Rabbit with a small dog(poodle)

[rezter]

I need someone to take care of my rabbit for awhile but they have 2 very small dogs (poodles) Is it okay for my rabbit to be in the house? Will he be frightened by there smell? He is going to be in a separate room but I want to know if the smell/noise of the dogs will stress him out?

Thanks

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

It really depends on the rabbit and the dog. My rabbits are fine with my dogs, but my dogs don't bother them. When I have dogs over to do grooming, some are more interested in the rabbits and that can set the rabbits off a bit.

You could try getting a towel or something with the dogs scent on it so your rabbit can get used to the smell being around.

If your rabbit will be in a separate room where the dogs will not be, it should not be too much of an issue. If the dogs bark a lot, then that could bother the rabbit.

Your rabbit will be stressed anyway as it is a new and strange environment. Make sure you have some towels or blankets that are used so he has some familiar smells. The same foods, toys and cage will also help to make him feel safer.

 

[degrassi]

He might be stressed out for a while but should eventually get used to the dogs.

I have a bichon/cocker. I've never let the dog and rabbit meet outside of the cage but thats mostly because my rabbit is in my bedroom and I close the door them I let the rabbit out, no need for my dog to be in the room too. But my rabbit isn't scared of the dog, they sniff each other through the cage and dont' pay much attention to each other other wise. I remember when I first brought my rabbit home my dog was 1 year old. I introduced them slowly and corrected my dog if he got too excited around the cage. It took a few weeks but after that my dog lost interest and learned how to behave around the cage.

My rabbit "freezes" when the dog barks but it doesn't upset him.

But I'm also a dog sitter so sometimes there are strange dogs in the house. I've noticed Gimpy(my rabbit) behaves different with different dogs. Some he is really scared of, if they are too excited around him, but some he doesn't mind. If he doesn't like them he usually grunts when they come up to his cage and then starts peeing on his floor to show me he isn't happy.

So I would say, keep your rabbit in the room until he is settled in. Then introduce the dogs slowly. Let them sniff each other and just watch the dogs around the rabbit. The animals will tell you how its going.

 

[mistyjr]

My 2 small dog's dont brother my rabbits either, But sometimes a rabbit that was never around dog's, They can get stressed out.

When I first brung home a house bunny, He would run back and forth and jump. He wasnt used to them at first. But they are great buds now. They dont brother each other.

 

[rezter]

thanks

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Might be O.K. or not. Depends on how the rabbit and the dogs are. If your bunny is not skittish and the dogs are not aggressive or yappers it should be alright.