Pet owners can be extremely protective and rabbit owners, in particular, have more reason than most. After all, rabbits unlike other pets are very delicate animals. Even holding a rabbit in an incorrect manner can result in injury or even death. Unlike cats that can come and go of their own accord or dogs that can be walked safely along a street or in a park, it can take some work to set up a safe exercise environment for a rabbit.
Rabbits can wear leashes as they are a good way to introduce your rabbit to an outside space that does not have a secure boundary fence. Although rabbits can be leash trained, never cause anxiety by forcing a rabbit into a leash against its will.
Can I take my rabbit out on a leash?
This depends on what you mean by ‘out’. Using a harness and leash with a rabbit means that providing you maintain a hold, the rabbit is tethered to you and relying on you to keep it safe.
So yes, you can take your rabbit out for a walk on a leash provided you have safety in mind – always!
Wherever you decide to take him remember, the outside world is a dangerous place. If you were to take your rabbit to the park for example would you really be able to protect him and yourself if a vicious dog decided to attack? Taking pet rabbits outside is also exposing them to germs, and possibly diseases which they have not been inoculated against.
Whenever you use a harness and leash with a bunny, you need to always have the rabbits best interests and enjoyment at heart, remember rabbits are very nervous animals. We only recommend use of a leash in your own home or garden.
Why is a leash a good option for a rabbit owner?
A leash is not a substitute for complete freedom but they do serve a purpose. Some rabbit owners are too house proud to allow free roaming rabbits (which is understandable as rabbits can be destructive) and not everyone has the required space to provide an outdoor run. This is where a leash comes in handy.
Rabbits are curious creatures that love to explore. Leave your bunny outside unsupervised in an unsecured garden and there is a good chance he’ll end up lost or in a shelter. Without a safe and secure garden, a leash can be a useful accessory that allows you to take your rabbit to new and interesting areas of your home without fear of losing it. Another advantage to using a leash is that some predators (certain opportunistic birds) will be less likely to attack while you’re around.
There are of course risks associated with using a leash that you should be aware of before adding this to your bunny accessories. In this short post, we’d like to take a look at leashes for rabbits and help you to decide if a leash is a good fit for your own rabbit.
How to walk a rabbit with a leash?
Walking a rabbit is not the same as walking a dog, unlike dog owners you are not the rabbit’s master’, most rabbit owners quickly learn that with a rabbit it’s actually more like the other way around!
When walking with a rabbit, let the rabbit control the direction of travel and walk carefully alongside, never pull the rabbit along using a leash, this will stress the rabbit out, it may attempt to run creating a further risk of injury to its delicate skeletal system. Remember that a leash is not really a training tool it can’t be used to teach your rabbit to jump or binky. Never drag a rabbit around using a leash or lift it up off of the ground. This is abuse.
Does a rabbit need a leash?
Consider this; do you really need to use a leash? Most people have space somewhere inside or outside the home where a rabbit can exercise. If you have a small garden how much work is it going to take to make it secure for your rabbit? Patching up a few holes in the fence will allow you to sit on a chair with a nice cup of tea (or your preferred beverage) and enjoy the sight of your rabbit racing around untethered (I can assure you this is very entertaining as a rabbit owner!)
Garden access will take some thought on your part. You’ll need to ensure that the rabbit is safe from all manner of predators such as birds, foxes, or coyotes, and consider how you can escape-proof the garden prevent them from being able to escape.
If you’re lucky enough to have a larger garden perhaps you could section off an area specifically for your bunny? Bunnies need at least 32 sq. feet to exercise and building an enclosure doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive, some fencing posts and chicken wire can make a simple enclosure suitable for daytime use, and netting can also be purchased which should protect the rabbits from birds of prey.
If you have the necessary carpentry skills you may even get creative and build an enclosure, there are plenty of examples of rabbit owners who have built large outside enclosures for their furry friends, As a side note I built the below enclosure with zero carpentry training, it allows my rabbits to have 24-hour protection from predators and a large space to play, rabbits can also be taught to use a cat flap and these are excellent for allowing access to a secure run and a predator-proof enclosure night and day.
Alternatively why not give your rabbit a room of his own inside the house? With planning a room can be set up to be an interesting and safe environment for a rabbit to exercise without the need to put a leash on it.
Harness types
Leashes for rabbits and other small pets usually attach to a harness that is secured across the front of the rabbit. These typically come in two styles, the thin strap style, and the jacket style harness.
What kind of harness is best for a bunny?
Firstly any harness that you are considering for a rabbit should be made from a strong stretchy and lightweight fabric. Rabbits will almost certainly be uncomfortable in a harness if they are not used to it and further restriction of their movement through using an uncomfortable or heavy harness will only add to its discomfort.
A harness should fit comfortably and not be too tight or loose. If you are using the harness in a hot country it’s also worth considering that dark colours will cause the rabbit to get hot more quickly. Rabbits are prone to overheating and added discomfort from heat will be detrimental to their overall enjoyment of their adventure outside. If possible go for a light colour that will reflect heat rather than draw it in.
When choosing a harness and leash for a rabbit it’s important to take into account natural rabbit behaviors. Bunnies are spontaneous in their movements and will often go from standing still to racing away at top speed in an instant. Another thing that bunnies like to do is the ‘binky’. This is an expression of happiness displayed in a sudden jump and twist of the body (read our full post as to why rabbits binky right here!).
For these reasons we think that a harness should be of the jacket type that covers the full chest and underside (belly) of the rabbit. This is so that in the event of an accidental ‘jolt’ to the leash if the rabbit decides to bolt or binky any pressure will be distributed evenly across the entirety of the rabbits front. In contrast thin strip style harnesses have a higher chance of injuring a rabbit in the event of a jolt.
