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Owning rabbits is hard, but we will do what we can to help :) Take it slowly, and deal with each little issue as a separate issue, and don't try to tackle it all at once.

Yes, it is hard. That's one of my concerns about adopting out. People won't know the responsibilty of them and assume they are easy and just 'abandon' them. I didn't know they were this hard. If I had known I probably would not have gotten one but I really do like them. They are so adorable, how could you not.

Great advice about taking steps. I can't see the forest for the trees. I tend to get overwhelmed easily (obviously LOL) and it's hard for me to take a step back sometimes. I feel better after posting and taking that step back. I don't feel as bad now with the advice given.

I think I am going to move them into the living room (if I can get the cage in there), work on cleaning up the stains. I am supposed to take the babies to the vet here in the next few weeks to get them sexed. They will be 6 weeks this Saturday and he said to bring them in around 8 weeks or so.
 
LadyOnslaught wrote:
Yes, it is hard. That's one of my concerns about adopting out.
Click to expand...
Definitely, that is a huge concern, but I always talk to people about worst case scenario and really make them understand and think, about cost, time, illnesses, needs, etc, and if they still want them after that battering of info, then generally they make good owners :) You can set guidelines and high expectations for potential adopters, there is nothing wrong with that, and it will show them that you care about your buns and want them to go to the best homes possible :)
 
Flashy wrote:
LadyOnslaught wrote:
Yes, it is hard. That's one of my concerns about adopting out.
Click to expand...
Definitely, that is a huge concern, but I always talk to people about worst case scenario and really make them understand and think, about cost, time, illnesses, needs, etc, and if they still want them after that battering of info, then generally they make good owners :) You can set guidelines and high expectations for potential adopters, there is nothing wrong with that, and it will show them that you care about your buns and want them to go to the best homes possible :)
Click to expand...
:). I think there is one we will keep (she's my favorite although it could be a boy. I don't know). I just feel responsible for them because it was my fault there are here.I know it was an accident but still... I have a lot of guilt too because in February my father was murdered and for months afterwards I was in a daze. In the middle of March I signed my horse over to my barn owner because I wasn't thinking right. I did need to sell him but I feel like I've let him down. He went to an auction and I have no idea where he is. I think about him all the time. I had him 10 years and promised never to sell him and in a moment of weakness I did. The barn owner won't tell where he went (I haven't asked but a boarder did and told me). I thought I was doing the right thing but obviously not. I always wonder if he's still alive with teh market the way it is so I'm terrified for the babies and feel responsible. Sorry, didn't mean to make it a sad post but it's what's driving me. I've lost my dad and my grandmother and our family cat this year so it's really hard.
 
I'm so sorry for what you have been through, especially losing your dad in such a horrific way. Please don't ever be sorry for making a post like that though, it sounds like you need to talk about it, and its ok to do that. Sometimes things come out at times when we (as in the person opening up)feel its inappropriate, but its really, very ok to talk about this on here if you need to.

I can understand not wanting anything to go wrong.

It sounds like with your horse you made a knee-jerk reactiondue to grief, which we have all done, and have regretted it since. Maybe it might be worth askingthe barn owner yourself? You never know, if you strike a chord with him, he may just tell you. I just urge that you please don't make anyknee jerk reactions when it comes to these buns because a stress related knee jerk reaction can be as devastating as those due to grief.

Maybe once you have gotten them all sexed you can start to formulate a plan of sorts, and also when the money comes through things will be easier too because you will start to be able to speuter those necessary and start to reboind, thus condensing space down again.

I know this is not relevant to buns, but have you thought about getting some sort of therapist? Or maybe joining a support group for those bereaved by murder or anything?
 
I know this is not relevant to buns, but have you thought about getting some sort of therapist? Or maybe joining a support group for those bereaved by murder or anything?
Click to expand...
I do. I started going...oh maybe a month after he died once a place was found. At first I was going about every 2 weeks then quit for awhile when my grandmother died and now go about oncea month. She says I've madea lot of progress and aren't angry all the time (my dad's girlfriend is a real you know what). He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to help someone get out of a bad situation. My mom and I have been donating some time to a local domestic violence shelter (her moreso than me).

Maybe once you have gotten them all sexed you can start to formulate a plan of sorts, and also when the money comes through things will be easier too because you will start to be able to speuter those necessary and start to reboind, thus condensing space down again.

That's kind of what I was thinking too. Ideally I would want to spay and neuter them before rehoming if that's what happens but then that's a little ways away. I think there are enough unwanted animals in the world, we don't need more.
 
