Behavioral Observations

Since we picked up the Silver Foxes, we finally have enough rabbits in our herd to really be able to compare their behavior.

By Gender: All of our males have been much more adventurous than their female counterparts, as well as seeming less fearful or timid overall.

By Age: Those rabbits that we have had the longest seem the most at ease with us, and are most easily handled.

By Upbringing: Those rabbits that we know have been extensively handled starting at a young age are most easily handled when they grow up. Examples include the hand-reared rabbits from Aboundingful's Rabbits, and the rabbit that we know was handled by several children from Rhonda. The handling status of the Silver Foxes is unknown, but they are cautious enough to make us think that they may have been handled less in comparison.

By Breed: Our English Angora all seem to be relatively placid and calm. Our dogs and cats do not scare them at all, and they seem to have no fear of us when we move suddenly or make loud noises (more like curiosity). They don't really like being groomed with a blower, but they all put up with grooming after they calm down a bit, without biting, thrashing, etc. The Silver Foxes, on the other hand seem slightly more timid than their English Angora counterparts, though we can't rule out other factors causing this besides breed. However, when calm, they are affectionate and pleasant. They've never bitten either of us, but neither likes to be handled overly much (petting is okay, once they calm down).

Right now, I'm trying to socialize the Silver Foxes more to see if their behavior is strictly due to breed (which I'm assuming means that we would not see a change in behavior with increased period of ownership), or if they just need to get used to us. A handful of sunflower seeds to act as a bribe seems to work pretty well. As well, I'm intentionally picking them up and holding them for short periods during "play time" to get them used to the idea. Right now, all I've gotten out of it is a dozen or so scratches, but I'll keep with it. The "football" hold, additionally, seems to work best on them (if you count the number of scratches, at least).