Biting rabbit

I have a 10 wk old NZ doe I just got Friday. Well every time I try to hold her she bites. She will grab my clothes or even skin. She isn't drawing blood which is good because I don't want a biting rabbit. I don't know if she is just biting to taste or biting out of being scared since she is in a new place. I have a 3 year old niece that loves bunnies and always wants to hold the new bunnies but I'm afraid to let her hold this one. I don't want her getting hurt. I already told her not to touch her or put fingers in cage just in case. How can I fix this habit?

I have a lionhead doe that used to act like that. After 3 or 4 months of being bitten I can hold her without being bitten often. She still bites but more like a nip instead of drawing blood. If you want to spend the time to keep stroking and holding her you may break her habbit. You need to touch her at times when she's calm. When she lets you pet her make sure she is enjoying the contact. Personally I would just get another that don't bite because of the 3 year old.

It's best to see if you can win them over first. If you get in to physically disciplining them they can end up more violent. Give treats, talk to them, and try not to push them in to biting. If being held is bringing on the biting then don't hold her for awhile. Often after a couple months they will become friendly. If not then you need to look in to a stronger reaction. Some will blow in their face or make a loud noise when they nip which is plenty for one doing it out of curiosity or testing the limits. If they get really aggressive and especially territorial I pin them down by their shoulders until they stop moving.

What you really don't want to do is get in an ongoing argument with a rabbit. Don't tap or flick a rabbit that bites or they just dislike you more and feel more certain they should be aggressive back. In my experience thumping back at them has always just wound them up in to being more aggressive as well. Don't argue like a rabbit or on their terms. Out think them.

I had picked up a beautiful little chestnut cross breed a few years ago that had a biting problem too. The folks told me they were selling her because their daughter wanted to be in 4-H with goats, not rabbits, but failed to mention the biting problem when I started to inquire about her. She was awesome the first time I picked her up and held her at their place. Very sweet and quiet. The problems didn't start until she settled in at my place. A friend bought the daughter of the rabbit I bought, and she knew the little girl of the family from substituting at her school. When asked what was up with my doe, the girl told my friend "Oh yeah, that doe used to nip, so we smacked her in the face with a piece of wood." Which, like Akane stated, only taught her to bite instead of nip. It took about three months of just handling her gently, giving treats, and spending extra time with her, and she eventually did warm up to be quite a loving doe when she realized she wouldn't be abused. It can work.

On the other hand, I did pick up a beautiful Chocolate French Angora doe from a reputable breeder with very well mannered stock that I trusted. Somehow I picked the only crazy doe in the whole rabbitry (and not a small rabbitry at that). She growled, lunged, scratched, bit, and screamed bloody murder just for the heck of it. I worked with her for MONTHS and there was never any temperament change. Temperament may not be the only thing I consider when keeping stock, but I DO NOT tolerate bad tempered rabbits. I have large lines and the last thing I want is a 13 pound fluffy ball of razor blades that needs groomed a minimum of once a week. Chocolate doe went in the freezer. The breeder was mortified when I told her about the temperament and told me that I made the right decision to cull her, and offered a full refund or trade for another doe. I didn't take either since I understand it can happen to the best of us, but she did offer, as she never noticed the doe being aggressive with her.

Just goes to show that it is most definitely worth working with them and giving them the benefit of the doubt that they will turn into good rabbits. However, unfortunately, there are still crazy ones out there, and sometimes there is nothing you can do but send them off to freezer camp.

I agree with everyone that physical discipline will only make things worse.

I do squeak loudly when rabbits occasionally go through the "experimental nip" phase, which kind of sounds like what your dealing with here.

Just one or two very loud noises is usually all it takes to teach them that nipping is not the way to get me to move my hand, and that shirt pulling is not appreciated. (sometimes, my skin is under that shirt!)

Always be careful to never give them what they want when they nip. If they want to be set down, nip you, and get set down, it reinforces the behavior.

She is a new Zealand and I believe they were to be meat rabbits?

You do have the option of sending her to freezer camp and trying a different rabbit, but there is a chance your doe might grow up just fine, and another rabbit might act docile until puberty and then turn into a psycho bunny.

With my Belgian Hares I have noticed that all the rabbits are lovely until puberty hits for the does. Then the does growl and resort to biting when picked up, BUT ONLY when they are open. Once bred they are very accepting of handling again. The does are also very aggressive towards each other during this period and can't be kept together. The bucks on the other hand are always like puppy dogs.