Bonding Possibly 2 Dominant Personalities

[BunjaminML]

Thought I’d see if I can get feedback from folks. Bunji (neutered male lop, approx 1 1/2 years) is our original bunny and Mochi (a spayed female dwarf roughly around the same age) we took in from a friend who’s been fostering her since January. 

They met for the first time at a completely neutral zone (ex-pen set up at my friend’s backyard) on Sunday and got along well. Bunji tried to hump Mochi a couple of times but after he got that out of him, they just loafed next to each other. We took them home in the same pet carrier with no fighting. When we got home, we put them in what would be Mochi’s temporary pen in our bedroom and they started fighting a bit. After they calmed down, we separated them (Bunji has the run of our open living area). They were together for almost an hour this day.

The last couple of nights, their encounters were much shorter (10 minutes on Monday, 20+ minutes last night) in a bin we placed on our kitchen floor. They didn’t get along quite as well as before. They didn’t really snuggle with each other like they did unless both their heads were being stroked by us. This could be a factor of the space not being completely neutral as our kitchen is just a small section of the living area. Bunji doesn’t go there because he’s afraid to go where there is no carpet but I wouldn’t be surprised if he can still smell that area as his space. We will try to use either our bathtub or the back of my Honda Fit (yay for hatchback cars!) tonight as those might be more neutral.

It seems they don’t completely mind each other’s presence, but they both want to be the dominant one. Whenever Mochi rears up on her hind legs, Bunji would insert his head under her belly. And Mochi keeps trying to shove her head under Bunji’s chin. It’s super cute and all, but are these personality types generally pretty set in stone for bunnies? Is there a chance that they would both eventually be willing to groom the other once they get used to each other’s presence or should we begin looking for another more submissive bunny for Bunji? 

[Mikey]

The fighting doesnt sound often or that bad, which is a good sign. The fact they are ignoring eachother aside from to demand grooms is also a good sign. I wouldnt give up just yet

There is a chance they will come to a mutual agreement of grooming one another. You can try to push this along by adding a bit of mushed banana onto the tops of their heads. One will likely give and submit to the other bunny, or they will treat eachother rather equally with no clear dom or sub.

[DanaNM]

My two were both pretty dominant personalities. What worked for them was a very large, very neutral space at first, until they got to the point where they didn’t need intervention to stop any scuffles. When it got to the point that they were ignoring/tolerating each other (but not really friends yet), stressing (car-rides) progressed them to the point that they laid near each other. 

Then we started doing really long sessions…. still no grooms, but peaceful. The banana on the head finally got them to groom each other about 3 days into a marathon session, and they continued grooming each other even once the banana was gone.  

You didn’t mention if they new bun had settled in at your place yet, but I would really recommend it, just to make sure the new bun doesn’t try to change the terms of their dominance once she get’s settled in. Also avoid doing sessions in either bun’s area. 

If you can take them back to the friend’s house where they had the good first date for a few more sessions, that would be great. If you can take them in the same carrier to that place, even better. 

They’ll eventually figure it out…

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Dface]

These bonds tend to be slightly harder and take a bit more time- someone has to realise they are not going to be in charge like they wanted.

My two were like that and it took a good bit of work and patience. If they are both trying to be dominant, give them more space, not less. Small spaces spark arguments (imagine being in a cramped room with someone you hate, there’s going to be a fight sooner rather than later)
Let them get used to each other without forcing them into confrontation, by giving them a bigger neutral space,.

You also didnt mention any prebonding? This is one of the most important parts of introducing rabbits succesfully.

Two head strong bunnies certainly can get along, it just takes a little bit more micro management on your part

[BunjaminML]

Unfortunately, we don’t have space to pre-bond. We live in a two-bedroom apartment and Bunji dominates the open living/dining/kitchen area. Mochi is living in our bedroom. So far, we’ve done a week of stress bonding in the car and they’ve been okay. We put them together in our large carrier and they don’t fight, but it’s a battle of wills between them shoving their heads under each other’s chins.

These last couple of days, we’ve been trying to bond them in the bathtub. I guess this is too tight a space? They do the head shoving thing, which usually leads to fighting because neither is interested in grooming the other. They’re usually fine when my husband or I pet their heads side by side. Tonight, though, Mochi was pooping a lot in the tub so she is clearly getting more territorial about it. 

My brother, who lives in the second bedroom, is moving out at the end of the month. When this happens, we can move them in his room in side-by-side pens. Would that work as a pre-bonding or is it too late to do anything like that at this point now that they’ve met each other?

[DanaNM]

Bathtub is def too small!  Can you try your full bathroom? That’s good they don’t fight in the car. You can try taking them on a car ride together first, then transitioning them to a larger space to continue the date. Stick with what is working! With each session that they do not fight, even if they don’t groom, they are building trust.

for pre-bonding, you don’t necessarily need them side-by-side, but you can switch their areas. 

Would it be possible to use your brother’s room as a bonding area? Do the buns go in there ever? It might be better to reserve that area for bonding, rather than move the buns in there. Once you get into longer sessions, you’ll want a space you can camp out next to… and camping out in the bathroom sucks, believe me! 

If they are shoving their heads under asking for grooms, you might try the banana on the head thing, so see if you can coax them to groom it off each other. 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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