windryder201
Active Member
Hey folks.
When I adopted this bunny about a year ago, it was because my classmate who originally adopted him from his original home discovered that he's PETRIFIED of dogs. She wasn't going to get rid of her ol' dogs, so I took him to my dog-free home.
However, given that I'm going to have to rehome him when I move (internationally) next year, I'd like to see if I can make some improvement on his reactions to dogs in the time we have left together.
We're not sure exactly why he's so scared. We don't know much of his history before she took him. He doesn't just get "prey-scared" around dogs. Even hearing dog paws outside a closed door sends him into a full on frozen panic attack. My classmate gave him some time to get used to hearing her dogs, but he did not improve during his time with her.
A factor that may help at this point is that he does have a girl-bunny that he's bonded with at this point. As far as I know, she does not have a strong fear reaction to dogs.
My present plan is to see how his mate is with dogs (we'll be using my friend's dog for our work. He doesn't appear to give a rat's butt about her bunnies, beyond seeing what they are doing and then going about his business). If she's good with the dog, then I'd like to take them both in the cat crate together to visit the dog and just them hang out in their crate in the same room as the dog.
Do y'all think this could help? and do you have any other ideas?
If it's not going to work, then it's not going to work and I'm cool with that. I just want to give him the best chance I can at a great home later
When I adopted this bunny about a year ago, it was because my classmate who originally adopted him from his original home discovered that he's PETRIFIED of dogs. She wasn't going to get rid of her ol' dogs, so I took him to my dog-free home.
However, given that I'm going to have to rehome him when I move (internationally) next year, I'd like to see if I can make some improvement on his reactions to dogs in the time we have left together.
We're not sure exactly why he's so scared. We don't know much of his history before she took him. He doesn't just get "prey-scared" around dogs. Even hearing dog paws outside a closed door sends him into a full on frozen panic attack. My classmate gave him some time to get used to hearing her dogs, but he did not improve during his time with her.
A factor that may help at this point is that he does have a girl-bunny that he's bonded with at this point. As far as I know, she does not have a strong fear reaction to dogs.
My present plan is to see how his mate is with dogs (we'll be using my friend's dog for our work. He doesn't appear to give a rat's butt about her bunnies, beyond seeing what they are doing and then going about his business). If she's good with the dog, then I'd like to take them both in the cat crate together to visit the dog and just them hang out in their crate in the same room as the dog.
Do y'all think this could help? and do you have any other ideas?
If it's not going to work, then it's not going to work and I'm cool with that. I just want to give him the best chance I can at a great home later
