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Dogs & Rabbits - can they live together?

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Stator said:
rabbits can't kill each other with one bite.


People have posted on this very forum about accidents that have happened and one animal has got access to an area they shouldn't have and one of the animals has ended up dead. Accidents happen, no matter how careful you THINK you are going to be.

I wouldn't keep any predator / prey species in a house together if either of them were allowed loose. So if I had a dog I wouldn't keep any species that it could kill.
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I agree to a certain extent - but I think it's more of a measured risk. When I had Border Colin for that short time, he wasn't allowed access to my back garden - even though the buns were in an aviary - but that was because I didn't know how he would react or how my buns would feel even just seeing him.

I would never leave a dog & bun alone together, no matter how well I knew dog & bun - same goes for dog & young child though.

Accidents do happen - even when they shouldn't, but if you are taking all the precautions then I think it's a careful risk
 
People post on forums about their dogs accidental litter of puppies, any female dog owner will tell you how obvious a female dog in season is, and how simple it is to ensure they do not come into contact with a male dog during their season.

You are treating people as if they are ignorant or careless just because you have read about others who have acted without care.
 
William said:
I'm a lot more afraid about bonding rabbits than I am keeping a dog in the house. Rabbits can seriously injure and as we all know rabbits don't always do so well with vet visits and surgery if it comes to it and wounds are prone to abscesses and infection.

But where do you draw the line? 2 parrots that don't like each other could very well kill each other. A rat can kill small animals. A rabbit could binky and accidentally land on a guinea pig, breaking the pigs back. A raccoon could open a fish tank and eat the fish. The list goes on and on. Any animal can kill other species, even animals of the same species. you've just got to keep them separate from each other.

Anyways, no one was talking about letting a rabbit free range with a dog. We're talking about keeping them both at the same time. A rabbit could easily be kept away from a dog by keeping them in separate rooms.
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Bonding rabbits is a risk but it is outweighed by the benefits of them living together versus spending their lives alone. Just like neutering them is a risk but it has greater benefits.
If you get a dog there is no benefit to the rabbit at all. The only benefit is to you, so the only reason to get a dog when you already have rabbits is a selfish one.

And we are talking about rabbits and dogs mixing, the original question on this thread was clearly about raising a puppy with rabbits. All the photos that have been posted on this thread with rabbits and dogs mixing together. Someone needs to have the balls to point out that it is a risk, even if that makes me unpopular.

No matter how well you think you know your animals, risks are being taken.
 
loppy ears said:
People post on forums about their dogs accidental litter of puppies, any female dog owner will tell you how obvious a female dog in season is, and how simple it is to ensure they do not come into contact with a male dog during their season.

You are treating people as if they are ignorant or careless just because you have read about others who have acted without care.
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Mistakes happen whether you know you are taking a risk or not. No-one is perfect.
 
Like I said previously all risks are only taken when there is a benefit to the rabbit that outweighs the risk, there is no benefit to the rabbit of you getting a dog.
 
Stator said:
Like I said previously all risks are only taken when there is a benefit to the rabbit that outweighs the risk, there is no benefit to the rabbit of you getting a dog.
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But there was benefit to my rabbits - the dogs were here first, I gave my rabbits a home where they are safe, cared for and have a secure 10ft x 6ft kennel and run.
 
loppy ears said:
But there was benefit to my rabbits - the dogs were here first, I gave my rabbits a home where they are safe, cared for and have a secure 10ft x 6ft kennel and run.
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Completely agree, you don't have to justify yourself to anyone, you know your animals are safe, you're always going to get some people with extreme views on what animals should be near each other and what shouldn't. As long as you know they are safe then why care what anyone else thinks? I don't think you will change anyone's opinion here. I've always lived in a household of dogs, cats, horses and rabbits, it was great and they all had lovely lives. My rabbits interact with my cats supervised and love it, I know my animals and what's a safe situation and what isn't. :)
 
Stator said:
Like I said previously all risks are only taken when there is a benefit to the rabbit that outweighs the risk, there is no benefit to the rabbit of you getting a dog.
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I don't agree with you, my mums rabbits love the dogs, they don't interact without mesh between them but the dogs keep foxes and cats out if the garden so the bunnies don't get scared. I see that as a huge benefit and mum has given them a loving home too. It's a real good job not everyone thought like you as there would be thousands of dogs or rabbits without safe loving homes.
 
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Stator said:
Like I said previously all risks are only taken when there is a benefit to the rabbit that outweighs the risk, there is no benefit to the rabbit of you getting a dog.
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My house rabbits would disagree, they have a mutually beneficial and enjoyable relationship with my dog. He cleans their ears, makes them feel safe enough free ranging to flop out and binky around the garden when they are all out and snuggle up to him for warmth.:love:

Saying people are selfish because they choose to rehome more than one species (giving a variety of animals a fantastic life) is very narrow minded and if everyone did that, there would be a lot more animals being pts every day with no option of a nice life.

I think this thread has satisfied the OP and different views have been given for an informed choice.

So on that note, I'm closing this thread.

Feel free to PM me if any of you have an issue with this decision.

:wave:
 
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