I don't have time to read through this whole thread from where I left off this morning, but I do want to say your dog doesn't need obedience training...he needs behavior training. You should check your local listings to see when "It's Me or the Dog" is one. I watch the show quite a bit and have learned a lot from it. You could also join a dog training forum and learn from there.

I did skim through what I haven't been able to read and saw you are getting money from life insurance from your dad? Maybe there will be a couple hundred to set aside to get your pup the proper training? My obvious guess is that he was able to "run loose" in a previous home and thinks humans are below him. Proper training will definitely turn your dog into something wonderful. There isn't a need to rehome dogs for behavior issues, there is always a way to fix them :).


Hopefully you keep your head up! Things will get better! I know how hard it is to want to fix things and make things better, but money is an issue. I really hope "the green" floats your way soon, so you can stop stressing and go through with your plans to make things better around the house with the pets.

You have a loooong road ahead of you, as far as training your dog goes, but you can do it! I would hate to see him go back to the rescue for behavior issues, which is why most dogs are in shelters or homeless.

:hug:
 
I'm sorry if someone said these things already, but I didn't read all of the replies. It seems to me that you are having a basic problem with your dog and your rabbits. If they don't know what you expect of them, how will they know what is and is not allowed? Leaving things around is inviting them to be chewed. It's a natural behavior. Rabbits poop to mark their territory. This, too, is a natural behavior. You seem to expect for them to act as humans do. (No offense) to me, the solution seems obvious. Pick your stuff off of the floor or make a pen for a designated area just for them. (the rabbits that is). LITTER TRAIN THEM! Just sweep up the poops and put them in the litter box. Mop up the urine with a paper towel and burrow it under the litter. Use something pet-safe that will remove the smell of urine from the carpet. If they smell their urine, it only invites them to go there again. a floor covering that's not carpet.

As for the dog, he's not a hopeless case! You and he both need training. As a breed, Cockers are difficult to house train. Some are never completely house broken. Most are excitable peers or nervous peers (in front of a stranger or when you first come home through the door) as for his pooping in the house, it probably makes him feel safe. From what your describing, he has serious insecurity issues. Smelling his own smell makes him feel safe. You should take him out first thing in the morning, right before he eats, right after he eats, and again two hours after he eats in addition to his regular going out times. Your house will need a total scrub down to get rid of the smell, it is the same thing as with the rabbits. If your still having problems with him pooing in the house, you could get an umbilical leash (sp) it's basically a leash that you tie around your waist like a belt and is hooked to the dog. This means that you and the dog are never apart and therefore you can look for signs that he is going to go to the bathroom (sniffing, circling, squatting) and intervene by taking him outside IMMEDIATELY. If this still doesn't work, try picking up the poops and putting them outside. If he sees and smells them already out there, he is more likely to go out there. Shouting or shoving his face in the poop or pee will only make the situation worse. And also remember, you can only scold a dog when YOU CATCH THEM IN THE ACT. shouting about it after means almost nothing to them.

As for the snapping, cockers are also known for that. Especially when they get old, they can get something called "cocker madness" (some other breeds can have it too) it's basically when their brain swells and they go a little bit crazy. They are prone to bite then too. Since he's three, I wouldn't worry about it yet. You should pay attention to when and why he is snapping. I assure you that it is not random. And it's probably not based on aggression, but rather with fear. Approach him slowly, approach him deliberately. Pet him in his chest and side, as touching on the head and shoulders is generally a dominant move and can be perceived as threatening. As a society, we've been training our dogs not to warn us when they are agitated enough to bite. If a dog growls or snarls, we are quick to correct them. Only, this doesn't solve the problem, this merely tells them not to warn us. No wonder there are more and more people getting bitten every year! We tell them not to warn us! So watch for warning signs. A lowered head, weaving, or turning away are just a few. Building up his confidence in general should really help.

I hope this was a help and I didn't sound too belittling.

Good Luck!
 
I just wanted to say hang in there, you are doing a great job! It sounds like you have had a really terrible year and you are being very strong. I would be having a nervous breakdown with 6 rabbits in the house! Things will get better and you are doing the right thing by asking for help.
 
Just wanted to give another vote for WHITE VINEGAR! Not only for the stains, but even just to neutralize the smell after any of the animals (dog or buns) urinates. The vinegar itself smells for awhile, of course. But within 15 minutes that smell is gone, the stain is gone, and the urine smell is out of the carpet or couch or whatever. It's the bunparent's secret weapon! And it is CHEAP. We just spray it on and rub with a clean cloth.
 
