Training

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

I am training my almost 5 year old rabbit sunshine to come when I call her. So i place a piece of apple in my hand and then I say Sunshine come and I keep saying it till she comes and gets the treat. I am wondering am I doing this right and how often should I do this in a day? I currently do it for about a half hour once a day. thanks

[Elrohwen]

I have a couple suggestions for you.

First, don’t repeat the command more than once. By repeating it over and over, she’s learning that she doesn’t need to listen until you’ve said it at least 5 times 😉

I would sit close enough to her that she will absolutely come to you and the food the first time you call. Do this a number of times and then sit further away and see if she still comes.

It’s best to keep training sessions short, as rabbits don’t always have the best attention spans, but you can fit a number of 5 min sessions into one day – she might respond better to this than to one long session.

[Sam and Lady's Human]

I use a clicking noise with my tongue that Samson really pays attention to, I click 2 times and say Samson, Treat if I have a treat. She’s also learned “go to bed” because when she goes she gets lots of pets in her bed.

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

thanks for the great tips so elrohwen you are saying not to keep saying her name sunshine till she comes just to say it once? I am new at this hole training things.

[Stickerbunny]

Yes. You should only use the verbal command once. If she doesn’t listen, take up your hand with the treat and wait a little bit, then do it again. You don’t want her to think the command is you repeating yourself. You can also use a clicker to help, a lot of animals respond better to it than verbal commands.

[Elrohwen]

Be careful with a clicker – you need to read about how to train with it before using it. The click isn’t the command, it’s an indication that the bunny has done something right, so verbal or hand commands are still needed.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

First, don’t repeat the command more than once. By repeating it over and over, she’s learning that she doesn’t need to listen until you’ve said it at least 5 times 😉

\^^^ This!! It’s so ‘primate’ to repeat over and over, excitedly We just can’t help it. But animals don’t learn english that way. Sit becomes ‘sitsitsitsit’ to them, and that’s a different word from sit, rather then sit repeated four times. So just once.

Here’s the best way to teach a dog come, and I bet it would work for you…
Get a partner, put bunny in hallway or any narrow corridor that bunny only has two options. You and partner are at either end (not too far!) with treats. If she’s coming to you-you say ‘come’ and give her a treat when she gets there. If she’s going to your partner-your partner says ‘come’ and gives her a treat when she gets there. It’s no fail, because she’s going to come to one of you.

Another option is a lure-so you teach the target stick (you can make one-just any old stick) and click-treat for her touching it. Then you show it and drag it towards you saying ‘come’ to lure her to come Either way is fine.

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