Rabbits are some of the most common indoor and outdoor pets these days, and many owners want to know if it is possible to train their furry friends.
Yes, Rabbits can be trained, but only to a certain extent. It is key to realize that bunnies aren’t like other very trainable pets or homestead animals such as dogs or pigs. In other words, there is a limit to the complexity and level of commands a rabbit will remember.
Can A Rabbit Be Trained
Without question, a rabbit CAN be trained; so the real question is how much can you train a rabbit?
As we point out in our post on How To Call A Rabbit To Come To You, bunnies cannot be treated like other trainable indoor or outdoor pets (think dogs, pigs, or even cats).
Rabbits just don’t have the same capacity to learn and remember voice commands or behaviors as other animals.
However, with consistency and patience you can teach rabbits some simple tricks and voice commands!
But before you read on about all the different tricks you can teach your rabbit, let’s remind ourselves that rabbits are naturally cautious and quick to scare.
As such, bunnies are extremely sensitive to audio, spatial, and physical stimulants or changes.
So when training your rabbit, remember that they will learn best and remember more
- If they are treated gently
- When they receive lots of nice petting
- In spaces free from loud noises or sudden noises
- When hearing an encouraging tone of voice and verbal praise
And most importantly, when they receive a yummy treat throughout the training process!
How to Train a Rabbit
When it comes to actually training your rabbit, there are a number of things that you might want to focus on.
The first group is practical training, such as litter box training and human bonding.
The second group is tricks, which are fun to perform and a great way to enrich your bunnies life!
And the final group are verbal commands, which are harder to learn for rabbits and take longer to teach.
Are Rabbits Hard To House Train: Litter Box Training Your Rabbit
One of the most practical things you can train your pet bunny is how to use a litter box!
This is incredibly useful for owners with one or more indoor rabbits, especially if you like to give them free-range of a certain part of the room/house that they live in.
Litter box training your rabbit is very simple, as you simply need an easily accessible cat litter box, rabbit safe litter, and lots of hay (which should be on hand anyway as rabbits eat a diet high in fibrous hay!)
These are the essential steps to litter box train your rabbit:
- Start in the hutch of your rabbit, placing the litter box, which should contain a layer of litter and a thick layer of hay on top, in the corner or area where they use the bathroom.
- Observe your rabbit. Their most likely reaction is to adapt immediately to using the bathroom in the litter box, as they like to reserve one space for their bathroom needs. However, if they switch corners or location in their hutch for using the bathroom simply move the litter box over to that area. Continue this process until they start to use the bathroom in the litter box.
- Slowly increase the space associated with their hutch/litter box. If you take your time and don’t overwhelm your rabbit with too much space, your bunny will eventually be able to roam freely and return to their litter box to use the bathroom!
Training A Rabbit To Be Human Friendly
Note that it can be almost impossible to reteach an older rabbit that has been mistreated by humans to be human friendly.
Remember, as cautious animals rabbits are not quick to forget when, what, or who makes them feel unsafe.
But if done consistently, the following steps can help most rabbits (and with even more patience previously maltreated or overly aggressive rabbits) to be human friendly.
- Offer the bunny a bit of fruit, veggie, or yummy herbs daily and remain next to their house or hutch as they enjoy it.
- Next, offer the daily treat to your rabbit while they are in a safe space outside of their hutch and with you still in proximity.
- Slowly move the location of the treat closer and closer to you until the rabbit is eating the yummy snack calmly next to you.
- Move the treat to your palm and practice this until the rabbit is eating out of your palm.
- Progressively place the daily treat from your open palm to your lap until the rabbit feels comfortable climbing onto your lap to eat the treat.
- With time and patience you can begin gently petting and speaking to the rabbit while they eat the treat on your lap.
- Continuing this gentle behavior with the rabbit will help them understand that you and other humans don’t need to be feared and are instead safe!
How To Train A Rabbit To Do Tricks
Training your bunny tricks can be a lot of fun, especially once they have mastered them and can show them off for family and friends.
The best way to train your rabbits tricks is to use a positive incentive and/or reward.
Our recommendations are fruit or veggie treats and gentle petting along with a particular sound (snap of fingers, click of tongue, etc..).
To see just which fruits and veggies are safe from rabbits, check out Fruits Rabbits Can Eat and Vegetables Rabbits Can Have Daily.
Once you have your rabbit’s favorite treat in hand, it’s all a matter of patience and well-placed treats!
Training A Rabbit: Basic Tricks
Two basic tricks for rabbits include standing on hind legs and giving bunny kisses.
Standing On Hind Legs
- Once you have your rabbit’s attention, place the special treat over the head of your rabbit in the air. They will naturally lift their head to sniff and try to eat the treat.
- Continue lifting the treat up slowly until your rabbit is standing on their hind legs.
- Reward them immediately with the treat along with a particular sound or word of praise and heavy petting afterward.
- Continue this until your rabbit stands on their hinds legs with a simple lift of your empty hand alongside the word or particular sound.
Rabbit Kisses
- Once you have your rabbit’s attention, let them sniff the treat you have and then cover it in your fist and bring the fist to in front of your mouth. They will naturally come closer, sniffing out the treat. You will need to bend down to be within reach.
- Once their face is in front of yours and when they come close to your mouth, immediately reward them with the treat and make a kissing noise or say ‘kisses’.
- With more practice, your rabbit will learn to reach up and sniff/touch the area of your mouth when they hear the key phrase!
Voice Commands: How Do I Start Training My Rabbit?
Voice commands are probably the hardest thing to teach rabbits, as it is not in their nature to remember or memorize voice commands associated with actions and vice-versa.
The key to voice commands and rabbits is to pick very short, 1-2 syllable words during training.
In fact, my younger daughter taught a handful of our homestead rabbits their names using the following method:
- She first picked the favorite fruit or veggie treat of each rabbit. For example, one particularly enjoyed wheatgrass while another enjoyed grapes.
- While with the rabbits, she would say their name or nickname calmly and clearly (keeping it to 1-2 syllables) while giving them the favorite treat or immediately before giving them their favorite treat.
- This process was repeated multiple times a day for a week. After a week, she began to slowly move away from offering them the yummy treat and began to substitute lots of nice petting and scratches when saying their name.
- After a few weeks of heavy petting and some treat rewards, the rabbits she was working with would immediately perk up when they heard their name and to this date they continue to respond when their name is called.
This method described above is a great way to try out other types of voice training for rabbits, such as teaching them to come when called or jump up onto a low sofa or chair.
Remember, be patient with your rabbit and dont be shy when rewarding them, as they will be more likely to remember the training if they associate it with a positive result!
Frequently Asked Questions Related To How To Train A Rabbit
How To Train A Baby Rabbit?
It is best to wait until your rabbits are 4-6 months old to start training them in any way, as before this point they are going through lots of physical and social development and should still be living with their mother.
Can You Train A Rabbit Like A Dog?
No, rabbits and dogs are fundamentally different animals although both can be raised by humans as indoor and outdoor pets. Do not expect your rabbit to be as trainable as a dog!
Rather, opt for a limited amount of simple tricks or voice commands (like the ones outlined in this post) for your rabbit.
How Long Does It Take To Train A Rabbit?
Rabbits take longer to train than other animals, and you should give at least a week of constant training for many voice commands and tricks to be completely understood.
Final Thoughts on Training A Rabbit
As we discussed, consistency, patience, and simplicity are truly key when training rabbits.
Your furry friends are capable of much, so just take it slow and enjoy the learning and bonding process of training your rabbit; never forget to give an extra pat or treat to your learning bunnies!
Check this video out for some other great suggestions on other tricks that you can teach your rabbit!