Hop To It: A Guide to Training Your Pet Rabbit (Pet series: training) (Paperback)

by Samantha Hunter (Author) "Before you even consider adopting a bunny (unless it's already too late), there are a few facts you should understand about rabbits as pets..." (more)
Key Phrases: surrogate mate, travel cage, outdoor training (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Here's how to understand rabbits as pets! This helpful manual tells owners how to recognize "bunny body language," bunny-proof a home, and train rabbits to live in a house or apartment. Tips on diet, health and more than 60 informative, full-color photos.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (February 25, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812045513
• ISBN-13: 978-0812045512
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 6.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #135,769 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars One word: Misguiding., December 4, 2003

By	Chelsey P. (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

I've been a house rabbit owner for around 4 years now, and I'm part of a couple local rescues, along with the House Rabbit Society. I decided to read this book just to see how it held up to the information I know about rabbits, which has been given to me by the HRS (www.rabbit.org), other house rabbit owners, biologists, and rabbit-savvy veterinarians. Sorry to say, the book ranks poorly in my mind, and I'm sure in many other house rabbit owner's minds. Here are some of my reasons for disliking this book to so much extent:

-The methods in which she "trains" her rabbit practically have a boot camp air to them.

-Advocates scruffing a rabbit, which is definitely not a safe way to pick him/her up (rabbit's skin is very thin and can tear easily).

-Also advocates keeping rabbits on wire-bottomed cages. This, like mentioned in the chapter written by a veterinarian, causes sore hocks in most rabbits. Wire flooring in a cage can also cause arthritis and can rip off toenails.

-Deems rabbits as "dumb" before "properly trained." An animal is never, ever dumb. The only way they can be perceived in this light is if the person calling them that is completely uncompassionate towards animals in general.

-Even the chapter written by the, supposedly, rabbit-savvy veterinarian is chocked full of incorrect information. She states that pellets should be the main staple in the diet, when in actuality, timothy hay should be, followed by fresh greens, and very limited pellets.

-There's typos in the book, making it seem a great deal less professional.

This book is definitely not worth reading, whether you're just starting out, or you're a rabbit enthusiast. If you're looking for books to learn more about house rabbits, check out the House Rabbit Handbook by Marinell Harriman, along with Stories Rabbits Tell by Susan E. Davis & Margo DeMello.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Subjective and inconsistent rabbit-training tips., September 17, 1998

By A Customer

Dangerous and misleading notions abound in Ms. Hunter's Hop to It, including: bunnies can never get electrocuted when they chew electrical wires (they can), and bunnies should be fasted before surgery (they shouldn't).

There is, however, some good, basic (stress: basic) advice contained in this small tome, which is surprising, as it seems most of the info is gleaned from her own experience WITH ONLY ONE RABBIT. Therefore, this predominately anecdotal book serves more as a photo-journal of the author and her own rabbit, than a comprehensive, authoratative, and objective training guide about rabbits in general.

Stick with the superior House Rabbit Handbook, by Marinell Harriman, instead.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Decent for a magazine article, bad for a book, December 27, 2000

By	Patti (Willoughby, OH) - See all my reviews

I think the information in this book would have been better presented in a magazine article. It was more of a cute story of Life With Woodstock, rather than a guide to training. As a new owner of two bunnies, and no experience, I looked forward to learning how I could train my bunnies. Instead of tried and true methods used in many circumstances for many bunnies this book is just one person's experience with one bunny. As noted in another review. some information is misleading or wrong. The only helpful hint I gleaned from this book was to make commands be one or two words. I am still looking for a good training book. Sorry I wasted the money on this one.