How and with what a decorative rabbit can play
I want to warn you right away that any rabbit is a small person.
Accordingly, he may have his own preferences and tastes. I'm just offering some solutions. But only you can figure out what suits your baby and how. The process of keeping decorative rabbits is actually very interesting. There are so many unusual things you can learn about a pet. And so many interesting things. Therefore, below I offer only a possible solution to the problem with games:
* in this picture there is an approximate set of toys: a ball with a bell inside (some rabbits get scared), a wooden carrot for gnawing, an ordinary dog toy
* it would also be nice to have a cardboard box with all sorts of inputs and outputs - let the rabbit chew on it instead of wallpaper
* a clean linen or cotton rag for digging is very good
* some rabbits play with balloons
* someone likes to roll a toilet paper roll (the cardboard inside)
In general, the scope for imagination is limitless. The main thing is to find time and a common language with your pet.
Who is a decorative rabbit?
Decorative rabbits, as a species, were bred specifically so that they could be kept as pets in apartment conditions. However, it is better to buy such a decorative miracle in a special nursery or from a breeder, whereas a rabbit purchased at a pet store may turn out to be sick and will not live long. In addition, pet store consultants (not to say about all of them - let's say - many) do not always delve deeply into the rules for caring for these animals, therefore, not only do they not properly keep rabbits, but they will also advise you on something completely wrong. what do you need. Another thing is the breeder - he knows everything about his pets, so if you consult anyone, then only him.
It would also not hurt to study additional literature - however, it is better to study information from different sources, and only if it is true and does not harm the health of a small animal - you can listen to this recommendation...
Types of decorative rabbits
Types of decorative rabbits
Today, there are a sufficient number of types of bred breeds of decorative rabbits - these are those with erect ears, and lop-eared representatives of the breed, and even dwarf hare-like ones - lambs, lions, foxes. It’s impossible to resist the fear of rabbits with long hair - however, you must understand that such beauty will have to be combed several times a day, otherwise the hair will get tangled and there will be nothing left of the “beauty” of your pet. And, here are short-haired rabbits - they are more unpretentious in matters of care...
Studying rabbit behavior
- You need to understand what will force a rabbit to obey its owner
The rabbit is an intelligent and quick-witted animal that is responsive to encouragement. But at the same time, the rodent will not listen to a person if he receives rough treatment from him (screams and spanks). Having selected the optimal reward system, most rabbits will try to fulfill the owner’s demands.
Often, some kind of treat acts as a motivating factor, but a favorite toy is also perfect for encouragement. In the wild, rabbits are under constant threat of attack from predators, so when they are afraid, the rodent will run away and hide. If this behavior occurs at the sight of a person, then the owner should make the animal feel safe and comfortable, which is very important for successful training.
- It is important to understand how an animal uses smell and vision
The rabbit is not able to see objects located directly next to its muzzle. Anatomically, the rodent's organs of vision are spread out to the sides, thanks to which it has an excellent viewing angle and sees better what is located in the distance rather than near. To perceive objects close to itself, the rabbit will use its whiskers and nose, so any treats should be brought closer to its muzzle.
You can pay attention to how the pet turns its head when the owner approaches, because in this way he looks closely. To survive in the wild, rabbits need to see everything that is happening in the distance in order to notice a threat in time and hide. For the same reason, before touching the rabbit, you need to give it time for a detailed examination and sniffing. After this, the animal will be handled without fear.
- The rabbit loves good treatment
The rabbit is not easy to handle: how to train it
It will take a lot of time and effort to accustom a shy pet to being handled. Daily, gradual, purposeful actions will help you gain trust.
Rules for taming rabbits
Pamper your pet with treats.
You need to spend more time with your pet. You shouldn’t try to teach them something during taming; you just need to be nearby so that the rabbit gets used to its owner and perceives him as something ordinary, normal.
When communicating with your pet, you should not raise your voice. You need to talk in a quiet, melodious, gentle voice. It is this kind of communication that calms rabbits.
The pet should not be disturbed from sleeping. He must get used to the fact that he can rest even in the presence of his owner.
While feeding, it is recommended to touch your pet's fur.
Rabbits don't like to be stared at. After all, animals have preserved the instinct of wild animals: when they are looked at, they must run away from danger. During communication, you need to blink more often, this way the rabbit will feel the owner’s indifference towards itself.
You cannot make sudden movements, sneak up on the rabbit and pick it up when it doesn’t see it, and you cannot catch up with the pet if it is trying to hide.
