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Dogs & Rabbits - can they live together?

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Tasmin's MOB

Mama Doe
Hi Everyone,

I have been getting very mixed advise in books that i read, on the internet and from people in general about whether a dog and a rabbit can get on well together. We have two house rabbits and was looking to get a puppy to try and bring it up with the buns.

I would really like a dachsund or a basset hound but after buying books on them and searching the web i have found that they are natural hunting dogs which makes me very nervous about considering them as a pet with my buns. However, I have seen that people have successfully brought up puppies and rabbits to live with each other before and there are lots out there that live happily with each other.

can anyone offer any help with this please?

thank you
 
Personally I wouldn't risk it. I had 3 dogs (granted, they were lurchers and therefore specifically bred to chase after small quick things), and they grew up very happily with 2 cats of ours. The 5 of them would all snuggle up together in front of the fire, sleep on each other etc, but as soon as one of the cats made any sudden movement then it was as though the dogs' natural instincts took over and they would chase them. The cats gave as good as they got and swiped at the dogs, but would a rabbit be able to defend itself in a similar manner?

Especially with a puppy, they get so exciteable. I really wouldn't risk it.
 
I don't have any experience either so I'm hoping that someone that does can give me there opinion on it. Love my rabbits so would never want to put them in a situation where they are unhappy or scared. I know some people that have a lab, three cats and three chickens that all live happily together with no issues. I would imagine a lab would be quite good but I thought a smaller dog could be less threatening to the buns?
 
Personally I wouldn't risk it. I had 3 dogs (granted, they were lurchers and therefore specifically bred to chase after small quick things), and they grew up very happily with 2 cats of ours. The 5 of them would all snuggle up together in front of the fire, sleep on each other etc, but as soon as one of the cats made any sudden movement then it was as though the dogs' natural instincts took over and they would chase them. The cats gave as good as they got and swiped at the dogs, but would a rabbit be able to defend itself in a similar manner?

Especially with a puppy, they get so exciteable. I really wouldn't risk it.

This is why I was unsure about the dachsund & basset hound as they are naturally hunting animals. thanks for your post, I think if I did decide to risk it I would have to make sure that there I did everything I could to make sure both rabbits and dog were happy and comfortable.
 
I have 2 dogs that live happily alongside my rabbits. I have outside and indoor buns with no problems. The only time they take any notice of the buns is when we get a new one and thats just to sniff them because they are new recruits, then they are left alone. I have pics of my buns freeranging in the garden with the dogs happily sunbathing whilst they are hopping around them. That said I would never trust the dogs 100% but with common sense I think they can live quite happily together. I have a collie x gsd and a collie x foxhound.
 
I have 2 dogs that live happily alongside my rabbits. I have outside and indoor buns with no problems. The only time they take any notice of the buns is when we get a new one and thats just to sniff them because they are new recruits, then they are left alone. I have pics of my buns freeranging in the garden with the dogs happily sunbathing whilst they are hopping around them. That said I would never trust the dogs 100% but with common sense I think they can live quite happily together. I have a collie x gsd and a collie x foxhound.

Thank you :) would love to see some photos if you have any to share?
 
I have successfully raised dogs to not chase the bunnies however you cannot EVER leave them unsupervised.

You need to have a very very good understanding of rabbits and dogs, their pack behaviour and their breed. You also need to spend a huge amount of time on training. I'm afraid I've seen too many people try and 'bond' animals of different breeds with fatal consequences.

You also need to bear in mind that some rabbits are just too fearful to be able to cope as they are prey animals and it is not fair to subject them to that kind of stress.

I once owned a rabbit that I knew would never cope with being in the same room as the dog, let alone close by - in that instance, the rabbit and dog NEVER came close to one another as it wouldn't be fair.

You have to be prepared for EVERY eventuality whilst still being responsible and keeping both animals. This may mean that either your dog can't be kept as a house dog or your buns may not be able to be kept as house bunnies - is either solution fair ???
 
Here's a couple I have to hand, I do have more of them lounging on the bed together but my photobucket account is such a mess I can't see them at the moment :oops:

07062011033.jpg

07062011034.jpg


As you can see the buns are not in the slightest bit worried or stressed by the dogs :D
 
I have 6 dogs here, 5 Yorkies and a Pom. 2 of the Yorkies are young and do have a high prey drive. Poppy is outside in a fenced off area and honestly wouldn't trust them with her as an indoor bunny unsupervised....but If she had a room to herself with a safety gate on it would be fine. With training most dogs are trustworthy when supervised.

We also have a cat and the dogs hated cats before we got her...it took a few weeks (the cat didn't like dogs either) and now they all behave as a pack and really love each other. We have chooks too which the dogs learnt to be nice too :D I suppose to some dogs the instincts are higher and you have to work harder to train them to leave and ignore, my other 4 aren't even interested in the animals. It works here for us and I wouldn't be without any one of them:love:
 
I have successfully raised dogs to not chase the bunnies however you cannot EVER leave them unsupervised.

