Can You Discipline a Rabbit? (10 Ways to be Kind-Not Cruel!)

Owners of house rabbits will often find that important wires, phone chargers, stair carpets, table legs, handbags, and shoes can get ‘explored’ the only way a rabbit knows how – by nibbling. It can be annoying to find any item you love has received attention from a rabbit but is there any way to stop this from becoming a habit? Can you even discipline a rabbit? Let’s take a look

Rabbits can be disciplined and are intelligent enough to learn when you are unhappy with them. Just as you can train and reward positive behavior, responding to the bad with some form of mild ‘punishment’ will lead to them learning the consequences of their actions.

What discipline means for rabbits

It’s important not to confuse discipline with punishment. Rabbits should never be punished, they are delicate souls who deserve love and care (as are all animals in our opinion, even spiders!).

Discipline means simply performing actions that gently steer or guide the rabbit into stopping an unwanted behavior. It will, however, take time and lots of repetition for it to learn and there are certain normal behaviors that you should expect.

Why rabbits should not be punished

As prey animals rabbits have a ‘fight or flight’ response to danger or in this case perceived aggression. Whereas a dog will cower when scolded by its master a rabbit will interpret excessive aggression as a threat to its life. If you attempt to harm a rabbit physically (and it doesn’t run away and hide) you will probably be on the receiving end of (a well deserved) kick or bite.

Why do rabbits misbehave?

Rabbits don’t intentionally set out to be naughty and usually what we interpret as misbehaving is just a rabbits way of entertaining itself as it explores.

As social animals that live in large colonies in the wild, rabbits also need companionship to stop them from getting bored, if you have a misbehaving rabbit the solution may be as simple as getting it a friend.

Remember try not to stop a rabbit from behaving naturally. You decided to share your home with it, as such it’s up to you to provide plenty of enrichment (toys, etc.) that it can focus its energy on.

Also remember that if you keep a rabbit cooped up on its own in a tiny hutch all day it is unlikely to behave like a friendly and well-behaved house guest during the times you do give it some attention.

Ways to discipline a rabbit

Disciplining a rabbit is a bit of a fine line, too harsh and it will probably hide (not to be seen again for hours) but too soft and you will find it has little effect on curbing the bad behavior.

When researching for this post we surveyed a number of real rabbit owners and found some interesting ways that people use to discipline their rabbits.

Here are some of our favorites (all of which will not harm the rabbit, however, a few may agitate slightly). All will take repetition so choose one and stick with it for a while. If it’s still not working after a couple of weeks it’s time to try another method.

1. Show authority using commands

Rabbits can be taught to understand several words including the sound of their own name, however, they won’t always respond to it unless it is accompanied by the sound of the fridge door opening!

Quite a few of the people we surveyed simply use their rabbits name in order to get them to stop doing something.

Raising your voice slightly (but not shouting) while telling your bunny ‘No’ or ‘Stop’ as it nibbles a chair leg or digs at the carpet can be very effective with consistent use.

If the rabbit stops as a result of a stern instruction you can further reinforce the positive behavior in its mind by offering a small healthy treat (a sprig of parsley or half of a raisin has worked well with our own rabbits).

In the case of rabbits chewing something they shouldn’t, after the instruction to ‘stop’ you can continue to distract the rabbit by offering something else to focus its attention. A favorite toy or piece of cardboard works well.

Remember, never shout or show aggression to a rabbit, it will likely become terrified of you.

2. Show dominance

We were a bit skeptical of this suggestion at first however we then recalled a similar technique being used by experienced rabbit carers at a rabbit rescue center we attended once for a ‘bonding open day’.

During our experience, rabbits to be bonded were put in a small cage with an open top while being continuously monitored. As the rabbits sniffed and scoped each other out occasionally one of them would get a little over-excited or ‘frisky’ and violence seemed likely. When this happened the carer would put a hand in and place it gently along the back of the ‘frisky’ rabbit while applying very slight pressure.

The rabbit quickly learned to associate its bad behavior with the temporary restriction of its movement and violence was therefore avoided (bonding using this technique also seemed to occur very quickly).

One point on this method is that it was carried out by a very experienced rabbit handler. We wouldn’t suggest placing pressure along your rabbits back in this way unless you are confident that you won’t do it any harm, rabbits have a very delicate spine and can easily be injured. However, you can train a rabbit not to misbehave with a very similar technique.

When your rabbit is doing something it shouldn’t try placing a finger on its nose as you apply very gentle pressure. The rabbit may initially look a bit bewildered by this action but it will show the rabbit you are the dominant one in your relationship (aka the boss!).

3. Use a spray bottle

This one was a very popular option, we couldn’t help feeling it was a little cruel to spray a rabbit with water however there is no denying it works for some people. Bottles with a mist setting are very cheap to buy on amazon (just a dollar or two) or you can use an empty one from a domestic product, just make sure all chemicals are washed out.

The method is simple, keep a small spray bottle handy and when the rabbit begins to misbehave spray the bottle into the air while saying the rabbits name and ‘stop’’.

If it continues to misbehave again repeat the command but this time give a gentle spray with the mist.