Oh, for a cleaner...I use ONLY "Holy Cow" products. I find these to be AMAZING and I go through 2 of the pink bottles a month because I clean way to much....just because of this product. It is 100% organic and biodegradable. Also, safe around our pets (I clean the rat cage with it)! My nose is super sensitive to cleaners, but Holy Cow literally smells like....FLOWERS.

I had an old pair of Converse shoes that were beyond dirty on the white parts...I sprayed Holy Cow on them and the dirt seriously slipped right off the shoe.

I should be a spokes person for Holy Cow, as I talk about it way to much. I would marry a bottle of Holy Cow if I could.

"HOLY COW has a great line-up ofproducts that clean great and smell wonderful! . These amazing cleaners arebiodegradable and non-hazardous and contain NO solvents, NO VOCs (volatile organic compounds), NO toxins, NO alcohol, NO ammonia, NO harmful oxygen-based bleach cleaners, NO citrus-based products which may dissolve rubber or plastics. It is also biodegradable and non hazardous, so it's safe for you and your family as well as for your animals.
 You'll be amazed when you see for yourself how well they work.
THAT'S WHY WE CALL IT... HOLY COW!!!"


Not sure if you can get them where you are?
http://www.holycowproducts.com/


:weee:
 
Mine get free run but ONLY in one room.I use things to block off open doorways and we have that room bunny proofed. Wealso have a dog play-yard that we set up sometimes.

Sometimes they get special time in the livingroom with us right there, and we have a sectional sofa they can play on when we are with them. I also get them and hold them in the recliner and let them hop around on me there.

If I let them go they really don't like running through the entire house cause we have wood floors except for 2 rooms.

Oh, and sometimes I let them play in the bathroom while I shower.

I keep their mess confined as best I can - and letting them play in different places now and then seems to entertain them more.

The hay is even easier for me cause I have wooden floors, but unless I sweep it up daily, we still get it in the laundry, on our feet if we walk in that room, etc......
 
undergunfire wrote:
I don't have time to read through this whole thread from where I left off this morning, but I do want to say your dog doesn't need obedience training...he needs behavior training. You should check your local listings to see when "It's Me or the Dog" is one. I watch the show quite a bit and have learned a lot from it. You could also join a dog training forum and learn from there.

I did skim through what I haven't been able to read and saw you are getting money from life insurance from your dad? Maybe there will be a couple hundred to set aside to get your pup the proper training? My obvious guess is that he was able to "run loose" in a previous home and thinks humans are below him. Proper training will definitely turn your dog into something wonderful. There isn't a need to rehome dogs for behavior issues, there is always a way to fix them :).


Hopefully you keep your head up! Things will get better! I know how hard it is to want to fix things and make things better, but money is an issue. I really hope "the green" floats your way soon, so you can stop stressing and go through with your plans to make things better around the house with the pets.

You have a loooong road ahead of you, as far as training your dog goes, but you can do it! I would hate to see him go back to the rescue for behavior issues, which is why most dogs are in shelters or homeless.

:hug:
Click to expand...
We don't have any intention of returning him. I can only imagine where he would end up. I don't think any dog is worth giving up on (I'm sure there are few cases that are very extreme). The last few days he's been really good about going outside and doing his business. He did have a small accident last night but overall it's been better. I seriously doubt we have a behaviorist around here, we really don't have many trainers.
 
Nelson_is_mine wrote:
I'm sorry if someone said these things already, but I didn't read all of the replies. It seems to me that you are having a basic problem with your dog and your rabbits. If they don't know what you expect of them, how will they know what is and is not allowed? Leaving things around is inviting them to be chewed. It's a natural behavior. Rabbits poop to mark their territory. This, too, is a natural behavior. You seem to expect for them to act as humans do. (No offense) to me, the solution seems obvious. Pick your stuff off of the floor or make a pen for a designated area just for them. (the rabbits that is). LITTER TRAIN THEM! Just sweep up the poops and put them in the litter box. Mop up the urine with a paper towel and burrow it under the litter. Use something pet-safe that will remove the smell of urine from the carpet. If they smell their urine, it only invites them to go there again. a floor covering that's not carpet.

