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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum BEHAVIOR Does a bunny know his name?

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    • ms17katusha
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        Chuckles and Daffodil don’t ever seem to respond to their names much, so I was wondering, is there a way to teach them to recognize their own name? 


      • LongEaredLions
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          I can’t say for sure if the bunnies can recognize their names as a name, but you can teach a bunny that a specific word means good things. For example, you could try saying their names when you feel them or while you pet them.


        • mossling
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            Pond knows his name and comes when called. He may not recognize that his name actually identifies *him* (any more than cats or dogs do, honestly), but he responds when I call it and comes to check out what I’m doing.


          • Ellekke
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              Same here, they respond to their names and you can see them moving their ears. But I have to add this kissing noise and a ‘come’ command. I sometimes also add ‘bunniez’ or ‘bunniewunniez’. LEL is right though, they don’t really know their names like cats or dogs would.

              I’ve had Frodo and Arya since they were babies (they’re six months old now) so what I did is I hand fed them their pellets and said their name every time they got a pellet (evening and morning feedtime). 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening (or longer). It was intensive work but it paid off. Then I started the next piece of training: calling their names from afar, with a signature command and then giving them a treat (piece of carrot). It’s so much fun to do!!

              Here’s a movie where I call my bunniez:

              http://instagram.com/p/p1oMRMAr7S/

              So YES you can teach them to recognize their names and respond to commands. Watch your pronunciation and stress the first part of their names the best: Chuck and Daff.


            • ms17katusha
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                Ohmygoodness! Your bunnies are so super adorable! I think Chuckles has learned to respond to his name most of the time, especially if I make the kissing sound, but he doesn’t always come, which is why I was curious. With Daffodil, I will try hand feeding and petting, as she is still a baby.


              • Sarita
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                  I’m not entirely sure – I know I call out to my rabbit Bobby either Bobby or Little Gray Bunny to see if I can get him to come downstairs to see me. Eventually he does, not sure if it’s because I’m calling out to him or not.


                • Stickerbunny
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                    Powder knows his name. If I say “Rabbit!” he knows I mean Stickers and if I say “Powder!” he knows I mean him. lol So, if Stickers is eating something and I scold her for it Powder doesn’t even flinch cause he knows he’s not in trouble. But, if he starts eating something and I say his name, he’s all “What? I wasn’t doing anything. Wasn’t me. Honest.” (He doesn’t respond to rabbit, either so it isn’t just tone). And if I go “Powder, pow pow pow” he gets all excited and runs binkies. He only actually comes to me when called like 50% of the time though, he’ll mostly just look at me like “Human, I am not moving unless you have some reason for me to, this flopped position is comfortable” He understands the word “no” as well. 

                    Stickers… doesn’t know any words. She just responds to tones. 


                  • ms17katusha
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                      Hahaha! Oh my goodness, that is so cute! The only thing that Chuckles responds to with glowing eyes and a race to me is when I pull out the bag of Craisins (he absolutely loves Craisins over any other treat I have tried) and rattle the Craisins around in the bag. He then jumps up and races to me and stands up on his hind paws, begging for one, or two, or three. He also seems to know “No” very well, but I am not sure if that is just tone or not. He stops whatever he is doing when I say “no” and leaves it alone. I am very thankful for that!

                      Your bunnies sound like they are very sweet and happy

                      Yesterday, Chuckles got into a room he is not supposed to go in, and I couldn’t get him out, so I sat down with my back to him, showing him I was not happy. He then ran out of the room and was grumpy with me the rest of the evening!


                    • Pipje
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                        My bunnies won’t come if I call their names in “the voice” (we all have a special voice for this right?) they just lift their ears… but if I call “bunnies!” in “the voice” then they sprint over in the hope of pellets because this is their dinner time call! It works at all times of the day now food or no food, so whenever I need them to come to me/get in their condo I just do “bunnies!”…

                        Food is an excellent trainer!


                      • ms17katusha
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                          Hahaha! Oh that sounds so cute! Of course they respond to food! Chuckles will run to his cage and jump into it the moment he hears his dry food pebbles hitting his food bowl, and then it is super hard to pry him away from his food…


                        • Stickerbunny
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                            Mine think the rattle of ANY bag is the craisin or pellet bag. I can’t even eat chips or almonds without them racing all excited around my chair thinking they are about to get food. lol It is great for getting them to go back home though, they always race to their plates.


                          • Deleted User
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                              My Reno and Leia know their names quite well, and each other’s! Leia is the troublemaker of the pair, and whenever she’s being “naughty” she gets her name yelled at her. She will put her head down and no matter where Reno is, as soon as she gets scolded he runs to her to comfort her! (Or maybe say ‘I told u so’, I’m not sure)!


                            • Marco_Moon
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                                When Marco is doing something he shouldn’t be doing, I go “Marco!” In a stern voice. He’ll stop, and look up at me, but will then continue what he was doing. I think he knows what his name is, and understands that what he’s doing is not allowed, but he just decides to ignore me anyways.


                              • joea64
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                                  Panda and Fernando don’t seem to respond specifically to their names being called, at least not yet (I still need to start clicker-training them so this is one of the areas that will be addressed), but they most definitely do react to (1) me approaching their X-pen whenever they’re out in it, or, them being contrary souls, me leaving the X-pen when they’re in their litterbox nibbling hay, or (2) the sound of a food bag being opened or even crinkled; this latter in particular is a surefire, solid-gold way to get their attention!


                                • Sirius&Luna
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                                    Luna knows her name, and will 80% of the time, come when I call it. I trained her by just saying her name and giving her a pellet, and now she associates her name with food. I think she can work out from tone too though, because if she’s doing something naughty and I say Luna in a warning tone, she’ll binky away from whatever it was she was doing (which she knew was naughty anyway!).

                                    Atlas, I have sadly concluded, is not a smart bunny bless him. He definitely doesn’t know his name, and won’t even associate pen/fridge/ sounds with food.

                                    [Oops, just realised this is a super old thread that’s been refreshed ]

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                                Forum BEHAVIOR Does a bunny know his name?