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Please help...nervy intro of reacue dog n bunny

xSmeffy123x

Alpha Buck
Please if anyone has any advice ive brought my rescue dog home today and she is so friendly but has seen polly my bun in the pen and has just stared at her intently and bashed at the pen abit...does she just need time to settle in. I have no history on her other than theyve assesed her as safe aroubd children n other dogs but dont know about other animals...
 
I think you're going to need to establish dominance over the dog and get her to listen to you and only try introducing her to bunny if and when she is obedient. Also keep in mind some dogs are just not bunny friendly. If the dog has a high toy and chase drive you are going to have a lot of work ahead of you. Good luck!!!!!!
 
If her instinct is to chase that may not ever change. Training her will reduce the rabbit's level of tension about feeling directly threatened, but I would never trust them together. Dogs can break into cages/runs etc very easily. :(
 
This sounds a a potentially dangerous situation - and one the rabbit will find extremely stressful at the very least and probably very limiting on its ability to free range from now on. is the rabbit used to dog smells generally? Is the rabbit usually free ranging or in an open run or a house rabbit?

May be a bit late to ask this now but did you consider how you would handle this situation? With no history on the dog I would not let it anywhere near the rabbit.
The rabbit was there first and deserves prominence in terms of being able to use the areas it is used to in safety and with no new dog smells
 
Hi guys thank you for your advice i wont ever let them be together anyway but polly has always been around my other dog. Now this dog has calmed down she isnt really takin much notice of her and polly doesnt seem stressed. When i came home from work i fussed them both together at the same time and that seemed to help. Have had polly with me for fuss now and the dogs sleeping in her crate.
 
A rabbit is a prey species .Dogs are hunters ,no matter how friendly to us etc.You need to be very careful,even letting the dog go up to the cage etc could rreally stress the bun.
 
I agree with the others, if people are going to have a dog and rabbit try and live together they often get the rabbit and dog around about the same time when they are both young. Thus having the dog grow up alongside the rabbit and learning boundaries from the start. But personally I'd never leave a dog with a rabbit no matter how well trained it was.

A rescue dog that is already grown up and hasn't had experience of small animals will most likely find the rabbit ''interesting'' enough that they may harm it....

I always say...why do you think so many dog toys are small and furry and make squeaky noises? These toys replicate the sounds of a small animal being killed. This is why they are so attractive to dogs, they are predators. So, generally to a lot of dogs, a rabbit will make a good toy....and its extremely dangerous to allow them to be around one another. x
 
It isn't something I would do - apart from the obvious danger, I would not feel it fair to subject my rabbit to the stress. I assume you gave a great deal of thought to this - how did you envisage it 'working'?
 
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