How to start KaninHop / rabbit agility?

Question

We have two rabbits in our garden. They are happy there, but we do not interact much with them besides feeding and talking. They are interested in us, and we in them :D, but there is no activity we specifically do together.

Now, the school of my son plans some kind of talent show, and my son asked me to participate with the rabbits and perform some agility-actions, like jumping, walking a certain path and similar (I assume like in dog agility, but some degrees smaller).

How would one start to perform KaninHop/agility with rabbits? And what time would be necessary at a minimum to have something "to show"? (Not a full program, because it is an elementary school, I would assume one well trained jump would be enough)

I do not want to pressure the rabbits in anything, but also I do not want to say "No" from the beginning to my son.

Answer 1

You can teach your rabbit Kaninhop the same way you could teach any other animal (like dogs) a new trick: with treats and rewards, but without pressure.

First you need an obstacle the rabbit can jump over. It should be light weight and round, like a plastic pipe or paper tube. You can balance it on some small wood blocks or stones or whatever you find lying around. Make sure that the tube can roll off easily, so your rabbit doesn't hurt itself.

Start with the obstacle at nose height. Your rabbit shouldn't be able to sneak underneath and it should be easy to jump over it. Give your rabbits some time to sniff at the new object and get to know it.

Then hold a yummy treat at the other end of the obstacle or shake a package of treats (if your rabbits know the sound). When your rabbit comes to you, give it a treat, regardless of whether it jumped over the obstacle or walked around. You want the rabbit to know that coming to you always yields treats.

You should try this method 2 - 3 times a day for just 1 or 2 jumps to see if your rabbits like the new game. If they always walk around the obstacle, they aren't interested in the game. If they do jump over it, you can try hanging the obstacle a little higher and continue training.

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You should start training in a place your rabbits know and where they feel safe. You should also start training without a harness.

If you decide to participate in the talent contest, you'll probably need a harness to make sure your rabbit cannot escape and run away.