Jersey Wooley with an attitude

Question
We have had a beautiful Jersey Wooley since February.  We bought her from a locally owned pet store for our daughter.  We keep her in a cage indoors but frequently let her out to hop around the house for exercise.  She mostly hides under a chair.  It wasn't too long after we brought her home that we discovered she was fairly aggressive.  She doesn't like anyone reaching into her cage so we replace her food and water when she's not in there.  She grunts like a pig when anyone comes close.  I can understand if this is simply being territorial, but even when she is out of her cage she is aggressive.  She recently lunged at my husband who was just sitting close by.  She lunged at and bit my son's friend on the nose when he was down on the floor with her.  She doesn't want to be picked up, but when you are holding her she's pretty calm.  She doesn't try to get away, but you get the feeling she's just tolerating you. We are saddened by this behavior because my daughter really wanted to be able to interact with her pet and now she's afraid of her.  I look forward to your input.  We just don't know if her behavior is simply her breed or something else.  Would having her fixed change her behavior?  Everyone we've talked to has said they have never heard of a rabbit acting that way.  The pet store was unhelpful, as well.  Thank you for your time and attention....Lori

Answer
Lori,

Having her spayed will DEFINITELY change the behavior! Females are usually more territorial, but she may also be aggressive for two other reasons, both changeable by being spayed. I highly doubt it is the breed, because all rabbits are different. Jersey Wooleys aren't small either, and should be slightly more calm.

She may be a dominant rabbit, who feels she should be on top and be the queen. This may be slightly fixed by being fixed, but she is likely to always have a feeling on dominance. She may become friendlier, but she will expect you to get out of her way when she wants,

She could also be a scared rabbit. You know of their two actions. Fight and Flight. If she is scared of humans, she could feel so threatened she can not run, and feels the need to fight. It is very likely that you tried to move too fast with her, forcing her to be held and play, or maybe even chasing her. If the rabbit feels in control, she will be much calmer.

She will probably never enjoy being held, because it can feel like she is being carried away by a predator, and moving at her pace does not include being held. Spend some alone time with her on the floor, not moving. Being able to interact with her may take time, especially if since February you have been forcing her to interact with you. Let her take control of the situation.

Krystal