Netherland dwarfs (dwarves?) and leashes?

[Vetiora]

I would love to be able to take Fergy around fora hop around the neighborhood (they don't spray here! yay!) but I'm alittle afraid to since he's still kinda small. I've estimated that he'sabout 3-3 1/2 months old so I think all his growing is done (I had toconvince myself I wasn't going crazy and that he had, indeed, grown alittle since I adopted him :shock: ). However, I'm still a littlereluctant to put a harness on him.

Initially I bought a comfee-something or other stretchy harness forguinea pigs since he was so little, but I think I lost that....and henever fit it anyway really. So I bought one that is the single cordstyle harness/leash but I'm not sure whether he likes it or not.

To explain the first time I tried it keep in mind I'm a college studentso I travel from apartment to home every-so-often and when I initiallygot Fergy I had to be home for a while, all during spring break too! SoI put he harness on him and let him hop about the house....no longerdid he have the harness on for one minute than he tore off like a crazymad bunny! I couldn't even keep up with him and as a result he did aturn around the corner and reached the leash's limit causing him to doa flip in the air and land safely back on his little hoppy feet.

However, I have been scared to put him back in a harness since. Insteadhe just hops around my room at the apartment and I nudge him away fromthe computer desk. I think he really might like it outdoors everynowand then though, dandelions grow everywhere here

So, any suggestions or is it pretty much hopeless for Fergy to wear a harness due to his breed?


--edit--
Goodness, I can't beleive I didn't mention it but Ferguson is anethrland dwarf. Not sure if he's pure bred since I got him from a petshop. I must've thought that the title would tip off that he's a dwarf.

 

[pamnock]

"Dwarfs" is the more commonly used plural. (Dwarves is often used in mythological context).

Pam

 

[Vetiora]

pamnock wrote:

"Dwarfs" is the more commonly used plural. (Dwarves is often used in mythological context).

Pam

Ah. I was reading either Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit ages ago andthey had a whoooole preface explaining the difference for that universebecause apparently "dwarves" and "dwarfs" existed...along with the term"elves" and "elfs". It was confusing for my poor little brain thatlikes to make everything grammatically correct. Thanks!

 

[Pygmy Fan]

I would recommend a small dog leash, which I usefor my 4 pound English.Make sure it is ajustable.Still, use it aroundthe house before taking him outside, incase he somehow slips out.Makesure it's tight, but so that you can stick two fingers in it.If he doesslip out, no other subjestions from me.

P.S. Dwarves would actually be prefered.I remember doing this is Litercy around the 5th grade:

If the 'f' is next to a vowel, just add 's'.

If the 'f' is next to a consanant, change the 'f' to 'v' and add 'es'.

 

[pamnock]

Pygmy Fan wrote:

P.S. Dwarves would actually be prefered.I remember doing this is Litercy around the 5th grade:

If the 'f' is next to a vowel, just add 's'.

If the 'f' is next to a consanant, change the 'f' to 'v' and add 'es'.

It's the exceptions to the rules that alwaysbefuddle the heckout of me! (Then of course, are the exceptions to the exceptions!)

Dwarfs is the more commonly used plural Another exceptionis gulfs (not gulves). Wharfs is another exception where the"ves" version is not as commonly used.

(For future reference,here are the correctspellings for: literacy, preferredand consonant)

Pam (Not only am I a rabbit judge, I also teach language arts, history, biology, science andmath)

 

[Vetiora]

Pygmy Fan wrote:

I would recommend a small dog leash, which I use for my 4 poundEnglish.Make sure it is ajustable.Still, use it around the house beforetaking him outside, incase he somehow slips out.Make sure it's tight,but so that you can stick two fingers in it.If he does slip out, noother subjestions from me.

Hmm, well the problem is finding a leash that size...I've been to PetCoand PetSmart a few times before looking for leashes and I can't findanything under 8 pounds (in dog or cat harnesses anyway). The smallestthing I found was an 8 pound cat harness.

I'm not even sure if Fergy is even 4 pounds. :shock: Last I took him tothe vet he was 1 pound 10 ounces (that's when he was about 6-9 weeksold...don't know his exact birth date) Perhaps I should try my humanscale?

Come here Fergy!

 

[pamnock]

We've used cat/bunny "string" leashes on our tinybunnies. They are easy to adjust and just the right size for very smallbunnies:

 

[Vetiora]

pamnock wrote:

We've used cat/bunny "string" leashes on our tiny bunnies. Theyare easy to adjust and just the right size for very small bunnies:

That's the kind I used on him at my house....Is it normal for them torun till they reach the limit of the leash? I just worry about hurtinghim, that's all

 

[pamnock]

Don't let them run on the leash. Practice first in a small enclosed area such as a bathroom.

Remember that some rabbits will perceive the leash as a "predator"constricting them (such as a snake) -- so caution must be used.

Pam

 

[Carolyn]

pamnock wrote:

"Dwarfs" is the more commonly used plural. (Dwarves is often used in mythological context).

Pam

THANKS, Doc! :dude:

I've often wondered about that as well.

* * * * * * * *

Vetiora,

Thank you for asking and a warm welcome to the forum.

-Carolyn

 

[Vetiora]

pamnock wrote:

Don't let them run on the leash. Practice first in a small enclosed area such as a bathroom.

Remember that some rabbits will perceive the leash as a "predator"constricting them (such as a snake) -- so caution must be used.

Pam

Ah, thanks! Will try! Now if I could just get him to hold still longenough (it's not like he struggles to get away, he just doesn't likebeing still for too long lest he's pooped out )