You need to have a very very good understanding of rabbits and dogs, their pack behaviour and their breed. You also need to spend a huge amount of time on training. I'm afraid I've seen too many people try and 'bond' animals of different breeds with fatal consequences.

You also need to bear in mind that some rabbits are just too fearful to be able to cope as they are prey animals and it is not fair to subject them to that kind of stress.

I once owned a rabbit that I knew would never cope with being in the same room as the dog, let alone close by - in that instance, the rabbit and dog NEVER came close to one another as it wouldn't be fair.

You have to be prepared for EVERY eventuality whilst still being responsible and keeping both animals. This may mean that either your dog can't be kept as a house dog or your buns may not be able to be kept as house bunnies - is either solution fair ???

Bold/large font =The most important issue
 
I have successfully raised dogs to not chase the bunnies however you cannot EVER leave them unsupervised.

You need to have a very very good understanding of rabbits and dogs, their pack behaviour and their breed. You also need to spend a huge amount of time on training. I'm afraid I've seen too many people try and 'bond' animals of different breeds with fatal consequences.

You also need to bear in mind that some rabbits are just too fearful to be able to cope as they are prey animals and it is not fair to subject them to that kind of stress.

I once owned a rabbit that I knew would never cope with being in the same room as the dog, let alone close by - in that instance, the rabbit and dog NEVER came close to one another as it wouldn't be fair.

You have to be prepared for EVERY eventuality whilst still being responsible and keeping both animals. This may mean that either your dog can't be kept as a house dog or your buns may not be able to be kept as house bunnies - is either solution fair ???

Thank you. This really helps. I've been researching this for months, in fact for the last year or so and still not 100% certain on whether I want to risk it or not.

Right now the rabbits on my priority and any decision I make I will be 100% certain that it's the right one before I make it.
 
Bold/large font =The most important issue

Wouldn't dream of leaving them unsupervised. I've had animals all of my life but never had different breads living together other than a dog with a bird, but we always made sure the dog was out of the room when the bird was let out for a fly. This was when I was young though and it was my mum that had the animals so I'm just trying to remember what it was like.
 
Here's a couple I have to hand, I do have more of them lounging on the bed together but my photobucket account is such a mess I can't see them at the moment :oops:

07062011033.jpg

07062011034.jpg


As you can see the buns are not in the slightest bit worried or stressed by the dogs :D

wow this is amazing!

We went to new zealand one year to a farm where all the animals were free ranging together with only one fence around the outside of the farm. All the animals just got along with each other. Reminded me of that when I saw your photo.

The buns don't look in the least bit bothered about the dogs! The dogs also don't seem to care about the buns being there!

My old dog used to let a crow come and eat his food with him outside. It was amazing to watch, the crow never came near us but was happy to sit with the dog. very cute.
 
I think the best way to do it would be to have a bunny safe room where they have their food, water and litter tray that they could be put into when you can't supervise. Some dogs can open doors so you might want a bolt on it too so you know they're safe when you go out or are asleep.

I think if you train a dog well you would be okay, it's just learning how to train them, rewarding them for being calm around the rabbits etc.
 
I think the best way to do it would be to have a bunny safe room where they have their food, water and litter tray that they could be put into when you can't supervise. Some dogs can open doors so you might want a bolt on it too so you know they're safe when you go out or are asleep.

I think if you train a dog well you would be okay, it's just learning how to train them, rewarding them for being calm around the rabbits etc.

This is a really good idea. think it would be nice for the rabbits to have there own place and be nice for the dog to have space on it's own too.

I agree on the fact that we would need to learn how to train them. thank you for you advice.
 
With a puppy you will have no idea how strong their prey drive is, puppies are a gamble, if you are looking for an adult dog you can assess their prey drive and suitability to be around small animals. If you go to a reputable rescue they can help find you a dog which fits with your family including pets.
 
This is a really good idea. think it would be nice for the rabbits to have there own place and be nice for the dog to have space on it's own too.

I agree on the fact that we would need to learn how to train them. thank you for you advice.

My indoor buns have the conservatory and the door is locked when I'm not there and the outdoor are fenced off when unsupervised so I know everyone is safe. It's important for them all to have their own space I think.
 
You may not be able to train a dog with a high prey drive to be safe around small animals, no matter how careful the upbringing or training.
 
although my bunnies are outdoors i have a jack russell who adores them. i have 3 dogs, non of them are agressive to the dogs or cats, 1 very old staffie x who is blind so im wary of her round other aanimals incase she snaps, a rottie who adores small animals but doesnt realise his size and gets a tad too giddy and doesnt know where hes puttin his paws lol and my jack russell, her mum and dad wer both terrible and not good with small animals at all, but mine is amazing we fostered her mum and full litter at 3 weeks due to it been un expected pregnancy when my friend was pregnant and had a very difficult pregnancy so we tookmum and pups on temp to give them the time they needed. she has always been around the bunnies from been tiny. i agree they can get on but also agree they cnt it depends on the dog, i do believe if they are introduced at a young age and establish a relationship with other animals they CAN become good friends
 
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