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loud dog and bunnies

destinieg7

New Kit
i have two bunnies and they will be outside were my dogs go to the bathroom one of them is a hound dog so he is loud and i dont want my bunny to be stressed is there a way he will think hes safe
 
I don't think the noise is a problem once they are used to it, it all depends how the dog acts toward them. If he acts too interested, sees them as prey or toy, they pick that up.
It would help if the dogs are either introduced to the bunnies and teach them that they are just part of normality - depending on the dog if this is possible, or when the dogs can't go too close to the rabbits enclosure. They should not run there, excited about those interesting fluffy things.

As I said, it really depends on the dogs instincts, training goes only so far, if he isn't able to ignore the rabbits on his own once used to their presence I would at least put a fence some meters away from them. And they need places big enough to hide completly out if sight, hidey houses with at least 2 entrances (they avoid dead ends when stressed).

I had 3 dogs here over the time, from friends for some weeks, I had the advantage that when the dogs came here the rabbits were part of this new environment, not something that pops up in their territory. Also, my rabbits are free roam, and don't take long to approach a dog that acts unthreatingly.
 
A barking dog near the rabbits would cause them immense stress in my opinion.
 
I had a German shepherd and my bunnies were outside. They were never scared of her. She would bark when there were people near the garden.
 
My two dogs bark whenever someone comes to the front door and my two house rabbits soon got used to it. Their room is very near the front door.

The dogs also bark in the back garden and the four outside rabbits rarely react.
 
I think it depends on the rabbit so if there is no other option you'll just have to see how your rabbits react and closely monitor for signs of stress. My previous outdoor rabbits lived in a shed and the our family dogs had access to the first part of our garden (not the part where the rabbit shed was) and they would stamp if the dogs parked and panic, luckily our dogs were quiet and always had some one watching them in the garden so could be called back in. However my current indoor rabbits hear my dog barking and they don't react at all, but if a window is open/I have a visitor dog they stamp/don't like it, but they seem to know my own dog is no threat.

If your rabbits haven't seen your dog before I would be careful and ideally block off their view so they can't see each other, that will help make the rabbits feel more safe
 
I have 6 House Rabbits and a Dog. The Rabbits are not at all bothered by my dog barking, but that's not to say all Rabbits will be the same. IME House Rabbits seem to adapt to the presence of dogs far more readily than outdoor Rabbits. One of my Rabbits is about as big as my Dog and he is wary of her rather than the other way around ! One golden rule is to never, under any circumstances, leave dogs and Rabbits together unsupervised. The Rabbits should always be in a secure run/enclosure where there is absolutely no chance of direct contact with the dog(s) :)
 
I completely agree with Jack’s-Jane. It depends on the personality of the rabbit and how secure they feel. Although, barking dogs are likely to increase most rabbit’s stress levels, especially if they aren’t used to it. Always ensure they have somewhere to hide/get away from the dog as rabbits are prey animals and need this to feel safe. For this reason I’d also say housing your rabbit indoors would be far better for the extra level of security and comfort (among other reasons). Not to mention that you’d be able to keep a closer eye on how the dog affects the rabbit (ie checking if it stops eating - which is an emergency - or just noting any behavioural changes) and take steps accordingly.
 
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