Your bunny is probably aggressive because she is frightened. She has learned that through aggression she can make the very large people go away. So that means that you have a very SMART rabbit. This is a good thing, because it means she can learn other behaviors pretty quickly - say a couple of weeks - if you are a consistent trainer.

Sit down and make a training plan and stick to it. Here's one option.

Avoid changing water, food, litter or cleaning the cage when the rabbit is present. Take the rabbit out of the cage and place it in a small exercise pen. Get in with the rabbit and ignore it. Read a book, watch TV what ever. As the rabbit becomes more confident and approaches you ignore it at first.  After a few days, when the rabbit approaches extend a cupped hand, palm down and place it on the floor in front of the rabbit's nose. Continue this for as many days as it takes until the rabbit lowers its head in response. At that point roll your nails onto the floor and with the back of your hand stroke the rabbit's forehead and stop.  Continue this until you see the rabbit relax, then increase the number of pets.

Here's another option:

Get a pair of gardening gloves to wear with the rabbit. Always moving very slowly. Place your cupped hand on the floor in the rabbit's cage. If the rabbit does not pounce and bite, remove the hand. Gradually move the hand closer and closer to the rabbit. Each time the rabbit does not pounce or bite remove the hand. If the rabbit pounces or bites, leave the hand on the cage floor until the pouncing/biting stops and then remove the hand. Never move or remove the hand when the rabbit pounces or bites. Gradually work you way up to placing you hand directly in front of the the rabbit's nose. Continue this for as many days as it takes until the rabbit lowers its head in response. At that point roll your nails onto the floor and with the back of your hand stroke the rabbit's forehead and stop. Continue this until you see the rabbit relax, then increase the number of pets.

The second option is a little more complicated because you do have the issue of feeding, watering and cleaning. Often these actions are the kinds of things that between rabbits cause a fight. One rabbit will often grab a piece of food and run off, leading to a chase and sometimes a fight. Pre fight behavior includes scuffling the ground with their paws and picking up hay and twigs and tossing them. This looks a lot like cage cleaning. So you can see that when you think you are being a good caretaker, the rabbit may think you are stealing its food (or the magic bowl that gives food). Or challenging it to a fight So even with the second option, I would clean, feed and water with the rabbit out of the cage.

Vocabulary. Make a list of words you will use consistently with the rabbit. That way the rabbit will learn what to expect. Works like, "hand" for when you are simply placing the hand down and will not approach further and "pet"
for when your hand is in front of the nose and you are offering a pet.  Obviously "No" and "Good" should be on the list. You get the idea.

Reading: For this rabbit, I recommend "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor.  You can find it at any large book store or at Amazon.com. This is a book on training generally. You can also use it with your children and spouses. The only book written on rabbit training is "Hop to It" but I think you have a ways to go with this bunny before he behaves like Winston (the rabbit in the book.)

Web: You need to learn to speak rabbit.
http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html It is important to learn how to diffuse tense situations and not to give offense.

Also, an article on aggression:
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-2/mean-rabbit.html

You can do things, like mush the rabbit's head to the floor with the flat of your hand, to show whose boss, but I would try some of the less aggressive approaches first. Supressing the rabbit's behavior by dominance just leaves
you with a grumpy bunny who is likely to have outbursts when they can't stand it any longer. Better to work building the rabbit's confidence and teaching it alternative behaviors to get what it needs. Also, learn the rabbit's boundaries and respect them.


Jean and Phil and all the BUNS
Santa Barbara, CA