Here are some tips for new owners:
1. Don't be afraid of hurting your rabbit. Hold on firmly. Rabbits squirm when they feel unsafe. Being held loosely because the owner thinks they are being gentle actually really scares rabbits because they worry they will be dropped.
2. Don't EVER let go when the rabbit squirms. EVER. Just keep holding on. You might get a scratch or two, but you can handle it.
3. Don't let them get away with anything that you or other people don't like. Bad behaviors become habits.
4. Be calm, confident, and assertive.
5. Remember that rabbits are prey animals, and startle easily.
6. No animal is 100% reliable or perfect. They don't come ready-made. Don't expect to buy a rabbit or breed a rabbit and have them come out perfect without any training. Training is an ongoing process throughout the rabbit's entire life. It is up to you to patiently and consistently remind your rabbit of the rules.
7. Practice good common sense about how frequently you should handle. Don't hold your rabbit for an hour straight, and don't ignore them for a week either.
8. They're animals. They make mistakes. Teach them to do better, but don't punish. After you have corrected the behavior appropriately and humanely, there has to be instant forgiveness or the rabbit will lose its trust in you.
9. Rabbits PREFER people who are kind, calm, confident, and assertive when handling them.
10. Don't linger on what the rabbit did in the past. The only species that dwells on the past is humans. As Cesar Millan says, animals "live in the now".
1. Don't be afraid of hurting your rabbit. Hold on firmly. Rabbits squirm when they feel unsafe. Being held loosely because the owner thinks they are being gentle actually really scares rabbits because they worry they will be dropped.
2. Don't EVER let go when the rabbit squirms. EVER. Just keep holding on. You might get a scratch or two, but you can handle it.
3. Don't let them get away with anything that you or other people don't like. Bad behaviors become habits.
4. Be calm, confident, and assertive.
5. Remember that rabbits are prey animals, and startle easily.
6. No animal is 100% reliable or perfect. They don't come ready-made. Don't expect to buy a rabbit or breed a rabbit and have them come out perfect without any training. Training is an ongoing process throughout the rabbit's entire life. It is up to you to patiently and consistently remind your rabbit of the rules.
7. Practice good common sense about how frequently you should handle. Don't hold your rabbit for an hour straight, and don't ignore them for a week either.
8. They're animals. They make mistakes. Teach them to do better, but don't punish. After you have corrected the behavior appropriately and humanely, there has to be instant forgiveness or the rabbit will lose its trust in you.
9. Rabbits PREFER people who are kind, calm, confident, and assertive when handling them.
10. Don't linger on what the rabbit did in the past. The only species that dwells on the past is humans. As Cesar Millan says, animals "live in the now".