Last Updated on August 8, 2023 by Admin
Rabbits are intelligent animals that can be trained to do basic tricks. With a little patience and persistence, rabbits will respond promptly to your basic commands. However, what most owners are yet to learn is how to train a rabbit to roll over. Keep reading to find out how you can teach your bunny this trick.
How do I get my rabbit to roll over?
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Build trust/ create a bond
First and foremost, before you think about training your rabbit, you need to build a strong bond. In other words, spend quality time with your pet either petting, feeding, or playing to get well acquainted. Once trust is built, you can either clicker train or use voice command to teach your bunny how to roll over.
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Incentives
Besides your pet trusting you, knowing what motivates them the most is essential when it comes to training. Ideally, rabbits tend to respond positively to incentives such as their favorite treat during training. In other words, the more cooperative or responsive they are during the training session, the more likely they’ll get rewarded.
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Training
Begin the training session by holding a treat near your resting bunny’s nose and letting them sniff. With the treat still near your pet’s nose, rotate it around its head. Your rabbit will naturally follow the treat moving around its head which will eventually make it roll over or turn completely around. After a complete turn, let them have the treat as encouragement.
Repeat this step on a daily basis until your rabbit is comfortable with not only rolling its head but the entire body as well. Over time you’ll notice that your pet will be eager to keep the treat in front of its nose by effortlessly rolling over. When this happens, you can use a soft tone with a basic command like “roll-over” or use a clicker before holding the treat close to its nose and rotating it around your rabbit’s head.
Once your pet gets the hang of it, rolling over will be effortless whenever it hears the command or a clicker they associate with the trick. Always remember that every time your bunny rolls over, reward them with their favorite treat to reinforce the action.
What if a rabbit fails to learn how to roll over?
Since rabbits have different temperaments, you’ll find that some rabbit breeds are social and easier to train while others are timid or stubborn. If your bunny doesn’t seem to understand your commands after a couple of weeks, then try to keep the training session short. It should be two or three sessions per day that averagely last 5 to 10 minutes. In other words, the short timeframe essentially keeps your bunny more interested and engaged more so if they easily lose focus.
The other factor that may hinder training success is when you use the wrong incentives. Bunnies prefer fruits as treats, although it’s advisable rewarding them sparingly and in small pieces whenever they respond positively to your command. Lastly, over time if you notice that your bunny is unresponsive or takes too long to roll over, then you’ll need to restart the entire session all over again. Rabbits like most pets eventually need to be conditioned to keep doing the same trick over time.
Conclusion
With the proper incentives, not only can you train a rabbit to roll over, but you can also teach them to respond to their name. On top of that, these intelligent animals can also jump, high-five, or spin on command.
