Top 5 Easiest Tricks to Teach Your Bunny

Training your rabbit can be a little bit intimidating. They aren’t always the most diligent students, and it’s important to start with tricks that they can get the hang of quickly. With that in mind, I’ve compiled my top five easiest tricks to start your rabbit training journey.

If you’re new to the world of bunny tricks, consider taking a look at my clicker training article here. Anyway, let’s get into it!

Come:

Come is one of the most practical tricks and in my opinion a good starting point. Your rabbit probably already willingly runs around and interacts with you, so it is not an unnatural behavior.

The set up: Start training in a small to medium-sized area with few distractions, such as an exercise pen.

The cues: For this trick, you’ll want both a visual and verbal cue. I prefer a combination of tapping my hand on the ground and saying their name after two tongue clicks. You must choose a distinct sound because unlike other tricks, your bunny is not already engaged with you.

The training: Begin by tapping the ground and using your other cue when your bunny is near you. If the show any interest in the tapped area, even turning their head, click and reward. Eventually, they will run towards the tapping hand when they hear it. You can slowly increase the distance between you and your bunny till they respond consistently.

Spin:

Though not nearly as practical as “Come”, spin is an adorable trick that most rabbits are quick to pick up. As you may have guessed, it simply involves your bunny spinning around in a tight circle once or twice.

The set up: Choose an area free of distractions with enough room for you and your bunny to work in, but not too much to overwhelm them.

The cues: I chose to pair the word ‘spin’ in a slightly high pitched tone with the circling of my hand. The hand circle is vital to lead your rabbit in the trick, but feel free to use whatever verbal cue you prefer.

The training: With the treat in your hand, slowly move your hand in a circle around your bunny. If they follow, even just in with their head, click and reward. Repeat this process, expecting more movement from your bunny as they progress. Eventually, your rabbit will be cued into the trick with a simple circular motion above their head.

Beg:

This cute little trick is known by many names- up, stand, beg, etc. It is one of the easiest tricks, involving the rabbit simply standing up on it hind legs for a few seconds. It is a great trick for first-time rabbit trainers, or to reinforce the idea of clicker training.

The set up: This trick can be trained pretty much anywhere, but a small area usually works best.

The cues: For this trick, I use the word ‘beg’ as the audio cue, and a hand above their head as the visual cue.

The training: Start by holding a treat above your rabbits head and saying the audio cue you have chosen. If they shift their weight to look up, or raise their front paws, click and reward immediately. Continue to repeat this process, and soon your bunny will be standing up almost immediately!

Target Training:

Target training involves the selection of an item (often a stick with a brightly colored ball at the end) to train your rabbit to “target”. This is especially useful in agility training, as it allows you to lead your rabbit through obstacles effortlessly.

The set up: This trick can be taught nearly anywhere, but an area free of distraction is best.

The cues: Target training does not require a verbal cue, as it is based on the act of following a visual cue. Simply create a target, and you’re good to go!

The training: Begin by holding the target a few inches from your rabbit’s nose. If they sniff it, click and reward. If not, you may need to hold it to their nose instead. After a few times, your bunny should pick up on what you are looking for, and follow the target. Be sure to take it slow, as expecting too much too quickly will just confuse your bun.

Up:

This trick consists of training your rabbit to hop up onto something, such as a box or couch. It is a great trick to use in combination with come.

The set up: Choose the box or piece of furniture you want your rabbit to hop onto. Solid items work best, as anything unstable will discourage your rabbit from trusting it.

The cues: I usually choose to use the word ‘up’ as the audio cue, and two taps on the box for a visual cue.

The training: To start training, use a treat to lead your rabbit up onto the box. If they hop onto it click and reward, but you may need to reward them for something as small as sniffing the box or putting their paws on it. Continue to lead your rabbit, expecting more as they become more comfortable with the action. Soon, they should hop onto the box with no hesitation.

Rabbits aren’t known for their incredible trainability. However, if you put some effort in and work with your bunny’s strengths, they’ll be performing some show-stopping tricks in no time!