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A sheeprabbit

:lol: What fantastic exercise for the rabbit!

When Muppette was living free, she used to prevent our sheep coming through from one field to their home paddock. She used to stand in the gateway and threaten them. They would never push past her.
 
I love that video and think it should be used as an example of the fact that rabbits are not happy stuck in a hutch all day. There are a couple of moments though where the bun disappears in among the sheep andmy heart is in my mouth!!
 
I love that video and think it should be used as an example of the fact that rabbits are not happy stuck in a hutch all day. There are a couple of moments though where the bun disappears in among the sheep andmy heart is in my mouth!!

My heart was also in my mouth when the rabbit disappears amongst the sheep.

I so wish we could make progress on the "hutch is not enough" aspect of rabbit care. I exclude ALL rescues from this because it's temporary accommodation. Even my Mum in her late 80's cries to see the tiny hutches which pass as rabbit accommodation & won't go past a pet shop because she gets so upset. Dad grits his teeth -a sign he's angry.

I don't know whether we were very enlightened where I grew up. The norm was a 5'hutch, per rabbit (mainly enclosed private area with hay bedding, with a small porch at he side, where they could lie up in inclement weather) & constant access to a 12' -15' run. They were all home made - no pet shops then.
I'll use screws rather than nails for the bonding run/cool house, so I don't weaken or split the wood.

On the good side, 2 workmen whose children had rabbits, were so impressed when they saw Thumper free range in the garden, they made long runs for their own rabbits. When I saw both later, they couldn't stop talking about the improvement in their rabbit's temperaments.:D
I think that's how it has to be - showing people rather than telling them.
 
Brilliant video I just worry one of the sheep could turn back and really hurt the rabbit, I imagine being stomped on by a sheep hoof could do a lot of damage to a rabbit :?
 
Brilliant video I just worry one of the sheep could turn back and really hurt the rabbit, I imagine being stomped on by a sheep hoof could do a lot of damage to a rabbit :?

They won't. The rabbit has the same authority over the sheep as the dog. There are a couple of confontations with a sheep. The rabbit exerts it's authority to perfection. I'd have loved to hear the sound track. I wonder whether the rabbit is repeating herding patterns it's seen the dog do. I can't believe it's obeying human command - but strange things happen!
 
Our sheep have never seen a sheepdog - and neither had Muppette - but the way she stood in the gateway and stepped towards the sheep if they tried to sidle past her suggested she was deliberately confronting them. Muppette would also chase the sheep away from her bit of bracken if they came in too close.

I did wonder if the rabbit in the clip was exerting control over it's territory and views the sheep as it's own, rather large rabbit group.
 
Our sheep have never seen a sheepdog - and neither had Muppette - but the way she stood in the gateway and stepped towards the sheep if they tried to sidle past her suggested she was deliberately confronting them. Muppette would also chase the sheep away from her bit of bracken if they came in too close.

I did wonder if the rabbit in the clip was exerting control over it's territory and views the sheep as it's own, rather large rabbit group.

:thumb:That's an idea I hadn't considered.

I'm fascinated by how so much domestic rabbit behaviour, although rooted in wild behaviour, is modified by what they see as successful in other species- (me) I inadvertantly taught Thumper to strip wallpaper by letting him see me decorating. (Took me a year to get him out of it) He watched me digging holes to move plants. I watered the bottom of each hole. He went on a veritable frenzy of digging holes & spraying in his. :lol:
Once when I was watering the garden with a hose, I turned it on a magpie & sent it packing. Thereafter, Thumper would charge at any magpie on the ground to within a yard, leap up doing a 180 degree turn & spray them in the face,which also sent them packing. Thumper's spraying never meant "I love you" it always meant "clear off!"

Both my house rabbits clearly see human visitors as warren members, chin scent their shoes on arrival, & have adapted to my behaviour of escorting them to the front door when they leave, if they've shown an interest in them!

I guess the video rabbit has watched how the sheep dog controls sheep & could well have learned it's technique exactly as you say.
 
I cant see the video but they really are clever.
I have some great photos of my old bun Rocky copying my cat. He loved the cat and he would sit next to him and copy his poses, even lying almost on his back.
 
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