biting, nibbling and peeing

Question
my dwarf rabbit always bites at anything including clothing, towels or skin. whenever I try to hold him he nibbles his way through whatever is closest to him. my children are frightened to handle him (the cost of school  jumpers is increasing).

Also if i am petting him he always wee's within a few minutes.  so between the biting and peeing we don't get to handle him much and can this will exacerbate the problem.

Answer
Hi Lisa,

First let me tell you that almost all dwarf rabbit breeds are extremely temperamental.  I don't know why but in my life I have only ever had 1 that wasn't moody.

If rabbits are biting there is a reason.  The rabbit could just be telling you "hey listen lady, I don't want to be picked up".  Most rabbits don't actually like to be picked up.  They also bite because they are angry, hungry, bored, trying to get your attention they might also think your clothes or other articles are food and the biggie... it is mating season.  Rabbits actually bite each other during mating and they bite HARD.. I witnessed this first hand when I was holding my doe down and the buck grabbed on to my arm instead of her, 5 stitches later I vowed I would never do something that stupid again.  Rabbits have extremely tough skin and it does not hurt them as much as it hurts us.

The good news is that with a lot of patience you can break him of this habit.  Every time he bites you let out a screeching noise and say NO.  He will know that it hurts as long as you are consistent.  This is how they let each other know that they are biting to hard.  If he is not neutered you can have that done also and it may calm him down a bit.  If he is the kind of rabbit that doesn't like to be picked up then don't pick him up.  Instead play with him on the floor.  Let him come to you at first.  Then teach him that hands aren't bad.  Try giving him a rabbit safe treat.  Hold out your hand completely flat and let him take if from you.  After he realizes that your hands are yummy yummy good good mommy... he will probably let you pet him.  Try filling a big cardboard box with old towels.  Let him dig, bite and shred to his hearts content but only in his designated area.  A happy bunny is so much more pleasant.  I also make my kids wear their old long sleeve shirts when handling the rabbits.  Clothes can be ruined even by the most loving rabbit because their nails are super sharp.

If he is urinating on you while you are petting him then all he is saying is... ha ha you belong to me.  It means he loves you and probably wants to mate with you, which again could be the reason for the biting.  You have to remember that he is male afterall and they usually only have one thing on their mind.

If you have any other rabbits or pets in the house he may be smelling them on you so make sure your hands are freshly washed.  Don't be afraid to put him in a time out for 10 or 15 minutes if he bites.  Rabbits are very trainable it just takes patience... so remember screech, NO and then time out but be consistent with his punishments or he will get confused.

You should spend as much time with him as you can.  Each person in the family has to follow the same discipline methods.  I know it hurts when he bites and it is just oh so annoying to have no decent clothes but you can do it.  

I am attaching a site that tells you about rabbit behavior.  It will help you learn to read what he is saying to you.

Goodluck and if you need anything else please let me know.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze27h5b/id25.html

if you go about half way down on the above website you can read about both bunching and nipping

http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html

Ty

Pam