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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get a rabbit when I have a dog?

113 replies

Bunnyanddog · 23/04/2022 16:51

NC as it’s fairly clear who I am if anyone knows me. We have a working cocker spaniel who has been castrated and is 5. He’s playful and completely non aggressive. I would like to get a rabbit, I’m just conscious that they can have heart attacks out of fear and I think it would be nice to let the rabbit free in the garden when we are out there, just want to know if anyone else has a rabbit and a dog and what type of dog/how to introduce and if it works?

we had many, many rabbits going up but our house had 2 separate gardens so the dogs (jack Russells) never mixed with them and anyway it’s quite different owning a pet as an adult who has all the responsibility, as opposed to a child who has all the fun 😃

OP posts:
Stompythedinosaur · 23/04/2022 18:25

I had rabbits alongside a dog once, but it was tricky to manage. We had indoor rabbits that had their own bedroom to live in, and the dog was kept away from, and then there was an outdoor shed and run for them, but we only used it when the dog was elsewhere (dog goes to work with dp so this was feasible for us). Tbh it was a faff and was a situation we managed due to necessity of ending up responsible for the animals, and not a situation I would have chosen.

My guinea pigs and rats are in no way bothered by the dog.

CorsicaDreaming · 23/04/2022 18:26

Bunnyanddog · 23/04/2022 18:18

@CorsicaDreaming

i Meant “nice” from my point of view eg non aggressive. I’ve said several times already and CBA repeating as you’re either ignoring or not reading that I’m fully aware that would terrify a rabbit

Okay I hear you, and will leave it now, but cannot really see why you are still considering getting one to mix with a dog, then...

OakRowan · 23/04/2022 18:31

I haven't put words in your mouth, you've given all the information, your dog chased and captured a squirrel, your dog won't know the difference between that and a rabbit, it was having fun and would repeat it now it has happened. You have that knowledge and that should inform your decision, cruel to wait and see if it would happen again. Yes being boisterous and playful around a pet rabbit could harm them, just proximity with the wrong dog and the wrong rabbit. I've seen dogs run/jump over stationary trying to hide rabbits frozen with fear, chasing another, they cannot move, you can step over them as people too because of it. Dont risk it.

Original poster
Bunnyanddog · 23/04/2022 18:31

@Stompythedinosaur

faff is also not something I need (on top of general pet faff I mean!)

@SupposeItDoesnt

i know I have but good to
get a few opinions!

OP posts:
SupposeItDoesnt · 23/04/2022 18:36

No decent vet will have a different opinion to me. If he says “yes go for it!” then you need to rethink your vet. Many vets are not familiar with the needs of rabbits sadly. I have a high case load of “exotics” which includes rabbits (not that it should - I really feel that rabbits should be better cared for by vets generally)

Fireblanket · 23/04/2022 18:37

I only have two (elderly) rabbits, but I would advise against it, as much as you may want to get rabbits. As other, more qualified, posters have said, mixing prey and predator animals just isn't worth the risk, imo.

Flopbopandpop · 23/04/2022 18:41

SupposeItDoesnt · 23/04/2022 18:36

No decent vet will have a different opinion to me. If he says “yes go for it!” then you need to rethink your vet. Many vets are not familiar with the needs of rabbits sadly. I have a high case load of “exotics” which includes rabbits (not that it should - I really feel that rabbits should be better cared for by vets generally)

This x100, I have literally lost count of how many vets I have been to before I actually found on that understood rabbits and actually cared. Its pretty shocking when I knew what vaccinations to give my rabbits and some vets were not even aware, I had to insist they ordered them in.

Original poster
Bunnyanddog · 23/04/2022 18:42

Many vets are not familiar with the needs of rabbits sadly. I have a high case load of “exotics” which includes rabbits (not that it should - I really feel that rabbits should be better cared for by vets generally)

very eye opening

OP posts:
Razbitso · 23/04/2022 18:47

The vet and other posters are right but it’s like everything else there can be exceptions. I have giant breed bunnies - 4 in two sets of bonded pairs and they live mostly indoors. They live with my three dogs. They are a mix of rescues and with one pup and two are gun dogs while the other is a lurcher. The rabbits aren’t phased at all. They will sit in the dog beds, charge at them to get to a treat first but will also lie next to them and sometimes groom them. What I can’t do is mix my two bonded pairs - that would cause a problem!

obviously introductions have to be done slowly and carefully and different rabbits could be more highly strung. If you do try I would go for a continental pair. Mine positively liked our old cat too even though she ruled above all and was quite a grump.

AlexanderTheGreat · 23/04/2022 18:49

OakRowan · 23/04/2022 18:10

Of course that could kill a rabbit, do you think they can tell the difference?

