Hi guys I have 2 buns and one is a brat. The brat rabbit is well loved so don't worry about me calling it a jerk face..it's not going anywhere. She's a 3 month old doe that was orphaned and thus hand raised from 2 days. She has started biting us the last month or so. It does not appear to be aggression, and it's definitely not fear. She isn't saying pet me because she does it when we pet her and she's not saying stop because she does it when we're not even touching her. Basically we're just sitting there and she walks up and nips us, if we're petting her it happens then too. It's almost like she's just tasting us/exploring. Will this stop? It reminds me of a puppy teething...please advise. Oh ps she's out of her cage for 12-14 hrs a day and is spoiled rotten with toys.
Jerk face rabbit (bites)
- Thread starter Bucktooth
- Start date
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whiskylollipop
Laura the Bunsnuggler
Sounds like a classic case of an orphan raised without parental discipline and siblings to teach her that if she bites or plays too rough she'll get ignored or even bitten back.
You're going to have to be her mom. If she bites, squeal sharply and stomp at her, show that you are unhappy, and walk away from her immediately. Only give her pets and attention when she hasn't been biting, or when she asks nicely such as with a nose bump.
You're going to have to be her mom. If she bites, squeal sharply and stomp at her, show that you are unhappy, and walk away from her immediately. Only give her pets and attention when she hasn't been biting, or when she asks nicely such as with a nose bump.
ams1786
Well-Known Member
If she bites don't pull back. Try putting your hand over her eyes and saying "NO" and pressing her head gently but firmly down do the floor. Hold it a few seconds and let it go. If she's really bad you can "harrumph" and go sit with your back to her a few feet away. Look at her pointedly then turn your back and ignore her. It's what bunnies do to show they're mad and (even though it sounds crazy) it seems to work if you do it right back at them. She should come over in a bit to say hi and then you can make up.
Remember, if you don't train your bunny, your bunny will train you!
Troller
Well-Known Member
Yeah I was told some rabbits go through this phase, sort of a bunny version of the terrible twos. I experienced this from my buck but not my doe, and yeah I had to discourage him from it. I tried the high pitched squeal but he didn't care, but when I gently pushed his head down after he would nip me he finally learned. I'm sure each rabbit responds differently but it worked for me.
Thank you for all your replies. She still nips occasionally but it's becoming less and less, so I think the high pitch squeal we make ( and I will gently press and hold her head down for a second if I need to) has helped a lot 
