Bunnies and Dogs???

[bijoux]

Hi All,

I have a large english angora about 1 year old that is a complete house bun and roams free at all times.

I have been considering getting a small dog but am concerned as to the breed as dogs are carnivorous.

I've looked into non-sporting breeds, but am still concerned that the natural instinct will surface.

Does anyone have any recommendations or advice, either for or against, what breeds might work, will the bunny just be too upset regardless of the type of dog, etc.

Thank you.

 

[Angel0607]

My pit/lab mix is extremely uninterested in my rabbit.. hes a year old and my 12 year old cocker spaniel also could care less. I thought my pit/lab would be crazy around him cause hes normally so hyper but he just lays there. I did let them start out smelling each other through a baby gate, etc first though!

The bunny also doesnt care. He just hops around or whatever like normal and still does binkies and stuff so I can only assume hes fine with it lol

Obviously dont ever leave them alone together

 

[hartleybun]

hello! i would say 'know thy dog' and answer honestly my choc lab, brandy 6yrs, was the first in a long line of family dogs that we had other pets with. from the start she was the first 'maternal' bitch we had ever had. she is also well trained and knows her place in the household pack - theres only one top bitch and thats me

we decided to get rabbits (eventually) but made sure that they could live completely separatelyand securely if brandy didnt take to them. i did the very first intro with me standing up holding the bun. for months they were supervised closely, with the bunnies having their own garden that is dog free. dogsnbuns are vaccinated, wormed etc. brandy was very maternal towards the buns and very tolerant of them binkieing and sniffing her. brandy's daughter, whiskey, is now 2 and grew up with bunnies hopping and just being there. again, we kept whiskey for her temperament and have trained her in the same way as her mother.

whilst whiskey is still young, she is supervised in the garden with the rabbits but has been taught from birth not to chase them.

alsoi managed to find a breeder who had dogs, so that barking and sniffing wouldnt come as a complete shock
check out cesar milan - dog whisperer for introducing new members to your pack.

i'd wanted bunnies for years but was honest enough to know that due to the temperament of the dogs in my life at that time that it was a bad idea.

i wish you and your bunnies well

 

[Konotashi]

I think that the dog's natural instincts would take over eventually. Maybe you should give your bun a room since you can't be following them around all the time.

We have five dogs, and I can only let one interact with Salem. She also happens to be the largest. She's a black lab (which makes it a little odd to me that she's the one that won't try to eat him.)
Our other four dogs all go nuts over him when I'm carrying him downstairs or something. 2 Frenchies, a mini schnauzer (who, despite being 15, still goes nuts over small animals), and a black lab/miniature schnauzer/pit bull mix. She's the WORST when it comes to small animals.
Whenever he's around those four will keep a distance and stay really stiff and still and just watch him in my arms. When he moves, they tense up.
Sania gets excited when he starts to binky, but I just call her name and she's fine. Even though I don't think Sania would ever hurt him, I never leave them alone, even if I'm just poking my head out the door for a second. If I'm taking my eyes off of them even for a second, I pick Salem up or put him in his cage.

 

[JadeIcing]

Know the dog. Also training, training training. Can not stress training.

 

[SunnyCait]

Ditto all the points above... Know your dog. My girl Karly is great with Mary Jane and even my rats. I didn't raise her because she was a rescue, but someone before me did a good job. Also, her breeds (she's mixed between two) are not of the terrier or hound groups. If you are looking into adopting a small dog, be sure to stay away from terriers. That's a huge generalization, but instinct in those little guys is very strong and even with training, may stray.

For some reason every shih tzu I've met has been fine with small animals, and very amiable and likeable fellas in general. Maybe try for one of those?

Also, even if you think your dog is fine with your bunn, never ever leave them unsupervised. I trust Karly a lot, but I still would never leave her unattended with my small critters. You have no control if you are not there with them.

 

[hartleybun]

JadeIcing wrote:

Know the dog. Also training, training training. Can not stress training.

:yeahthat:cannot stress this enough! i know it's not always a popular view but i think that caring for the animals that i choose to home is like raising my kids - 24/7/365 for life and always doing the very best for them.

i also think that you are doing the right thing by considering the matter before acting

 

[bijoux]

Well, thank you all for your replies.

I think I've decided that as much as I want a dog, it's not worth the risk of my precious Bijoux.

 

[hartleybun]

a true rabbit lover if ever there was one

hopes that isnt lost in translation