Teaching Your Rabbits

« Shopping For Sofa | Home | Speak Softly Love(Andy Williams) »

By peace | October 5, 2007

A rabbit that regularly jumps at shows, or simply for fun, will be a well-looked-after, happy rabbit. The rabbit will be very fit due to all the exercise, and it must be kept n this tip-top condition to be able to jump. The rabbit will certainly enjoy a more varied and stimulating life, rather than being confined to a hutch for long periods like most pet and show rabbits.

Teaching Your Rabbit To Jump
Any breed of rabbit will make a suitable show jumping prospect, apart from possibly Angoras, whose long fur may get in the way. Dwarf Lops are very popular jumpers in Sweden as they are so good-natured. Any rabbit that is being trained to jump must be very tame and used to being handled on a regular basis.

The best age to start training is around four months when the rabbit is neither too young nor too old to learn. Do not attempt to teach an older rabbit how to jump fences, as it can be a frightening experience for a rabbit which has, perhaps for years, been kept in a hutch and only handled once or twice a week. Both sexes will make equally good show jumpers, and the average rabbit will normally be able to clear fences of up to 3 ft(90cm), although the heights will need to be much lower in the beginning.

The first step in show jumping training is to get your rabbit used to wearing a harness and lead. You can allow your rabbit to jump freely indoors, but outside a harness and lead is essential to ensure that your rabbit cannot escape.

You do not need to construct special fences for your rabbit to start with. Almost anything will do — some books, an empty shoebox, a pair of shoes — just use your imagination! If you find that your rabbit likes show jumping, then perhaps you can use some wood to make minature versions of horse show jumping fences.

To teach your rabbit to jump, the most important attribute that you will need is patience. Some rabbits will learn quickly, others slowly, some will not learn at all. Do no persevere if your rabbit is not enjoying itself. The first stage is to allow your rabbit to get acquainted with the fence/obstacle by sniffing at it. Then place the rabbit in front of the fence, say the word “Jump” and gently push its bottom. Most rabbits will soon get the idea. Slow learners will benefit from being gently lifted over the fence to start with. Once your rabbit has jumped, give lots of praise, and perhaps a tidbit as a reward. Then all you have to do is to keep on practising!

Rabbits Information