit is he? Has he been neutered or spayed? Where did he come from? A pet store, farm, animal shelter or from a friend? How long have you had him? Does he live inside your house or outside in a hutch? How many people beside you take care of him? Is he a really active rabbit or does he like to lie around a lot? I'm trying to find out a little bit about Dodger's personality and the things that might be playing into his behavior.
And what does Dodger do that you would like to change? Not coming to you when called? Ignoring you when you try to get him to stop digging or chewing? Running away or refusing to be petted? If you can give me an idea of what he's doing I might be able to think of some things to try.
Until I hear more about Dodger, here are a few ideas that have worked with Tiny R that might help:
First and foremost, don't do anything to Dodger that would hurt him or make him afraid of you. He has to trust you if he is going to learn.
And second, try to limit the number of off-limit attractions that Dodger will feel compelled to investigate. I call this "Prevention". We know that Tiny R can't resist cords so we put protective coverings on them. And if we know that he likes to get behind something and dig, we block it off so he can't see how to get back there. What he can't see, he doesn't think about.
Third, use "Distraction". When Tiny R looks like he is heading for trouble, we head him off and then distract him with a toy or an activity to take his mind off of the bad activity. Simply rattling a piece of crunched up newspaper gets Tiny R's attention. He likes to play inside the newspaper "tents" we make for him so when he hears crunching newspaper, he has to check it out. If distraction doesn't work, then we have to go to more drastic and noisy interventions.
When Dodger does something he's not supposed to do, first say "No" sharply and then, when you have his attention, get him started on something new that is OK for him to do. If he won't stop, herd him away or pick him up and remove him from the area. If he gets stubborn, calmly put him back in his cage for a while. He will soon get the idea that bad activities lead to an end to his outside time.
And when Dodger does change to a good activity, be sure to change your voice to your "nice" voice so that he gets the idea that voice tones mean something. He will begin to understand that a sharp "NO" means "stop" and that a sweet, soothing tone means that he has been a "good rabbit". It is a form of behavior modification. I think it is the best way to develop a happy relationship between a bunny and his human family. Until the bunny understands what you want, he won't be able to do it.
As far as Dodger not responding to a sharp "NO!", I think he will once he learns what the "NO!" means. Tiny R didn't understand either, at first. It would make him stop and look at us but then he went right back to whatever he was doing, such as digging carpet. Then we got a small squirt bottle and filled it with water. The next time he went down to my bedroom door and started trying to dig a hole in the carpet, I yelled "NO!" and when he didn't stop immediately I gave him a squirt of water on his back side.
Tiny R doesn't like his fur damp so he started running down the hall immediately. As he ran I said "Git!", "Git!". If he stopped before he got back to a safe place, (the place he was allowed to play), I gave him another little squirt and said "Git". It only took a few times before he got the idea that if I said NO and he didn't change what he was doing, his fur was going to get wet. But don't squirt Dodger without giving him a verbal warning. Only squirt if he refuses to stop ("NO") whatever he's doing wrong or won't leave the site of the mischief when you say "GIT!". He will soon get the idea that if he quits his bad behavior right away, he won't get squirted.
The reason I chose "GIT" was because it is sharp and explosive sounding. Tiny R can't ignore it. And I don't use it except to reprimand Tiny R. So it doesn't lose its effect by being too familiar.
When you are teaching Dodger, you are going to have to be CONSISTENT. That means NEVER letting him get away with the behavior you want to correct. You have to watch him every minute and do the same correction EVERY TIME! And use exactly the SAME WORDS every time. Otherwise the rabbit gets confused and doesn't understand. And that's not fair to the rabbit. Plus you will get very frustrated.
Eventually, Dodger will get the idea of what you want him to do and will respond to your voice (most of the time). But don't get rid of the squirt bottle. Tiny R recognizes the squirt bottle and knows what happens when I use it. He has great respect for it and often quits what he's doing when he sees it in my hand. Most of the time he knows that he is doing something off-limits and turns around to see if I am watching him. I recognize that guilty look!
If you do decide to use a squirt bottle, be sure that you keep the water fresh. Change it every couple of days so that bacteria don't grow in it that might make Dodger sick.
And if Dodger is being a pill and is just getting into one problem after another, I would suggest that you just calmly put him back in his cage and have him take a "time-out". Tiny R has gotten pretty wise about that. Now when he knows he's in trouble, he gets in his cage and just sits there looking out. If he doesn't go by himself, we just give his rump a little push and tell him "CAGE". He seems to know what that means now and jumps in without too much resistance. We say the same thing every time so he recognizes the word "CAGE" now. Then after an hour or so, I let him out and give him another chance. By that time he's had a nap and has forgotten all about the earlier episode that landed him in the cage.
No matter how much of a scamp Dodger might be, don't ever hit him or shake him. Rabbit bones are not very dense and their spines are not strong. I have read that even jumping out of their owners arms and landing wrong can cause them to break their backs and be paralyzed. One time Eric picked Tiny R up and scolded him. Tiny R was so frightened he began tremblng. He looked terrified. I was afraid that he would go into shock. Eric immediately put Tiny R back in his cage where he felt safe and he quit shaking. We will never scold Tiny R like that again.
Tiny R is a very forgiving little bunny and he never holds any of our mistakes against us. He is a regular member of our family and I can't imagine what we did without him.
Tiny R doesn't come when called unless he feels like it OR you have a treat for him. If you want Dodger to come to you, maybe you could train him during the time you plan on giving him treats. I would use the same words and special tone of voice to get his attention and then reward him with a treat when he comes. Don't give him the treat unless he comes to you.
Tiny R knows the sound of the plastic bag I have his treats in and also knows that if he doesn't come, he doesn't get the treat. It is a big incentive. Nothing pleases a rabbit more that a little treat. We also pat the sofa to get Tiny R's attention and show him where we want him to come. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for him to decide whether he can get the treats without coming. But eventually he comes. He can't resist the temptation. We never grab or hold Tiny R if he comes when called.
I think the secret to training any kind of animal is making a plan and sticking to it. Try to understand the animal's natural behaviors and instincts and try to see the world as the animal sees it. Use the same words and phrases. Be fair and consistent with your praise and reprimands. And don't expect perfection. I have had lots of different kinds of pets during my life and those simple directions have always worked. And I have had some absolutely wonderful animal companions.
This is very long. I hope you can get some ideas that will help you with Dodger. I will be watching for your reply telling me more about Dodger and how things are going.
Sincerely,
Betty Ann Cassano (Tiny R's adopted Mom)
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The Adventures of Tiny R
Written by Betty Ann Cassano
Shasta Lake, California, USACopyright 1996-2001 - All rights reserved
E-mail address: bettyann@cassano.com