The idea of trying to assert dominance over a rabbit via holding their head down or similar methods, to me personally, makes no sense and I have not heard of cases where it is reliably effective. If anything, it simply creates a negative association and the rabbit distances themselves from the owner, therefore eliminating whatever problematic behavior there is, but that is the result of distancing/fear, rather than successful dominance assertion. It is likely 100% apparent to rabbits that humans are very large predators. They do not readily incorporate us into their social hierarchy like other rabbits so I do not find behavior modifications rooted in dominance logic as an effective framework.

Some things to keep in mind are 1) how novel the idea of bare skin, lips, and a human face in general is to a rabbit, 2) that rabbits cannot directly communicate with humans (and other rabbits really; they don’t talk obviously, haha) and licking and nipping are literally some of the only ways to try and get a response, and 3) human bodies are huge and confusing for rabbits so the recognition that xxxx extremity is you, is capable of feeling pain, etc., may be a bit of a learning curve for a rabbit. Sure, you smell like you, but so does your clothes, your couch, etc… and those aren’t things that are giving pain feedback when your rabbit digs or chews at them.

Rather than restricting space or trying dominance-logic feedback, I think more time spent passively in his presence to increase learning opportunities for both of you is needed. You just got him (I assume since he’s 10wo), and he’s a growing, learning rabbit who fundamentally is not going to understand humans. It’s going to take a while for you to learn how to decode what he is trying to communicate with you and for him to learn what are the most effective ways to communicate with him. For example, nips can mean many things. For young rabbits especially, it can be curiosity about a thing. It can be a request for the object to move out of the way, it can be a request for attention of a different kind (ex. if your rabbit hasn’t had any socialization/interaction since you’ve been in meetings all day, he might be searching for a way to engage pent-up chewing energy that a rabbit naturally has), it can be a request for food…. many different interpretations. Notably, a rabbit wanting attention typically never means they want to be picked up — rabbits, by default, do not like being picked up and would rather be cuddled/pet on the ground.

In terms of what to do to promote learning on your rabbit’s end, I recommend redirection/guidance. For my Fable, who came to me as a very nippy, 1yo rabbit with very effective nips (her nips drew blood by default, which is not great…), I would use the back of my hand (as opposed to the palm side, where skin is more sensitive) and gently push her face away from me from me. I would repeat this every time she nip me, even if it meant doing it 5 times in a row. Paired with learning more about her personality, ways of communicating, body language, and being more effective in making the environment engaging for her to expend energy, she has successfully learned to just nose boop me continuously to communicate, rather than nip.

This may be a helpful resource to read through: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Behavior_FAQ#My_bunny_never_wants_to_come_to_me._I_can_never_pet_them._What_can_I_do?

… in addition to this: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Understanding_your_rabbit

…. and also, yes, being a young rabbit is going to make things more tricky. Arguably at 10wo your rabbit may not even be hormonal yet, so there’s a chance that territorial aggression will see to it that your rabbit gets more actively lungey/aggressive upon your attempts to encroach on his space or pick him up. It is not a choice to make you upset or angry, but a reaction to protect itself as your rabbit cannot read your mind and know your intentions.

I don’t find the time-out to work/make sense either — I don’t think many rabbits are going consistently and reliably make the several associations needed for that training tactic to work. Intuitively, I think it asks rabbits to understand the following: 1) nipping = bad, 2) put in cage = because you nipped me, 3) being put in cage = punishment for nipping, 4) time spent in cage = punishment for nipping … that’s a lot to ask for a tiny bun brain. I think tiring out his young-bun energy may be a better way to calm him down, and that would involve engagement with you/toys rather than confining him.

Also, unsure how large the “cage” is, but generally no habitat advertised as a cage is appropriately sized for a rabbit. You can see our housing section for details: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/house-rabbit-habitats/

You can use timeouts with rabbits, but not in the way most people would think. Using a timeout as a punishment doesn’t work because, as Wick said, they don’t really understand that they are being punished for X behavior. Instead, a timeout can be used as a tool to break a cycle. For example, bunny is obsessively doing something they shouldn’t and they just won’t leave it alone. You try to redirect and they just go right back to it. Completely removing them from the area (either by blocking it off or putting them in an enclosure) for a little while can help them “forget” about what they were desperately wanting to do. At least for awhile, anyway. I had very good luck with this when it came to carpet chewing.

To be honest, the nipping behavior you are describing doesn’t sound unusual. Young bunnies tend to explore things by nipping and some are just more aggressive with the nipping than others. Bunnies also nip in order to get attention… usually because they want something (food, treats, etc.). They can also nip when they want you to move or they are displeased with something you’re doing (brushing, etc.). It all depends on the context, I suppose.

Have you tried squealing when he nips you? Squealing like a rabbit in pain tells him that he is hurting you. A lot of bunnies seem to respond to this.

Random thought – What kind of rabbit is he? Is he a lop? I have a deaf Holland and he tends to nip more because he doesn’t know how else to communicate.

I was also going to suggest the squealing tip! Kind of like a high-pitched “EEEEK”. Buns nip each other through fur so it doesn’t really hurt, so they may not realize they are hurting us when they nip.

If the squealing doesn’t work (it doesn’t always work with my Cooper either), then redirecting is the best option. One thing with bunnies is that if you move around in front of their face or under their nose, it can trigger biting. And a hand on the head can be seen as grooming, so could be interpretted by the bun as a reward. So I usually use a gentle but firm hand over the bun’s shoulders to redirect them away from whatever they are biting.

He’s so young, I almost interpret this as “teething” behavior. He’s still exploring the world, which rabbits unfortunately do with their teeth. Best practice may be to remove the opportunities for biting as much as possible.