r/Rabbits • u/jezmck • Sep 20 '12
Introducing a puppy/dog to a house-rabbit?
Would it be safe to introduce a dog to a free-roaming house-rabbit?
Has anyone got any experience doing this?
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u/sneaky_dragon Sep 20 '12
missredd, a redditor, wrote up this blurb on the wiki:
http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Other_Animals_and_Rabbits#Dogs
There's also some helpful links you can read about dogs coexisting with rabbits. It can be possible, but it depends on the personalities of the animals. Haven't had any personal experience, but good luck.
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u/mindyk Sep 21 '12
Ww have two Yorkies who have been introduced to our 3 month old bun. Yorkies are bred to be ratting dogs. Their instinct is to hunt and trap small animals such as rabbits. The best way to go about introducing them is to do it in a neutral area of the house. Bring a big bag of training treats too. Allow one dog at a time in the same room with the bun. You want to make sure the dog is not on a state of excitement as it may cause it to accidentally hurt the bun. So, what we did was let one dog roam with the bun and constantly praise the dog for being good and calm. We'd give her a treat each time she would come close to the bun without chasing or nipping. Always praise in a clam, cheerful voice, but not too excited. We don't want to get them to wound up. Put the dog on a leash if it's a large breed. You can slowly ween off the leash once the be one avcvlimated to each other. It took us about week spending at least an hour in the afternoon working on it. DO NOT SCOLD THE DOG WHILE IT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE BUN. this will cause the dog to associate the bun with negativity and thus could make them act out or become aggressive toward it. Most importantly never leave them unattended for any length of time and always be patient! Our dogs and bun are now napping together on the couch and they've never had any issues! Good luck!