With special thanks to Wolf, Dr. A.G. Bradbury, DVM; Joan Orr; and Teresa Lewin.
For anyone who shares their home with a rabbit, we're not telling you something you don't know… rabbits are scary intelligent. They learn quickly and excel at training the humans they live with. My trio, Sunny Bunny, Rocky Roo, and Pippi, will stare me down if I haven't served their Small Pet Select Non-GMO, Soy-Free Rabbit Food Pellets bedtime treat. Guess what? You can harness that intelligence! As you work together using house rabbit clicker training, you will build trust and confidence in each other and become better friends.
Learn from the Experts
To help you master house rabbit clicker training, we interviewed three experts. First, Dr. A. G. Bradbury is a veterinarian in the UK and loves rabbits. She's got two rabbits of her own and trained them using her expert house rabbit clicker training skills at home. She also helps other people clicker train to form a deeper bond with their rabbit and solve behavioral issues.
Our other team of experts is Joan Orr, M.Sc., and Teresa Lewin. Joan is a scientist and internationally recognized expert in clicker training. A member of the Karen Pryor Clickertraining Clicker Expo faculty, she authored numerous renowned published articles about clicker training. An animal behavior specialist, Teresa is a pioneer in the field of clicker training rabbits. She has co-authored several published articles about clicker training rabbits and other small pets and conducts clicker bunny classes and workshops. Co-producers/creators of the award-winning Clicker Puppy DVD and Doggone Crazy! board game, they co-founded the non-profit Doggone Safe, dedicated to dog bite prevention through education. You can learn more about them on their website, ClickerBunny.com.
Why House Rabbit Clicker Training
Dr. Bradbury stated, "Rabbit intelligence is a gift and a curse. These smart creatures are often mentally under-stimulated, and they get bored." Guess what happens when a rabbit is bored? They get into trouble, i.e., chew things they shouldn't, destroy furniture, and all kinds of acting out occurs. Unfortunately, this often snowballs… you have a "bad" rabbit that often can't enjoy free run of the house.
House rabbit clicker training can accomplish two things: teaching new behaviors or training out unwanted behaviors. In both situations, positive reinforcement works wonders. Moreover, you won't need any special equipment, other than a ballpoint pen to use as a clicker. However, we don't recommend clickers for dogs and horses since they are loud and might scare your bun.
Keep in mind that rabbits are individuals, and some learn faster than others. Also, some are more stubborn, and some very much want to please you. Therefore, be patient, stay calm, and give it time. If you feel yourself becoming frustrated, stop and pick it up later. Finally, always end each training session on a positive note – ask your rabbit to do one thing you KNOW he can do, and reward that.
What Is It?
The term "house rabbit clicker training" sounds very specialized and like you'd need training yourself just to do it with your rabbit. Not the case! It just takes some practice and a basic understanding of the process.
Clicker training is simply using a soft sound to tell your rabbit that they did the right thing, and they are going to be rewarded for it. Again, your rabbit is in control here. She learns that she can make you click by doing certain things, and so if she wants that click, she can offer certain behaviors to get it.
Positive behavior is rewarded, and NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR IS IGNORED. If your rabbit isn't offering the behavior you are asking for, you just pay no attention. Ignored behavior fades away pretty fast – your rabbit isn't getting any joy from it. No scolding or correction here! The focus is on learning to make each other happy, and there is no place for fear or anger on either side.
Why can't you just say "Good Bunny" in an excited way when your rabbit does something you want? Well, because we humans are inconsistent. The tone of our voice, our word choices, the length of the praise – it all varies when we try to use words. A click is short and consistent. The sound is always the same, so the message is clear. Although this article is about training horses, some terrific points are made about the sounds we make. We even make unintentional sounds! Remember: "Come" is not the same thing as "Come here." "Get off" is different from "Get down." Have you ever traveled to a place where another language is spoken? It can be hard to tell where the words begin and end if you listen to a conversation. For our animals, the human language sounds like this.
Clicking is also a faster response, and timing is essential. A great clicker trainer gives that click at the correct fraction of a second, just when offered the proper behavior. We can't form words that quickly, but our fingers can click.
Look for our upcoming blogs on House Rabbit Clicker Training: Step-by-Step and Advanced House Rabbit Clicker Training Ideas & FAQs. Also, our beloved Spokesrabbit Belinda is going to be asking for your bunnies' help with a training project soon. Stay tuned!!
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