Biting

Question
I have a black Dutch that I show every now and then. He's as sweet as can be, loves to cuddle, and has the cutest face. He does good at his shows, but, he becomes very mean.
He doesn't live at home, he lives at my place of work. But, he has to come home every now and then for a show the next day, or for a long weekend. When he's at work, in his hutch or just being held, he's fine. Happy as can be and the sweetest little thing. Then when he comes home, he's a completely different rabbit. He bites, thrashes when I pick him up, and has even charged me. He's only 5 months, and I was wondering if it's only a phase he may grow out of. Or could it be because he's not neutered?
I love him dearly, but I don't want a mean rabbit. Any idea what could make him change personality when he's away from his regular home? Or if not, is there any way I can make him stop biting and being mean?

Answer
Dear Samantha,

It's not unlikely that the upheaval of being moved from his secure, familiar surroundings is upsetting him, and he acts out by being defensive (not aggressive).  He's still a baby, but neutering is a good idea to stop this aggression in its tracks before it becomes a learned, permanent behavior.

I would recommend, though, that you bring your bunny home with you permanently.  If he's alone on weekends and at night, he's lonely and could get sick and die without anyone being there to help him.  Is this a classroom bunny?  If so, please read:

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/classroom.html

Once he starts to feel secure and at home in your house (bring all his belongings and familiar things with you), he will likely calm down and resume his sweet nature.

One possibility is that he associates being brought home with going to a show, and a show is a very stressful, unpleasant place for a rabbit. Noise, unfamiliar people, and the *very real* risk of very dangerous pathogens are all reasons not to subject your bunny to this.

Finally, rabbits can be aggressive for many reasons, and identifying the cause is important to solving the problem.  Please see:

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/aggression.html

for information and help with this problem.

I hope this helps!

Dana