Clicker Training Your Pet Rabbit

Rabbits are wonderful house pets. Loving, quiet, and easy to take care of, rabbits also learn quickly. They can learn to do anything they’re physically capable of doing…all you need is a clicker and some patience. Clicker training a rabbit is in some ways like clicker training a dog. But there are differences between rabbits and dogs in how they view their environment and how they learn that will affect the early clicker training sessions.

Veteran rabbit trainers Joan Orr and Teresa Lewin are strong supporters of clicker training for rabbits. They suggest that rabbits need to feel comfortable and safe in their environment, so give them time to adjust. “Rabbits are a prey species and this makes them very different from predators such as dogs and cats.” If your rabbit is afraid of being outside of her cage, help her become familiar with clicker training while she’s in the cage.

Start by loading the clicker and getting your rabbit accustomed to the click and treat method of training. When you click, instead of putting a treat in your hand, put it on the ground in front of her. Rabbits prefer eating off the ground. They may refuse to eat food placed away from their regular eating area, and it will take some time – possibly a few training sessions – to accept food in the new area. Over time, you can train her to eat from your hand. Because rabbits are small, they eat less, so keep treats to a few tiny bites and keep training sessions very short. Treats can include rabbit pellets or tiny pieces of vegetables.

When the rabbit learns to associate a click with getting a treat, you can begin to train her in basic obedience skills and she can be litter box trained. She can learn to sit, come, stay, fetch, and hop into your lap. You can also break bad bunny habits such as biting and chewing on furniture with clicker training. Your rabbit can even learn to do special tricks like hopping over and around obstacles, standing on hind legs, and tossing or carrying a ball.



Andrea Bratt Frick and Jean Silva of B.U.N.S. in California have had great success with the clicker and their shelter rabbits. “We have been using the clicker to get all our bunnies to come to the front of their condos to appear friendly to help them become more adoptable. Also, we have taught them little tricks such as ‘give me ten’ so that the bunnies, who were fearful at first, would now interact with potential adoptees.” Rabbits have a natural fear of being picked up – this is how animals or birds capture rabbits for their meal – so you can help your rabbit become more comfortable with handling through clicker training.

Rabbits can be very affectionate and expressive. With time and patience, you will learn what makes your rabbit happy, and through clicker training you can build a bond of trust with your favorite bunny.

If you need a supply of clickers, The Clicker Company has you covered. Visit The Clicker Company website at www.clickercompany.com to purchase your supply of clickers for rabbit training.