Are you a Dutch bunny owner? Help please

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pacnw

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I have been researching the Dutch bunny by reading many, many articles online. What I have found seem to be favorable regarding the breed. (yay!)

What I'd like to hear are your personal experiences with your Dutch bunny. Their personality, their behavior, their age...what was it like when you brought him/her home, etc. The good and bad. I know that each bunny can be slightly different because they are their own bunny. Hearing from actual members like you who own a Dutch seems like it would be a bit more helpful than simply reading articles alone.

Thanks!
 
Elvira is a Dutch and she's a pretty cool rabbit.
She turns 1 this month, I got her at 6 weeks old from a pet store. She was tiny! I think she was the runt on top of being too young to be sold. So she was extra small.
Anyway, she's WAY different than the rabbit that I had when I got her, so she was a bit shocking to me. BUT here is what shes like: incredibly smart, high strung, playful, super sweet, a big chewer, and a little moody.
She took to the litter box in like 2 days, but that didn't always stay a great habit for her. She likes to go right NEXT to the box now, I think to spite me. She's super hormonal and has already made 3 nests for non-existent babies. She is a chewer like you would not believe. She has killed a fridge, chewed through a water line for the washing machine, and eats at least one cardboard box a week. She's now working on eating the molding in my kitchen and possibly my stool. She just requires a lot of toys.
She's so smart, is scary. She knows whats shes doing all the time. She knows that shes being bad and knows how to look adorable for me to not be mad at her anymore. Shes a little crafty! haha. Shes also really sweet, loves nose rubs and cheek rubs. She likes to lick my hair and my hands. She also like to nip my pants and ankles. LOL

So basically, she's a really fun but difficult rabbit to have. She's a great rabbit though! I don't know if all Dutch are like mine, but shes a sweet girl.
 
Is Elvira spayed? Is she territorial? A few articles I have read said that a Dutch is docile, social, and has a great temperment. There was one article that said a Dutch also needs a LOT of time out of their cage/hutch (I would keep him indoors) to run around. Is this true? Do they need a LOT of time? How much time is "a lot"? I know that is up to interpretation but what do you think?

The two dutch bunnies I have found so far are: a 1 1/2 year old, fixed Dutch boy who has "good" litter box habits. The other, a 1 year old Dutch girl, not spayed, and "mostly" litter box trained (whatever that can mean?). The boy is a classic Dutch and the girl is a Harlequin Dutch but what I'm really concerned with is their personality, habits, etc. They both live quite a distance away from me so I haven't visited with them yet.

Any other information on the Dutch would be great! :)
 
People understand that certain dog breeds have certain temperaments. Golden retrievers make great family dogs, for example.
I think that this is not at all true with rabbits. Breed does not determine personality for rabbits the way it does for dogs. I would never say there are slight differences among the personalities of all dutch rabbits. I would say the differences can be enormous. A dutch could be aloof, shy, outgoing, cuddly, stand-off-ish.
That would hold true with any breed of rabbit.

The best way to choose a rabbit is to actually meet the individual rabbit in person. They really can vary SO much in personality regardless of breed. They can also behave differently toward different people.

"Mostly litter trained" may depend on the person doing the describing. A typical rabbit will be fully trained for urine but will still drop occasional poos. It is the very rare rabbit that is 100% on poos. (I think it is Larry on this forum who said that of the 40 or so rabbits they have had, that only 2 were fully 100%.)

And one other thought. It sounds like these 2 rabbits you are looking at are not from the same place? Or are they? One cannot just put 2 rabbits together and expect them to get along. If you see some of the past threads on here, you will see the many difficulties that people have had in attempting to bond 2 rabbits. Sometimes, 2 particular rabbits simply won't bond. So not sure if these 2 are bonded or not. Intact females are difficult to bond, so you'll want to consider the high cost of the surgery also. One usually would be sure both rabbits are fixed before attempting any bonds.
 
I totally agree that all rabbits are not the same. Just wanting to hear in general the characteristics that a Dutch rabbit owner has experienced. These 2 rabbits are being sold by 2 different people and I am not looking to bond or breed rabbits. Just looking for 1 pet :)

I did hear back from one of the rabbit owners... the Harlequin...and her female is litter box trained in that she pees in the litter box and "most" of her poops make it in there as well. I wish I could see them some time soon and experience what the Dutch rabbits are like. I haven't heard back from the male Dutch rabbit owner yet.
 