Show quote history

Maybe OP can just explain to the rabbit that her dog doesn’t have a strong prey drive and is only playing. That should be enough to overcome millions of years of evolution 😭

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 23/04/2022 18:58

the pet shop man said he would definitely not get two rabbits due to fighting etc but if the rabbit got lonely would get a companion Guinea pig

What utter uter Shite and really bad advice that goes against ALL advice , a quick Google search will tell you .
I would stay well away from any PetShop seller who is peddling this outdated and dangerous information.

Guinea-Pigs and rabbits have different food needs
A Rabbit can kill a guinea pig by kicking it , bonking it or bullying it
They can also carry a respiratory virus that can Kill a guinea pig.

I would walk away from this seller and pity the poor guineas who end up in this environment due to his awful advice .

WestminsterCrabby · 23/04/2022 18:58

I have a working cocker too, and funnily enough DH and I were having a similar conversation the other day (although were thinking what we would say if DD asks for a small furry pet in future).

I think it would be a no for me - while I don't think my dog would be aggressive or try to kill a rabbit, he would definitely want to investigate/chase/pick it up and carry it which would be traumatic for it. It's just their instinct. And I don't even think keeping them separate would work for our dog - he would know it was out there and it would drive him wild which wouldn't be fair on him.

I think spaniels and small furries are best kept apart although I appreciate their are probably exceptions!

Original poster
Bunnyanddog · 23/04/2022 19:00

@70isaLimitNotaTarget

I didn’t know any of that - thank you for sharing!

OP posts:
winterchills · 23/04/2022 19:02

@Bunnyanddog my first dog was a chihuahua and they are lion head rabbits so only a little bit smaller than him and my current dog is also a chihuahua so maybe size is relevant actually.
I think they would both be terrified of a big dog.

Original poster
Bunnyanddog · 23/04/2022 19:02

@winterchills

if I were a chihuahua I would be scared of a rabbit 😃

OP posts:
fairylightsandwaxmelts · 23/04/2022 19:03

A lot of posters are describing rabbits and dogs getting on fine, but the body language and behaviour they're describing is actually the complete opposite of "fine."

I mean, someone described their dog chasing the rabbit, the rabbit "freezing" and the rabbit chasing the dog as being "fine" and them "getting on great".

ALL those behaviours are signs of fear in rabbits. Rabbits run from prey, they freeze when they're frightened and they can and do fight back and try and chase their predators away.

It scares me that people are describing behaviour like that and saying it's okay. It would take one error and you would have a dead rabbit and likely some very traumatised children. Hell, I would be traumatised if I saw one of my pets kill another in front of me!

monkeysox · 23/04/2022 19:05

Also adopt don't shop. There are loads of bonded pairs in rescues.

Dartsplayer · 23/04/2022 19:13

Bunnyanddog · 23/04/2022 17:22

@redpeppersoup

thank you for the link. I am interested by everyone saying they should be kept in pairs as again the pet shop man said he would definitely not get two rabbits due to fighting etc but if the rabbit got lonely would get a companion Guinea pig

That pet shop man really doesn't know what he's talking about. Rabbits should be kept in pairs as they are sociable animals and humans can't give them everything they need from handling them, this can only come from another rabbit. Also rabbits bully Guinea pigs so you shouldn't keep those together either. We have 2 rabbits that are 6 years old. We would love a dog but for all the reasons above we are going to wait until the rabbits pass

Barkingmadhouse · 23/04/2022 19:27

I have 2 working dogs and rabbits. They will attempt to chase wild rabbits, however, they could not be any better with our pet rabbits. They have all been laid in the sun together today and get excited to meet in the garden (they are outdoor rabbits) . Rabbits were introduced wheb dogs were 3 yrs so not puppies.

fuzzwuss · 23/04/2022 19:32

The pet shop man sounds completely incompetent. If he has had the shop for so long, perhaps he is not aware of the advice nowadays, that keeping rabbits alone is considered cruel, and a guinea pig is not a rabbit, so doesn't count as company for the rabbit. Bizarre that he would recommend this.

Original poster
Bunnyanddog · 23/04/2022 19:33

@Barkingmadhouse

what type of rabbits do you have and how did you introduce in garden

OP posts:
Original poster
Bunnyanddog · 23/04/2022 19:33

@fuzzwuss

i absolutely swear that’s what he said!

OP posts:
GetThatHelmetOn · 23/04/2022 19:55

I thought it was Guinea pigs that needed to be in pairs. The fields around me are full of rabbits but you only see them in groups when they are young, once grown up they are mostly always on their own.

Walkingalot · 23/04/2022 19:57

I've had pet rats and cats with my dog. He accepts them as part of our family. I was concerned initially as he chases anything that comes into our garden. The rats and kittens didn't know to fear him so they were cool around him, crawled on him etc. Lots of close supervision in the early days and you'll know when the time is right to just trust them to all get along.

Libertybear80 · 23/04/2022 20:02

B