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Dwarf lop v french lop

Hesperus

Warren Veteran
Hi everyone,

Just wondering if I could get some tips from experienced owners.

I had a dwarf lop who had to be put to sleep on October 1st, he was gorgeous and the love of my life.

I've realised there is now a huge bunny-shaped hole in my life, and so am looking around very carefully for the right bunny for me.

I love lops, really really love them, and I think my next bun should be a dwarf or frenchie...

But my question is, aside from space/food costs/size etc which aren't really an issue as I can afford the bun, have a *huge* garden, pen and log cabin for a home, are there any characteristics which are more apparent to either breed? And this sounds awful, but is one breed more healthy than the other or does one generally live longer? Is either more prone to teeth problems? Are the larger bunnies more laid back at all?

I'd be really happy to receive your advice, and sorry if this is posted in the wrong place.

Suzie
 
Each individual bunny will be different, so this may only be a rule of thumb. Both breeds are quite laid back, can be nosey, often friendly. Can be quite cheeky.

A dwarf may be prone to teeth problems. A frenchie may be prone to heart problems and hock problems. Obviously there are far too many other conditions that can crop up in both.

A frenchie is likely to have a shorter lifespan than a dwarf.

What you might find beneficial would be to go to a rescue and look at the bunnies and find the one with the right personality for you. When I was involved with the RSPCA I'd often have people come in and say ' no red eyed bunnies', 'no uppy eared bunnies' and it was strange how so many people met the bunnies and their personalities and as soon as they met the personalities and got to know the bunnies, the physical characteristics blurred into the background and they didn't matter. So I would say look for the bunny with the 'best' personality for you.
 
Sorry to hear about your Dwarf being put to sleep :(

All my bunnies have been French Lops except for two. I would say from experience it does depend on their personalities really but I have always found them to be very sociable and would have to agree with Sky-O they can be very cheeky :lol:

:wave:
 
Thank you for both of your replies. I think dwarf is probably best for me although if I got another one with tooth problems I'd be heartbroken.

I'd love to get a rescue rabbit, Harry was rescued from a friend's sister when he was almost 3 so I'm certainly happy to take one that's not a baby.

I don't think rescues rehome single buns though. I know the disadvantages of keeping a single rabbit but I can honestly say I know Harry was interacted with for so many hours a day that I don't think he suffered for it. And fairly ongoing vet bills weren't a problem that way!

I see online there are some frenchies looking to be rehomed though so who knows...
 
It will depend on the rescue. We used to rehome singles to be indoor bunnies, and we often had bunnies that we had to deem 'unbondable' for a variety of reasons who could only go as a single bunny. So you never know, it might be worth looking into :)
 
If you approach rescues, you do sometimes find rabbits who cannot be bonded. You get the odd rabbit who won't tolerate being with another.

Dental issues are likely though... I have a dwarf lop x lionhead and while he hasn't needed a dental yet, he's had slight spurs on his teeth for years and will need them sorting if they get any worse. Thankfully with a lot of hay I've had it under control for a while but it'll get worse eventually.
 
Thank you for both of your replies. I think dwarf is probably best for me although if I got another one with tooth problems I'd be heartbroken.

I'd love to get a rescue rabbit, Harry was rescued from a friend's sister when he was almost 3 so I'm certainly happy to take one that's not a baby.

I don't think rescues rehome single buns though. I know the disadvantages of keeping a single rabbit but I can honestly say I know Harry was interacted with for so many hours a day that I don't think he suffered for it. And fairly ongoing vet bills weren't a problem that way!

I see online there are some frenchies looking to be rehomed though so who knows...


When I had frenchies as a teenager they were single bunnies (at the time I lived with my mom and was not allowed more then one, plus I did not have the money) and I can honestly say they were so happy. I hope you find a bunny to rehome french or dwarf I am sure they will go to a great home :D
 
After all that, I happened to be in a garden centre with a very nice pet part earlier, and a very cute little magpieish mini lop was there.

I may accidentally have taken him home with me... ;)

Pictures to follow in the right thread tomorrow, I didn't want to unsettle him tonight after the big move!
 
I would say Dwarf lop
sorry about your loss
both these bunnies have great personalities but I would say dwarf. They are smaller and dont poo so much :)
 
I tried to take a photo earlier but he was enjoying his new log cabin so much I just got photos of rabbit-shaped blurs. Mum says she'll take one of me holding him tomorrow!
 
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