Ensure you say ‘stop’ so that the rabbit can build a connection between the word and action in its mind. These intelligent animals learn quickly and eventually, the sound of the first spray (the one into the air) should be enough to get the rabbit to stop whatever it is that you don’t want it to be doing. At this point, you should never need to spray the rabbit directly again.

Remember rabbits, like cats, are not too keen on water and are very sensitive so never spray directly into the rabbits face. Also, never stress your rabbit out with excessive spraying, this may lead to aggression and your rabbit generally hating to be near you. Spraying and soaking your rabbit can also be very bad for its overall health.

4. The ‘naughty’ step

Not really the naughty step as such but more of a naughty room, If you are not having any success showing your authority with a ‘stop’ or ‘no’ command gently remove the rabbit to a quiet room or another area of the house. Company and social interaction are most important to a rabbit and taking away his ability to interact with you or another bunny friend for a short time is an easy but effective method of discipline.

This should be very short (a 5 minute time out is plenty). Never lock your pet away for long periods and forget about it while you go off and enjoy a quiet afternoon in front of the TV. If using this method, ensure the rabbit always has enough space to move around and most importantly always ensure food (hay) and water is available at all times.

5. Exaggerate when bitten

This one related to nipping and biting. Rabbits can be very aggressive when they feel at threat and are capable of giving quite a nasty bite. Even when they are being playful they may still give you a painful nip or nibble.

One way of stopping this behavior is to make a high pitched sound or ‘ouch’ as soon as a bite or nip occurs. There’s no need to scream the house down but if you exaggerate with an audible reaction every time the rabbit nips or nibbles it should soon realize that it is hurting you and (hopefully) stop.

Sometimes a rabbit may bite and there won’t be any need to exaggerate your pain response. Rabbit bites can be really painful! (Our own rabbit Princess will often bite and while using his teeth to hang will kick and scratch for added brutality!).

When being bitten by a rabbit it can be difficult not to react with anger however it is vitally important that you try. Rabbits are fragile and sensitive animals that should never be hit or pushed around, not only is it cruel, these actions may also injure them.

Understand that rabbits are very different to other pets and learn to survive on their own from a young age. If your rabbit is misbehaving and this involves regular biting, it may be that you first need to concentrate on building trust with the rabbit.

6. Rattle something

Rabbits are easily startled and while you should never shout to get their attention, rattling something and creating an unfamiliar sound as you tell your pet to ‘stop’ might be enough to distract them to move onto something else. Anything you have to hand can be used as a rattle, something as simple as a box of cornflakes, a jar of buttons or coins, a piggy bank, or a baby’s rattle should do the trick nicely.

7. Clapping

Clapping is one technique that we don’t do personally and we would not recommend (it’s a bit too similar to the sound of a farmers gun for our liking). Although some owners told us that they had success distracting their bunny this way if you do decide to try this, clap quietly and never sneak up and clap close to the rabbit (shock can kill a rabbit).

8. Stamp a foot

Have you ever noticed how your rabbit will stamp its feet if it hears an unfamiliar sound or you withhold its favorite treat? In the wild rabbits use foot-stomping as a way to alert other members of the colony that something needs attention or danger is approaching, this could be anything from a bird of prey overhead to a fox or coyote way off in the distance.

Domestic rabbits also use stomping as a way of showing their annoyance at their owners, so if your rabbit is doing something naughty, why shouldn’t you try it too?

Stamping may just cause the rabbit to look at you in a confused manner, or even stamp back in response, either way, you will have its (brief) attention!

9. Give the rabbit its own space

As mentioned earlier, when rabbits seemingly misbehave it’s usually that they are just following their natural instincts. If your bunny is ‘free roam’ remove anything you don’t want to be nibbled from the areas it goes in.

Alternatively, if you are particularly house proud and a bunny is misbehaving by being destructive, setting up a rabbit room or large puppy pen as a secure play area may be the best solution.

Filling this area with enrichment in the form of chewable objects (cardboard boxes or wooden toys) creating nooks and crannies to explore using tunnels and boxes and perhaps even a sandpit for the bunny to indulge its love of digging will give a rabbit all it needs to have fun and behave naturally without ruining your best rug or couch.

10. Get the rabbit a friend

Bunnies love company and if a bunny is misbehaving it may just be feeling bored and trying to entertain itself especially If you leave your bunny alone for long periods of time during work hours. Consider getting your bunny a friend from a rescue center to keep it company. You can read more about the advantages of having two bunnies here.

Can I shout or hit the rabbit?

No!!

Firstly, physical punishment should never be used on a rabbit. Not only is it likely to trigger an aggressive response it will damage any chance you have of building a long-lasting friendship.

Shouting loudly is also not recommended, rabbits are very good at picking up on anger even if it’s not physical and displaying it could destroy the rabbits trust in you, sometimes beyond repair. This will more than likely make it into a nervous wreck that runs away whenever you attempt to approach.

Wrap up

Disciplining a rabbit can be difficult as a rabbit won’t necessarily know that it is doing anything wrong. Although domesticated, rabbits retain their wild instincts and most won’t listen or understand in the same way that a dog or cat might.

Though you may be able to discourage bad behavior using one or more of the methods above, you will need to be understanding and patient when mishaps occur.

Rabbits are at their most entertaining best when treated with kindness and love so concentrate on building a great relationship and it will be easier to enforce good behaviors through consistent training.