What to do if a rabbit bites.
Before picking up your pet, you will need to extend your palm to him so that he sniffs it and gets used to the smell. Pets do not tolerate being held forcibly; if the fluffy ball is not ready to sit in your arms, it needs to be released until better times.
For any action, the owner must reward his pet with something tasty.
Let's move on to the game gradually
It is best to start playing with your pet only after he gets used to your voice and hands and begins to respond to his name. Otherwise, it will hide in hard-to-reach places, and getting it out of there will be very inconvenient.
At first, explore the apartment with him more often, periodically stroking the animal and picking it up. In the future, you can move on to playing together using available items.
You can play catch-up with him. The rabbit will happily run away, hiding under interior elements, and then catch up with you. Animals especially like to look for the owner who is unexpectedly hiding behind the door.
When playing with your rabbit at home, be careful not to make sudden movements and never shout.
Remember that compared to your pet, you are a real giant and you can accidentally scare him very much.
Rabbits play tug of war with great pleasure. Just tie a piece of treat to one end of it and try to tease the animal. At the end of the game, be sure to give him the treat.
How to tame a rabbit correctly?
In order for the pet’s training process to be effective, but at the same time not cause discomfort to anyone, you should not begin communication with the animal with sudden movements and tight hugs. This behavior can greatly frighten the animal. As a defensive reaction, he may show aggression towards the offender.
IMPORTANT! If there are children in the house, they need to be prepared for the appearance of a pet in the house and taught the rules of handling the animal.
To the tray
First of all, the owner has a desire to accustom the animal to the tray. This is easy to do if you follow the following rules:
- First you need to observe the animal and determine which place in the cage it uses as a toilet.
- A tray with filler should be placed in this corner.
- In the morning and evening, you need to place your pet's feces in the tray.
- Periodically, the animal needs to be carefully placed in the tray.
Actions must be performed daily. Pretty soon the animal will figure out why there is a tray in its cage. Some smart rabbits manage their business in the right place the very next day.
Hand Taming
Before you begin training your rabbit, you need to give it time to explore its home and get used to it. You cannot force an animal out of its house.
IMPORTANT! Rabbits love affectionate and calm communication.
Conversations with your pet and encouragement with treats will allow you to quickly establish a trusting relationship and move on to training.
Initially, the animal will be afraid of the person, and even more so of his hands. Getting to know your hands should happen gradually. First, the hand must be placed in the cage and the animal must be allowed to explore it. Movements should be smooth. Then you can place a treat in your hand so that the animal develops positive associations.
If the rabbit does not feel fear and approaches the owner’s hands on its own, you can start stroking it a little, and only then try to pick it up.
IMPORTANT! For all achievements the animal should be rewarded with a treat.
Rabbits can even be trained to use a leash.
To the leash and walks
Mostly, owners take their dogs for walks; less often you see people with cats. Rabbits are no exception; they can also be trained to use a leash.
The whole process looks like this:
- First you need to allow the rabbit to get acquainted with the leash and let him sniff it. The leash can be placed inside the cage or close to it so that the animal gets used to it.
- The next step is to teach the animal to move on a leash. First, you need to put it on the animal for just a few minutes so that the rabbit gets used to the new sensations. The time should be increased gradually.
- When the rabbit can calmly move around the apartment on a leash, you can move on to walks outside.
How to train a dwarf rabbit: teach simple commands
If the animal already trusts its owner and has mastered the house and litter box, you can move on to training and learning various commands. It is better to do this when the rabbit is slightly hungry. You can train your pet both outdoors and indoors. There should not be too loud noises around so that the pet is not distracted.
Learning to play football or kicking a ball
A rabbit can be turned into a skilled football player. To teach an animal to kick a ball with its muzzle, you need to hide a sprig of parsley or a piece of fragrant parsnip root under the ball. The rabbit needs to be shown that a treat is waiting for him under the ball, and then the animal will begin to move the ball with its muzzle in search of food. Once the rabbit gets used to it, it will move the ball even when there is nothing underneath it.
There are several games you can play with your rodent
Remember the name
A rabbit can be taught to respond to its name. For training, you will need a piece of treat: parsley, an apple slice or another tasty treat. You need to call the animal by name and show it a treat. Every time the rabbit responds to its name, it needs to be praised and rewarded with something tasty.
IMPORTANT! The pet's name should always be pronounced with the same intonation, so the animal will begin to respond faster.