As for the dog, he's not a hopeless case! You and he both need training. As a breed, Cockers are difficult to house train. Some are never completely house broken. Most are excitable peers or nervous peers (in front of a stranger or when you first come home through the door) as for his pooping in the house, it probably makes him feel safe. From what your describing, he has serious insecurity issues. Smelling his own smell makes him feel safe. You should take him out first thing in the morning, right before he eats, right after he eats, and again two hours after he eats in addition to his regular going out times. Your house will need a total scrub down to get rid of the smell, it is the same thing as with the rabbits. If your still having problems with him pooing in the house, you could get an umbilical leash (sp) it's basically a leash that you tie around your waist like a belt and is hooked to the dog. This means that you and the dog are never apart and therefore you can look for signs that he is going to go to the bathroom (sniffing, circling, squatting) and intervene by taking him outside IMMEDIATELY. If this still doesn't work, try picking up the poops and putting them outside. If he sees and smells them already out there, he is more likely to go out there. Shouting or shoving his face in the poop or pee will only make the situation worse. And also remember, you can only scold a dog when YOU CATCH THEM IN THE ACT. shouting about it after means almost nothing to them.

As for the snapping, cockers are also known for that. Especially when they get old, they can get something called "cocker madness" (some other breeds can have it too) it's basically when their brain swells and they go a little bit crazy. They are prone to bite then too. Since he's three, I wouldn't worry about it yet. You should pay attention to when and why he is snapping. I assure you that it is not random. And it's probably not based on aggression, but rather with fear. Approach him slowly, approach him deliberately. Pet him in his chest and side, as touching on the head and shoulders is generally a dominant move and can be perceived as threatening. As a society, we've been training our dogs not to warn us when they are agitated enough to bite. If a dog growls or snarls, we are quick to correct them. Only, this doesn't solve the problem, this merely tells them not to warn us. No wonder there are more and more people getting bitten every year! We tell them not to warn us! So watch for warning signs. A lowered head, weaving, or turning away are just a few. Building up his confidence in general should really help.

I hope this was a help and I didn't sound too belittling.

Good Luck!
Click to expand...


We don't put his nose in anything or anything like that. We take him out after an accident and tried putting him in his crate (the taking him out wasn't working). I mentioned in an above post that he's been better the last few days except for a small accident last night. Hopefully we're taking a step forward. This weekend I'm planning on working on the stains and trying to get those out and clean up.

No, I don't expect them to act like humans. It's just overwhelming and I posted in a moment of when I was upset/angry. He does wear a leash most times since we know he has those tendencies.
 
tinymonster wrote:
I just wanted to say hang in there, you are doing a great job! It sounds like you have had a really terrible year and you are being very strong. I would be having a nervous breakdown with 6 rabbits in the house! Things will get better and you are doing the right thing by asking for help.
Click to expand...
Thanks :). I wouldn't be nearly as upset if I wasn't stressed about money right now. I feel very hopeless in that situation and then just with everything going on. I feel much better today and feel more prepared.
 
Wabbitdad12 wrote:
Just wanted to give another vote for WHITE VINEGAR! Not only for the stains, but even just to neutralize the smell after any of the animals (dog or buns) urinates. The vinegar itself smells for awhile, of course. But within 15 minutes that smell is gone, the stain is gone, and the urine smell is out of the carpet or couch or whatever. It's the bunparent's secret weapon! And it is CHEAP. We just spray it on and rub with a clean cloth.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I do have some white vinegar at home (I use the 50/50 mixture to clean stuff up) so I will work on those stains this weekend :).
 
I wanted to thank everyone for their responses. I feel much better today. I went home last night and vacuumed the majority of the poop up and then will do a better job tonight. I will work on the stains this weekend and see about moving the rabbit cage into the living room.

Our Cocker has been doing better with accidents too. He had a small one last night but it has been better. Before we got him he was living at a kennel for at least a month and of course we do not know what he went through before us.


 
I'm glad you're feeling better today :) I think we all get those:pullhair:AAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! moments when we feel that we can't cope, but they do ease, we just need to find ways through those crisis moments, which you did. :) That's all anyone can do.

On a side note I'm glad you have a therapist and she has helped :)
 
I have tried every urine smell eliminator on the market. I've used vinegar and rented carpet cleaners, etc. My mom rented me and my boyfriend her townhouse, and before she left her old male cat sprayed the entire living room. As you guys probably know, cat spray is the hardest smell to get rid of. Well after two months and several hundred dollars later, we were ready to move because the smell was just relentless,when a friend suggested i use hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. I said, okay, can't hurt right. That night I bought it and mixed a half peroxide half water bottle w/ one tbsp. of dish soap in it, sprayed the carpet (needs to be fairly saturated)and then shook baking soda all over it. I then got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed it with clean water. Thankfully, it worked. Now, whenever an animal has an accident in the house, I use that method to get the smell out. It is really just amazing.

If you decide to do this, you should test the hydrogen peroxide on a small piece of carpet first to make sure it won't alter or ruin your carpet or furniture. Trust me though, this really really works, better than vinegar and store bought solutions.
 
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