harness training

[EmilieMaria123]

 I got a harness for my 11 week old bunny. She hated me putting it on her but once I got it on, she was fine. She loved going outside and went crazy with excitement.

The only part she didn’t like was me putting it on her. She would try to bite it off and ram away every time I tried to put it on.

I felt bad and didn’t want her to get frightened and now I am scared to put it on her again because I don’t want her to hate me or be scared of me. But I also do want to bring her outside to get some fresh air every once on a while.

I don’t know how to make it so she isn’t scared when o try to put out on

Help!!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Most of us here at BB discourage the use of harnesses. The reason being is that if your bunny is wearing a harness and leash and gets frightened and takes off running, this can result in severe injuries, even a broken back.

An alternate way to let your bunny enjoy fresh air is to set up an exercise pen with 100% supervised play time.

[EmilieMaria123]

She isn’t frightened once we are outside. She loves it

[Stickerbunny]

Posted By EmilieMaria123 on 05/22/2013 10:37 AM
She isn’t frightened once we are outside. She loves it

 

Well, she may not be frightened by general things. But, say a hawk comes in view, or a dog gets loose and comes running over excited, a car backfires, etc. There are things out of ones control that can spook even the mellowest rabbit and if they spook while on a harness, they can break their bones quite easily. Even people VERY used to harnesses who do agility with their rabbits have had accidents where their rabbits broke their spine. So, just be aware of these risks while using a harness, knowing them can help you take precautions though there is always the risk that your rabbit will become injured while on one.

To adjust a rabbit to something new, it’s best to do it in the home where they are used to it. Leave it on her for a little bit and give her a treat whenever you put it on, don’t leave it on unsupervised though in case she gets it stuck on something.

[tanlover14]

I have to agree with LPT and Stickerbunny. It’s very dangerous to use them on a rabbit. I always said I wanted mine to get use to one – but after reading so many horror stories I’ve realized it’s just too dangerous. The most mellow (and non-skittish) buns can be freaked out so easily by something out of our control that it has never been worth the risk for me or my buns.

[EmilieMaria123]

That’s horrible but I will defiantly try her out in the house for a bit at first. Thanks so much for your information!!

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