rabbit eating carpet/baseboards

Question
Hi,

The answer wasn't exactly what I was looking for.  I am very familiar with rabbit behavior and how they need to chew to keep their teeth trim.  Also, rabbit.org was the first place I looked in regards to a solution.  
It would be quite costly to cover up all the carpet so that he can play in those areas so we are looking for a better solution.  I know that rabbits can be trained with lots of time/patience, and I was wondering what the best method would be to let him know that some things are off-limits.  

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Followup To
Question -
Hi,

My sister's no-breed rabbit is about 2-3 months old now.  He has always had a problem with chewing carpet, but we haven't been able to stop him.  My sister recently noticed that he's actually eating the carpet.  We have tried a few disciplinary methods (clapping loudly, clap accompanied by verbal "no", and recently tried a slight tug on ears) when he starts chewing carpet.  However, it seems like he has short term memory and doesn't care.  He also started chewing up the baseboards (eating paint!).  We know that it is harmful for his health but, we're not sure how to teach him not to do it.  He's an indoor rabbit and we want to provide a safe indoor place for him to exercise and play.  We have provided him with alternative things to chew on (cardboard boxes, blocks of wood) but he's rarely interested in them.  He is not neutered and despite the benefits, we do not believe in neutering.
Answer -
Rabbits's teeth grow throughout their entire lives, so, rabbits must chew.  The trick is getting them to chew on only the things you want them to chew on.  There is an FAQ at http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/chewing.html that talks about this.

You may just have to block him off from the things he shouldn't chew on, whether that is putting him in a pen or putting something in front of the baseboards and over teh carpeting.

I hope this helps you out.

Kim

Answer
Blocking them off is unfortunately the only effective method.  However, there are some training methods you might try.  One is clicker training, you can read about that at http://www.clickertraining.com/training/critters/index.htm?loaditem=feral_rabbit.  Or there is a book called Hop to It: A Guide to Training Your Pet Rabbit by Samantha Fraser.  

Redirection and blocking are the only things that people have found to be successful, but you can certainly try training and see if that works.

Kim