What kind of leash is best for a rabbit?
We’ve mentioned that when walking a rabbit you will be letting him/her guide the direction of travel. You will simply be walking alongside and ensuring the rabbit isn’t putting itself in any danger. For this reason, a leash for a rabbit is no required to be too long. The thought behind a fairly short leash is that in the event of a spontaneous boost of acceleration the rabbit won’t be able to pick up a lot of speed before the leash becomes taut.
A leash should also be made from an elasticated material which will act alongside the harness to further absorb the shock if the rabbit decides to try and run however never use a spring-loaded retractable lead meant for dogs, these are far too strong to use with rabbits, may put them off balance and potentially cause an injury.
Getting a rabbit used to a leash
Rabbits are of course food to a lot of predators and as such, they aren’t usually too happy to be manhandled. Before attempting to put a harness or a leash onto a rabbit it will be important that you have built a sufficient amount of trust, for information on building up a bond with a rabbit read our article here.
Attaching a harness and a leash to a rabbit will not be as simple as clipping a leash to a dog. Most harnesses and leashes made with rabbits in mind will require the rabbit’s front legs to be placed through. This can be awkward, and if the rabbit perceives itself to be in danger it may kick out and try to escape, particularly aggressive rabbits may even bite.
Safety of the rabbit is an obvious concern, as mentioned rabbits have delicate spines and can easily be injured during a struggle if it is not handled correctly. If you are finding it a challenge to get your rabbit into a harness and attach a leash don’t force it and risk damaging your relationship beyond repair. Instead, work on gaining the rabbit’s trust before attempting again.
Once you have the trust of a rabbit you will be able to try again with the harness. Before taking a rabbit out into the big wide world using a leash it’s a good idea to get it used to wearing a harness. Short 10 minute sessions in the harness indoors over the course of a week or two will enable the rabbit to get more comfortable with you putting the harness on.
If it’s a slight struggle to get the harness on you can persist but stop immediately if the rabbit starts to look like it is experiencing any stress. Once the rabbit is in the harness make sure you give a treat, by doing this the rabbit will begin to associate treats with good behavior and wearing the harness. After a couple of days, the rabbit will start to understand that it is not under any threat. After this, it will be a lot easier to clip on a leash.
A rabbit should ALWAYS be supervised when using a harness and a leash. Leashes will give you an opportunity to exercise a rabbit but it should never be left on its own. Rabbits can get stressed out especially in unfamiliar situations or surroundings and as its responsible owner, you need to be able to get the rabbit out of harm’s way when necessary.
Can you put a rabbit on a long leash?
If you are tempted to put your rabbit on a long leash and attaching it somewhere so you can let the bunny explore without supervision there are a couple of reasons why this is a bad idea.
The first and most obvious reason is predators. Rabbits have enemies of all kinds and sight of a predator (or even what is perceived to be a predator) a rabbit will instinctively run for cover. In this event and without any restriction on its space to run or acceleration the excessive force of a sudden jolt (at top speed) is enough to break bones or damage the spine.
The second reason why a long leash is not a good idea is that even if it were long enough in length to remain ‘slack’ at the furthest reaches of the garden a rabbit will run around things and effectively shorten the length of the leash. That combined with a rabbit’s enjoyment of jumping up and climbing on things and there is a real danger that a rabbit may become trapped or even strangled by a leash.
Put simply, long leashes are a bad idea and supervision is necessary at all times.
What age can you leash train a rabbit?
We personally don’t recommend leash training from a very young age as a younger rabbit may slip out of a leash. Adult or juvenile rabbits that you have worked for a while to build up a level of trust with will be more receptive to being put in a harness and attached to a leash.
Steps for leash training a rabbit
1. First earn the rabbits trust
Trying to put on a harness before the rabbit is used to you and his surroundings could cause it anxiety. The rabbit may start to associate the sight of the harness and leash with an unpleasant experience.
2. Let the rabbit get familiar with the harness and leash
Put the harness and leash it near the rabbit and let it smell it. The rabbit may even chin it to mark it as property.
3. Put the leash loosely on the rabbit
Once the rabbit is familiar with the sight of the harness and leash it’s time to try it on, put the harness on the rabbit without the leash and either leave it unclipped or adjust it so that it fits loosely on the rabbit. Let the rabbit wear it indoors for short periods several times a day.
When the rabbit is in the harness, give healthy treats, rabbits learn by association and he will start to associate the treats with being in the harness.
After a few days if the rabbit seems happy in the harness you can secure it properly, if the rabbit is showing any signs of discomfort take it off. It may be that the rabbit doesn’t like that particular harness. Back up a step and try again in a few days.
4. Attach the leash
Once the rabbit is used to wearing the harness, it’s time to introduce the leash. Carefully clip the leash on. Without holding the leash supervise the rabbit as it runs around with it attached. Make sure the leash doesn’t become caught on anything, If the rabbit shows any kind of stress remove the leash, if not you can pick the leash up and start walking slowly with the rabbit.
5. Let the rabbit take you for a walk
Never pull or tug a rabbit along, let the rabbit go where he wants to go (within reason) If the rabbit runs, quicken your walking speed to keep up. Never take your eyes off the rabbit and look out for potential dangers at all times.
Wrap up
Leashes are a useful accessory which most rabbits will eventually come around to. Don’t be disheartened if your rabbit just doesn’t take to it immediately, build trust and persevere and you and your rabbit will be enjoying some extra freedom in no time at all.
Finally, you may like to read our further post on this subject, where we cover if rabbits can wear collars or harnesses safely.
Further Reading
Rabbits on a Leash: What You Need To Know bunnyapproved.com
Can Rabbits Walk on a Leash? petfinder.com
How to Leash Train a Pet Rabbit petmd.com
