Monday Bunday: Training Update

I've made some adjustments in the Spots training program. For a while I had them jumping up on the couch, but became concerned that that was too much excitement for optimum digestion; it just didn't jibe with the precepts of Chinese Medicine with recommend quiet relaxation during meals. Now all training is done on the floor. With horses if you over train the animal will get "sour" and refuse to do what you ask it to. To avoid this I cut back and no longer intensively train at every meal. Now the twice a day pellet rations are fed in the pen, the only requirement is both rabbits have to let me give them a brief pet and touch their ears (remember ear touching is a bonding /your are sooooo dominant gesture). Tyler is good with this and often presents himself when he knows I'm coming with pellets, it is little harder for Sydney, but she is improving. Greens involve various numbers of  "paws on". Very occasionally I will get both rabbits in my lap munching away, more often they trade off perching on my leg and eating. Tyler is quite adept at this and Sydney will, after a bit of a warm up with two paws on, hop all the way on. Behavior outside of training includes Tyler demanding more pets and being more comfortable with me being close to him while this happens, as opposed to arm's length away. Sydney will come and see me if she suspects a treat may be involved and on finding there isn't will only retreat a  short distance, as opposed to simply running away in scorn. I think she is getting closer and closer to presenting herself for petting, but if Tyler is around she'll hop off; he is top bun. I must convince her that she, too, is top bun in my eyes.

Greens for Spots; both rabbits crowd into my lap to grab a bit of salad mix. Tyler pushes his way on first!

Lap feeding can get pretty crowded, but provides exciting and challenging photography conditions.

Here is Sydney having a good long perch and munch session. 

Tyler in perching pose, he seems quite comfortable.

This picture show why Tyler is sometimes known as "Mr. Whiskers" and sometimes as "Smudge Nose".

It is always Bunday in a Rabbit Centered Universe.

Monday Bunday: More BunTraining

Tyler as Top Bun; four paws on, on the couch with a fresh bag of organic spring mix.

Yes, the Spots are still in training. Three out of four meals involve some sort of interaction and behavior molding. It seemed like one drawback to sitting on the floor and asking for four paws on was the unsteadiness of the terrain (i.e. my cross legged leg) so we have some meals on the couch. It is great fun to see them flying on and off it. Tyler takes it at full speed from far away, Sydney is more circumspect and will dilly dally around on the floor before suddenly appearing. At the start of each session they are eager to have a bit which they often take off the couch to enjoy on the floor. As time goes on Tyler will stay and have a good nosh while Sydney looks on from below. Sometimes they will both be up and eating, though this is a bit crowded. Sydney usually comes up later and often we have a good long chat over a snack. 

One difficulty is rewarding both rabbits at once and taking a photo.

With both rabbits I am stroking them more while they eat, not too much to annoy them, just trying to git them more used to being touched all over. I do touch  and pet them when they have their morning pellets, which is not a training session (I just want my tea, please). One thing I have learned is to favorite treats in reserve for introducing new levels of behavior. This is how I convinced them both onto the couch at once. In the case of the Spots apple bits is the ultimate lure. Sydney will do anything for oat groats and she may well have to prove her love for them in the future! 

It is nice to have two buns side by side with paws on.

At this point the beneficial side effects of Spot training seems to be that they both are less likely to run away when they hear the kitchen door open. Tyler is once again allowing me to pet him more, in the beginning of training he had stopped letting me pet him (yes, my little heart broke into 10,000 pieces). Sydney is getting more friendly and jumped onto the couch with me, briefly, yesterday to see what I was doing on my laptop. 

Sydney with four paws on, the yellow things are Calendula petals a favorite bun dessert.

Rabbit's Guy gave us a very nice award, Lemonade (see it to your right), for Spot Training and we would like to pass this on to Mum of Critters for her new bunny and to Alice from Potentially Nervous for her atmospheric and fantastic bunny photos.