I had a Dutch. She was sweet as could be. Loved sitting in my lap and getting petted.
 
Peter is a Dutch and he's a great little thing. Litter trained without any effort, he is always on adventures and pestering me and my Flatmates for attention! He's almost 1 and not neutered, he doesn't spray and is very sweet natured. He is fine being picked up, but prefers to follow me like a little dog!

I suppose it completely depends on the bunny, but I rescued pete at 9 months and he hasn't changed a bit, I'm glad I missed his moody teenage phase! That said he may have skipped it altogether, he's just a big kit really!

Hope this helps!

Lynne x


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I have a Dutch her name is Wildchild and she got her name because she hopped out of the cage and been free range ever since she is as sweet as can be and is very very very ENERGETIC I have had her ever since she was a baby kit I love her she has never been a problem:)


Sent from my iPhone using Rabbit Forum
 
Dutch bunnies were bred for their personalities, which are playful and sweet. They are super smart and seem to be very happy buns.My Ziggy is such a brat, but we love her. Sassy lil thing, when she is being bad, she hops away wagging her little tail at us, and for that you can't help but laugh. She taught herself a trick, jumping off the bottom stair and banking off the wall to land on the door stop, which makes a silly sound. She does this all the time. She loves to sit on the couch and watch tv and enjoys LOTS of attention. The only thing about her which I'm not fond of, is she is not very reciprocal of grooming/affection. She wants all the attention, but somehow either won't, or doesn't know how to groom in return. We got her when she was just over a year old and now she is about 3 now. I have 2 other buns, a lop and a mix and I have had other breeds in the past and I will always get Dutch from now on. Zig is just a joy to watch (her name came from her zigging around the house at high rates of speed) and is always happy and in a good mood!
 
How long would you say that your dutch bunnies have free roam around the house compared to an XL cage? I might be going back to school in a couple of months, part time, and I won't be here 24/7.
 
My Dutch has had free roam of my kitchen for like 4 months now. It went from her being up at night, to me not putting her up a few nights, then a week or so, then never. Her cabinet door stays open all the time and she goes in there sometimes but mostly the cat sleeps in there. She has a box set up in the main floor of the kitchen and one set up in a corner, for her to hide better. She has her food bowls next to her box and an extra hay box.

I would say as long as your bun got a few hours a day out of the cage, it would be fine. Ellie is a little less energetic than she used to be, she mostly just lays around now. But she USED to run non stop, day or night. Now, that she's gotten a little but older, not so much. Its a lot of bunloafing and flopping, with bursts of crazy. A lot of mischievous chewing now, mostly on the abundance of cardboard she has.

Its nice to hear that a lot of Dutch as about the same as Ellie!
 
Blue eyes said:
People understand that certain dog breeds have certain temperaments. Golden retrievers make great family dogs, for example.
I think that this is not at all true with rabbits. Breed does not determine personality for rabbits the way it does for dogs. I would never say there are slight differences among the personalities of all dutch rabbits. I would say the differences can be enormous. A dutch could be aloof, shy, outgoing, cuddly, stand-off-ish.
That would hold true with any breed of rabbit.
Click to expand...

Breed does have a significant influence on temperament in rabbits, as it does for dogs. These differences may not be as apparent in mixed breed rabbits or rabbits of unknown backgrounds, but I see specific temperament differences among breeds in the showroom.

For example, my Holland Lops are outgoing, playful and friendly. My Dwarf Hotots are more shy and cautious, on the other hand. There are exceptions to those generalizations, as there are with dogs. But by and large, those are the temperaments of those specific breeds.

I've had little personal experience with Dutch but have heard them to be a friendly breed with good personalities. My limited experience with them is that they're a more active breed too and would be happiest with room and space to explore.

I'd highly recommend getting in touch with a few Dutch fanciers through the ARBA website. I'm sure they would be happy to answer questions about their breed, and they may have suggestions for who to purchase a Dutch rabbit from for the best temperament.
 
pacnw said:
How long would you say that your dutch bunnies have free roam around the house compared to an XL cage? I might be going back to school in a couple of months, part time, and I won't be here 24/7.
Click to expand...

my bunnies get on average 12 hrs a day outside the enclosure, more even when i'm home. sometimes they like to stay in the cage all day, but mostly out all time.
 
Maybe with some of my time spent at school, I should reconsider getting a Dutch? Maybe another breed but not sure what...
 
pacnw said:
Maybe with some of my time spent at school, I should reconsider getting a Dutch? Maybe another breed but not sure what...
Click to expand...

