When bunnies interact in a non-positive way, one or both experience discomfort. While bonded bunnies live in blissful agreement, non-bonded buns have yet to work out their differences and agreements. If an altercation transpires between non-bonded bunnies, one or both can either forgive immediately, never forgive and eliminate the chance of bonding, or need time to debate whether or not to forgive. In other words, bunnies definitely hold grudges. This is why it is so important to keep all of their interactions gentle and amicable. Each bunny has a personality unique to them. One doesn't know whether they are apt to forgive or not until an incident transpires. 
           It has been my experience that bunnies who hold grudges usually do so for anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Just like with people, the intensity of a grudge depends on the intensity of the offense. In the worst cases, bunnies who were allowed to fight during bonding sessions held grudges for days, some never accepting or extending forgiveness. It can be difficult to tell if they have forgiven one another. In some cases, fights that caused injuries worthy of veterinary intervention often imprint negatively on the buns involved so that they would never feel safe around each other. Conversely, I have bonded bunnies whose fights were quite serious through the use of extended, slow, and patient interactions and consistent coaching. 
            To prevent grudges, keeping close track of all bunny interactions and monitoring their behavior toward and with one another is essential. Keeping the bonding session area neutral and clean, using voice-directed guidance, and allowing their touches to be friendly and hospitable are all tips to reduce the chances of offensive interactions. 

    Hormones are a bit ambiguous to most people but not to bunnies. Bunnies have some of the same hormones as people. What are hormones and what is their purpose? The Endocrine System is a the way our bodies regulate functions. It uses the secretion of hormones to control and coordinate metabolism, moods, energy, growth, and reactions to stressors, injury (mental and physical), and our environment. Hormones are excreted through glands. Pituitary, adrenal, pancreas, kidney, parathyroid, thyroid, hypothalamus, and thymus are all actively working in our bodies. Bunnies have less complex versions of most of these glands. Each glandular secretion, hormone, has a scent attached to it that humans cannot detect but bunnies can. 
      When bunnies are in bonding sessions, their bodies may experience high levels of cortisol, a hormone responsible for the flight-or-fight response. This hormone attempts to keep blood pressure levels and blood glucose levels consistent. Under stress, blood pressure an heart rate increases. Bunnies equate stress and subsequent cortisol level spikes with fear. Bunnies become fearful when they perceive a threat to their wellbeing. During times of perceived fear, they may have difficulty determining the source of the threat. They may unreasonably determine it to be the other bunny in the bonding session, triggering a fight reflex which humans observe as lunges, grunts, circling, and chasing. 
        Serotonin is responsible for maturation of and optimal maintenance of rabbit brains. As the hub of activity for their entire body, the brain controls every action and feeling. Neurotransmitters like serotonin are what they rely on to maintain their delicate internal system health. Research has linked out-of-balance serotonin levels with head tilt and other neurological issues. During bonding, keeping bunnies calm and assured of safety as well as providing ample hay is key to controlling their healthy state of mind. 
         Dopamine is a hormone responsible for bunnies feeling safe in fear-free environments, happy, often expressed with binkies, purrs, and zoomies, and content, including eliminating the need to search for food, water, and shelter. The secretions of dopamine in bunnies who feel safe, loved, and cared for has allowed their domestication. No longer fearful of lack of survival resources or from imminent danger from predators and environmental stressors, bunnies easily morphed into house living. 
          During bonding, continual gentle coaching and reassurance of safety and comfort regulates the hormones that manage discomfort, minimalizing risks from flight-or-fight responses. Practicing stress-free bonding is a healthy way to help bunnies form friendships that are solid and lasting. 

      If you are on a bonding journey, at some point, it might become discouraging. It's normal to feel a full range of emotions during the process. Discouragement, frustration, sadness, anger, and overall anxiety are emotions to try to avoid during face-to-face bonding sessions. Each emotion releases a scent that bunnies can detect. Since they also experience those feelings and equate them with fear, when they smell fear-centered hormones from you, it causes them to fear also. Fear will stop bonding progress. Unfortunately, frustration and anxiety are common normal emotions that are difficult not to experience especially when bonding doesn't go as expected. Some tips to avoid when beginning to go down the path to discouragement:
    1. remind yourself that bunnies operate on a different timeframe than people do.
    2. heaps of patience is necessary in all part of bonding
    3. each day brings opportunities for results
    4. remind yourself of your commitment to their happiness
    4. if you hire me as your coach, I will listen to your concerns and offer helpful tips to solve issues.
   The best gift you can give bunnies during bonding is to remain calm and confident, gentle and loving. Push through thoughts of frustration and visualize the end goal of having free roaming bunny friends.

     Everyone has an expectation going into bonding. No matter which technique you want to use, examining your expectations is the first step. Do you expect bonding to stop unwanted digging/chewing/potty habits/aggression/refusal to be handled/anxiety? If so, it won't. Bonded bunnies influence one another. Just like human siblings, bunnies who bond might cross-pollinate behaviors. In other words, a bunny who never showed interest in digging bonds to one who digs, they might both enjoy that activity together. Conversely, a bunny who digs from boredom and loneliness is given a companion, they might no longer need to dig as often. Also, if a bun is a finicky eater is paired with one who isn't, they may be a good influence on one another to eat better. 
       Some feel bonding will be best accomplished quickly and by force. Others are opposed to force and prefer slow and patient methods. Some people think it will be a matter of putting bunnies in a small space with a bunch of hay and letting them work out their differences. Others think keeping bunnies in separate small living arrangements for months into years while having them take turns roaming outside of their pens is best. Bonding approaches that offer consistent, gentle daily guidance is superior and produces lasting results than force. Whenever humans impose their expectations onto bunnies, it causes anxiety and often yields distrusting and stressed bunnies whose bond is slated to break. 
        The best expectation is one visualizing happy bunnies freely roaming while enjoying their friendship. The worst expectations circle around timeframes, impatience, and lack of effort. Bonding takes time, in most cases, a lot of it as well as patience and humans guiding and helping the bunnies to forge peaceful cohabitation.