Has your rabbit already learned its name?
Saucer flip game
Teaching this game is carried out by analogy with playing ball. The animal must learn to turn the object over. A treat hidden under a saucer will help him with this.
Rabbits turn flat objects over, lifting them with their teeth. The animal must see that a treat is placed under the saucer. This will get his attention. He will be able to get the treat if he turns over the obstacle. The animal may not find a solution right away, but after a few attempts it will get used to turning the saucer over and getting food out of it. You can complicate the task by gluing the treat with tape to the bottom of the plate.
Let's take a stance
A rabbit can be trained to stand on its hind legs, like a dog. The animal will lift its front legs off the floor and stretch upward. You can teach your pet this trick with a treat.
You need to take a piece of treat in your hand, show it to the rabbit and begin to gradually raise your hand up. The height should be such that the animal, standing on its hind legs, can reach the treat. If the rabbit has done everything correctly, he needs to be rewarded by giving him the remaining tidbit in his hands.
During training, you can tell your pet the same command so that it develops a reflex. With each training session, the treat must be raised higher and higher, but so that the rabbit does not fall back in pursuit of the treat. With regular training, the animal's actions will become a habit and he will be able to repeat them on his own.
Skateboarder
To do this, the owner will need to make a skateboard for the rabbit. Its size should not be larger than the animal itself. First, the animal must get used to the skateboard. To do this, you need to put your pet on it and ride it a little. When the animal calmly reacts to such movement, you can begin a more difficult task - downhill riding.
For this trick, you need to place a skateboard on an inclined surface and put a rabbit on it. After this, you need to call the pet by name. The rabbit will respond and thereby slide down the slide.
At the end of each obstacle, the rabbit must receive a reward.
Overcoming the obstacle course
The rabbit is able to learn to pass an obstacle course consisting of tunnels, bridges and labyrinths. You need to start training with one element, gradually increasing their number. Successful completion of each stage should be rewarded with a treat. The rabbit likes such tricks, he plays a game where he needs to overcome various obstacles, at the end of which he will receive a reward.
Rabbit training
Experts recommend starting exercises with your pet when he is ready to communicate and is a little hungry. He will have an incentive to get the treat. First you need to teach him to respond to his nickname, and start practicing tricks later.
Teaching a rabbit to respond to a name is easy. Arm yourself with a piece of carrot or apple, call the animal by name and show it the treat. If the animal turns around, praise it, caress it and give it a treat. Do this exercise several times every day. Soon the pet will remember its name and will come running when called.
Apple as a reward for a rabbit
Making a stand
The stand exercise involves the rabbit standing up on its hind legs. To teach him this trick, you need to take a treat in your hand, show it to your pet and raise the treat higher. At the same time, the owner pronounces a command word, for example, “up.” Reflexively, the rabbit will begin to pull its muzzle for a treat, rising on its hind legs. At first, you can hold the animal under the forelimbs to avoid falling and tipping backwards. A treat is given when the rabbit has successfully completed the task.
Over time, the exercise is brought to perfection; it is important to teach the pet to fix its body position in the soldier pose, and then praise and encourage it every time
Advice. When the eared dog masters the trick, it is recommended to continue training, but without a treat in your hand. The treat is given only after completing a full exercise cycle, as a reward for success.
Jumping over obstacles
The rabbit can be taught more complex tricks, for example, jumping over obstacles or going through a maze. This task is more difficult than the previous ones, so it requires time and patience. How to train:
- first they master one element, the simplest one;
- gradually adding new tasks one at a time;
- When the rabbit learns to carry out one command, the process is gradually complicated by connecting elements of the exercise.
For an obstacle course you will need various equipment - mats, labyrinths, bridges, tunnels. You can make them yourself. When training, they use the same methods - commands and rewarding the pet.
Ball game
The sight of a rabbit playing a ball like a real football player is touching. Anyone can teach him this trick. For your pet to start pushing the ball with its muzzle, just put a piece of treat under it and show that it is there. The animal will quickly understand that you need to make an effort to get the treat. The owner must accompany this process with commands, for example, “roll”, “push”. Over time, the animal will begin to respond to these phrases; it will remember that by pushing the ball, it will receive a treat.
In a similar way, a rabbit is taught to drive a ball into a small goal. In this case, it is recommended to secure the treat to the ball using double-sided tape. As soon as your pet manages to get the ball into the goal, pamper him with a treat and praise him.
House Rabbit Enrichment
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