Hello everyone - I’ve been reading all of your stories and threads. We had a beautiful rescue rabbit about 10 years ago - we adored her and she was a mostly indoor house rabbit with supervised, secure play outside. I look weekly at the rabbits needing homes at our local rescue centre and there is one that has been there some time, indeed many of them have. We would love to be able to give one or two a home. We have a large garden, a detached garage and of course a house. However here is the But! We have a dog. Regardless of how well trained a dog is I would never trust 100% with a rabbit/Guinea Pig etc and I’m conscious that rabbits and small mammals can literally die of fright from the scent of a predator. So is it therefore just not possible to have a rabbit and a dog even if the rabbit had a home like some of the repurposed sheds I’ve seen in the thread or in the garage then brought into the home when the dog is at my parents (they borrow him for their doggy fix as they lost their dog last year) so can and do any of you have rabbits and a dog ?
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Do any of you have rabbits & a dog?
- Thread starter MrsC23
- Start date
I have rabbits and guinea pigs and a dog. The dog has no access to them but they're all really used to each other and unbothered. I will say tho, I got my dog last, so he grew up around them so ignores them. He has a massive prey drive for birds and rabbits in the wild tho so it's almost like he's learnt that ours are part of his home, but others in the wild he'll chase if allowed to. I'd never trust him free with them.
So if your dog is already an adult I'd be very wary that of they could smell the rabbit they could get worked up etc.
I did previously have a German shepherd who grew up around my rabbits and was actually free reign with them and actually used to protect them.. They were very chill all together, my female rabbit used to sleep with the dog sometimes. I'd never do this now tho, this is when I didn't know better. Reason I mention it, is now I have a working cocker spaniel so obviously he is a prey drive type of dog which is very different [emoji38]
I'd definitely consider how your dog is with animals that run and rabbits first. If the dog is unbothered and would have no access I'd go for it
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I have lurchers, rabbits, guinea pigs and cats. The rabbits and GPs are outside and always totally separate from the dogs. Cats are indoors only. I wouldn't trust the dogs with the rabbits or GPs, and the small furries would either get stressed out or be too friendly (if they've been brought up with other dogs) and put themselves at risk.
Their enclosure is within a separately fenced section of garden that the dogs do not have access to. It also has to be escape proof for the rabbits, in case they accidentally get out - so essentially double fenced with the inner enclosure roofed for protection from other predators (cats, foxes, birds of prey, etc). I also have 6' solid fencing round the whole garden and the gates are kept locked most of the time to keep my dogs in and people / other dogs out. I used to randomly get people in the garden, and some kids once set their dog on to my first rabbit in its run. I've also had rabbits stolen from their runs - so you really can't be too careful.
Their enclosure is within a separately fenced section of garden that the dogs do not have access to. It also has to be escape proof for the rabbits, in case they accidentally get out - so essentially double fenced with the inner enclosure roofed for protection from other predators (cats, foxes, birds of prey, etc). I also have 6' solid fencing round the whole garden and the gates are kept locked most of the time to keep my dogs in and people / other dogs out. I used to randomly get people in the garden, and some kids once set their dog on to my first rabbit in its run. I've also had rabbits stolen from their runs - so you really can't be too careful.