Well, you also have to keep in mind that the rabbit is your pet - you aren't the rabbit's pet.

I know that sounds silly. But rabbits do very well in confined spaces (by confined, I only mean "designated" or "roped off" - not a locked shoebox, if you know what I mean), and it is for their safety when we're not around to supervise. A few hours (1-2) out of the cage daily is great, more is even better.

In the meantime, just ensure that your rabbit's enclosure (cage, hutch or xpen) is large enough for the rabbit to stand up, lay down, turn around and hop around a bit. With an indoor rabbit, you may even be able to bunny-proof a small room to keep them in while you're away - bathrooms are a popular spot. This is comparable to kenneling a dog. Sure, the animal would run happily on the open range if they had the choice. But they adjust well to other schedules too.

Rabbits aren't exactly nocturnal, but they are naturally more active at dawn and dusk. So if you are away and they are in their cage for most of the day, that's pretty compatible with their natural schedule anyway. Getting out to kick up their heels while you're home in the evening is perfect.

Not everyone is on that schedule, so rabbits can adjust to have their playtime during the day too. Regardless, there is a large portion of the day where they are content with being in their designated "house," whatever that may be. When I have a day off and disturb the rabbits mid-afternoon, they're always less impressed than when I come around at feeding time (evening hours) and they're bouncing off the walls.

Dutch are a fairly small/medium breed, and they are active, but not wildly so. A Dutch wouldn't require particularly unique adjustments (like, say, a Rhinelander which is much larger and also an active breed).

If you're interested in a Dutch and feel that you can offer reasonable sized living quarters, as well as some time out in the evenings daily, I think that would be a fine choice. :)

If you'd like to look into a breed that's more laid back and content with being confined for longer periods of time, you could look into breeds like Mini Lops or Polish. These guys are known for being a bit more "sleepy" in personality - very quiet and laid back.

Hopefully that helps!
 
OakRidgeRabbits said:
Breed does have a significant influence on temperament in rabbits, as it does for dogs. These differences may not be as apparent in mixed breed rabbits or rabbits of unknown backgrounds, but I see specific temperament differences among breeds in the showroom.
Click to expand...

I will defer to a breeder's knowledge on pure bred rabbits. My circle in the rabbit world consists of rescue rabbits and pet store rabbits purchased by newbies. All of these rabbits are generally given a breed classification, but as OakRidge said, they are mostly mixed breeds or of unknown backgrounds.

I've never even met (in person) anyone who had an actual pure bred rabbit. In my circle, pet rabbits are all likely mixed, even if they appear pure to an untrained eye.

I wonder if the OP is wanting to get into the world of show rabbits and is looking for a pure bred rabbit, or is simply looking for a pet. If just for a pet, then I'd still recommend meeting individual rabbits at a rescue and finding one with a desirable personality/temperament.
 
Is OP...me? lol If so, I am looking for a pet :) I don't care if the bunny is pure-bred.
 
(OP means original poster so yes, it's you!)

I don't know anything about Dutches - my own bunny is a lionhead mixed with... something! (lol) - but I thought I'd chime in and agree with Blue eyes that it's best to go to the rescue or shelter and check out the bunnies yourself. Not only will you get the chance to interact with them in person, you can also learn a lot about each bunny from the handlers who would be more than happy to help you answer questions!

As for me, I actually picked out Mocha from an online database that the shelter had (I'm a little embarrassed to admit that it was the white nose that attracted me-- I just couldn't help it!). When I went there in person, they took me to the small animals room where the rabbits were kept. I confessed that this was a first ever pet for me and I had no idea how to handle bunnies, so they took Mocha out (back then he was called Oscar), showed me how to hold him, then showed me how to unlock the cages so I could interact with each bunny and see if I happened to click with another one more. I guess it was fate because the other bunnies either full out ignored me or came over for a sniff and then hopped away! Mocha was the only one who let me pet him and so I ended up with him after all. As much as he exasperates me at times (he's a year and a half now and he's SUCH a ball of energy sometimes) I wouldn't exchange him for any other bun!
 
Neat experience you had and my husband has agreed to go with me to a shelter this Sunday :) Who knows, right? lol
 
Oooh, good luck! Maybe you can bring a few small pieces of carrot or banana in a baggie so the buns can warm up to you more quickly? A little bribery never hurt anyone, right? ;)
 
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