Violent Barbering...Will This Ruin Bonding?

[BunnyBar]

I got another rabbit to pair with my girl about two months ago. They are male and female, and both are fixed, so I was hoping it would go well. However, after having them live in pens next to each other for over a month, I am hesitant to do the face-to-face meet. They are generally non-aggressive towards each other and often can be seen "flopped" near one another, but my girl has been displaying some alarming behaviors. She will occasionally get excited and lunge at him (it has, however, dissipated from full-on lunging + growling to a "mini" lunge sans growling), and will pull large tufts of his fur out through the bars. She does it quite aggressively and it obviously stresses him out in the moment. Other than that, there are no aggressive/violent issues, and he seems to submit to her immediately. I'm just worried about the worst-case scenario and I don't want her hurting him.

What can I do? Any tips or advice? I realize that the barbering and lunging could be an assertion of dominance, but I'm afraid of that going too far. She was so excited to have a friend when we first brought him home, and I'd love for them to bond.

 

[Blue eyes]

I'm afraid that's not a good sign. The only way to know, though, is to allow them together in a neutral space. Have something ready to separate them if she lunges for him. You can use a board. You may also want to wear oven mitts. (I still have a scar on my wrist when I tried to put my bare hand between a rabbit lunging for another one.)

The video here shows how a board is used to separate them. The separater can first be seen at around 10:33

 

[BunnyBar]

I'm afraid that's not a good sign. The only way to know, though, is to allow them together in a neutral space. Have something ready to separate them if she lunges for him. You can use a board. You may also want to wear oven mitts. (I still have a scar on my wrist when I tried to put my bare hand between a rabbit lunging for another one.)

Is there any hope of them bonding if the first few face-to-face meetings don't work out? They've honestly been fine up until now; even the lunging has become minimal and less aggressive. But the barbering started happening when I moved away from my husband and our rabbits...our girl has just been a terror (I am her human): going outside of her litterbxox, dragging her pen around, tossing her toys, biting my husband. They both have a weird complex about me. The boy will sit all perfect in his pen when it's just my husband around, but when I'm home, he apparently thinks he can get away with escaping and reigning terror on our bed.

Thank you, though. We don't have access to a bathtub or a space that hasn't been claimed by either rabbit, so would it be okay for their first face-to-face to be in a car?

 

[Angieleique]

Roger and Jessica do that from time to time still. Its happened 3 times this year . once they fight , Separate them for 6 to 12 hrs and try reintroducing . If that doesn't work try a week ( no sight , hear , smell) then re introduce them , i have to do this method for AT LEAST 2 days when Jessica starts acting like a bully bunny . I walk out ib to my living room in the morning and it looks like one of the stuffed animals got vaporized just fluff and hair EVERY WHERE. Keep an eye out for injuries though , bunny skin is fragile and the tearing of the hair can lead to rips and tears in the skin that can be a serious condition if not treated .