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anyone have a house rabbit and a dog?

shannon321

Alpha Buck
My bunny is out in a big big run all day but is a house rabbit by night and she gets free range of the front room till 10/11 at night sometimes later, but i's really like her to have free range of the whole house when she's in but with a dog i've never really considered it.
Obviously they'd never be left unaattended etc but i was wondering if anyone had dogs and bunny's living happyily together and wether anyone had managed this with an adult dog not just a puppy!
My dog doesn't pay much attention to the rabbit at all really sometime he'll go to her and sniff through the cage and wimper but that's it....

Any suggestions or is it a mad idea?
 
I have a dog and lots of house rabbits. He loves them, but pretty much leaves them be. They co-exist very well in my house, but he has been around them since a puppy. My mum's x collies come and stay with me when they go on holiday and they aren't interested in the rabbits either. They pretty much ignore them. They have always had lovely natures though and are not interested in chasing small animals, cats etc. :)

You could try you dog on a leash while the rabbits are about and see how he reacts. He may want to chase, in which case he will have to be trained that it's not appropriate to do so.
 
My pup loves my rabbit always licking her ears etc and she loves it lol not sure about a bigger dog but lol!
 
I dont have a permanent dog but look after my parents dog Meg (a schnauzer) at weekends/while on holiday etc. they did have a cairn terrier and i would never have trusted him with the rabbits! But that was down to nature!

Meg was 10 when she was introduced to Lola and was fine once she has calmed down. Now when she visits she is more anyoed by having a hoppy thing disturb her rather than interested!

Think it really depends on the dog.

Personnally for introduction i wouldnt put the dog on the lead as this tends to excite them. Maybe put bunny in a run where they can smell each other, both are safe and get used to each other.
 
My bunny is out in a big big run all day but is a house rabbit by night and she gets free range of the front room till 10/11 at night sometimes later, but i's really like her to have free range of the whole house when she's in but with a dog i've never really considered it.
Obviously they'd never be left unaattended etc but i was wondering if anyone had dogs and bunny's living happyily together and wether anyone had managed this with an adult dog not just a puppy!
My dog doesn't pay much attention to the rabbit at all really sometime he'll go to her and sniff through the cage and wimper but that's it....

Any suggestions or is it a mad idea?

I personnally dont think its a mad idea at all BUT you know your dog!
 
We have a rottweiler and 2 house rabbits, who get on fine. Our dog just ignores the rabbits even when Flopsy hops onto her. We allready had the rabbits when we got our dog. All dogs are different though so you would just have to introduce them slowly which is what we did.
 
the thing is he is a jack russel so it is in his nature but the reason i rescued him is cuz he was bred as a farm dog and refused to catch mice/rats or rabbits and so the put him in a tiny box with a nest of rats and when they cam back 24hrs late the only one injured was him!

He's only ever chased a rabbit when we are out once which is suprising as my horses field is full of them and when i caught up with him the dog was wimpering wagging his tail while the rabbit lunged and growled at him....

The dogs always in the garden when rabbits out in run and doens't pay him any notice, the only Time they've ever acidently come into contact was when i rushed into the living room as i needed clothes that where drying in there and was in a panic and OH needed to get to A and E and the dog ran in and actually jumped over the rabbit and came straight to me!

Now i was thinking, please say if this is a mad idea as i really have no clue! i may buy a muzzle as i dont think introducing on a lead would be a good idea he'd thin khe was going out for walkings! if i got a muzzle at least he couldn't do any damage to rabbit and i'd be able to tell straight away if he wnt to hurt the rabbit but the only thing i'd worry about is if he wanted to play and hurt the rabbit that way?? hmmm its a hard decision! saying all this bun bun is a pretty fiesty bun and the dog would probably end up scared of her!

SOrry to any one who bothers to read all of this epic post!
 
I would still have him on a leash. A dog that is excited when on a lead should be kept on a lead for 10 mins or so before being taken out anyway, as it's generally in the wrong state of mind to listen to commands.

I would have the dog used to having his lead on while in the house, that's how a behaviourist told me to train my dog. I would have the leash on just incase he does decide to chase, along with a muzzle. He may think chasing is just a game, but the bunny won't! :)
 
I have a house rabbit and the guy I live with has a dog...they don't have ANY access to each other when humans aren't present but when we get back from work they both have free range of the house. The dog is terrified of my bun cos he boxes her on the nose if she comes near his cage!

But remember how different in personality all dogs and all bunnies are - some will co exist together and some won't, it depends on the individuals.
 
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