as good as it will get ? (rabbit/dog)

[justageek]

Before we got our dog i asked on a popular rabbit forum if dogs and rabbits can ever get on, i got loads of good advice and the geneal consensus was that some do, some just dont, you have to try it and see.

So we choose our 8 month old, as we thought young enough to train and get used to the rabbit, but not young enough to have no control over and harass the rabbit to death

I should say the rabbit is a house rabbit. However on SMELL of the dog, when she first entered the house, the rabbit shot into his hidey hole in his cage and that was it for two days, he wouldnt come out, eat or anything. He is used to being let out all day long, only being shut in his cage overnight.

Its got better and now he comes out in the day in his cage and they even had a sniff at each other last night, but i know in my heart of hearts that the rabbit will never be able to have as much freedom as he used to have, even with the dog trained to leave, i think it might present too much of temptation, especially with two toddlers and maybe not being in the room all the time.

A friend of mine, whom is a bachelor, has his own flat, has offered to have him, saying he will be able to be lord of the manor, have total run of his flat, no other pets.

What would you do? I adore my rabbit, he was the first rabbit i ever owned, a rescue rabbit at one year, so full of character. I would still be able to go and see him, but i will miss him very much. Would you rehome, or keep hoping as time goes on, things might improve with the dog?

I'd train the dog - rabbit will get used to it

My sister had a rabbit, lived at home with mum's Golden Retreiver; they used to snuggle up to sleep together. My sister then got a hamster that used to hitch a ride on the dog's back

What dog is it? Have you just let them be; the rabbit will get used to it being around and sniffing - it will soon realise that it's JUST sniffing

It depends on the breed of dog. When I first brought our rescue dog (Patterdale terrier) home, she was obsessed by our guinea pigs. With lots of patient training, she got used to them and now pretty much ignores them.

I appreciate that your situation is different, but most dogs can be trained. Having said that, I would never leave a dog on its own in the same room (or in the garden) with a small furry creature - the temptation could prove too great.

thats my worry subrosa, i think Oats is a staffie cross of some kind, but she is also very obediant, i think she could be trained, but my worry is that i may get distracted one day with one of my toddlers and the rabbit comes a cropper. I couldnt bear that

i will have to think it through some more. She did actually get access to the rabbit once, when my toddler opened the rabbit cage (i had no idea she knew how to do it) and i came into the room just as oats make a run at the rabbit, i shouted LEAVE and she did, when she could have killed him then and there. It just showed me what might be, if i keep the rabbit and hope the dog will learn to leave.

my mum had a house rabbit,dog,parrot and budgie who all got on really well but just luck i suppose.personally if it was me,it would be the dog that was rehomed.

i didnt say i would keep him mutt, just that what subrosa said was my worry, despite the fact she left the rabbit. I dont know i think i will be letting the rabbit go. Whilst he was here first, the dog makes the better pet for the kids, they never really liked the rabbit but adore the dog. The fact that i will still be able to visit him and know he is in a nice home will mean a lot.

well my rabbit has been out of his cage for two hours, and the dog has shown curiousity but responding to my commands to leave it. No quivering thats a dead giveaway that a dog wants to pounce on something...i have high hopes that they just might get on! The rabbit is certainly curious about the dog, but not plucked up the courage to have a closer look yet.

Even the cats are in tonight, sat on the windowsill!

Nice one, Justageek, thankfully the dog is listening. All the best

well all last night the rabbit was out and the dog left well alone, so we will be trying again in the evening. I wil be happy to keep the rabbit as long as it can come out for a good few hours in the evening, instead of being caged up all day.

The dog however is in the dog house, she jumped up on my bed last night and pee'd all over it. grrr.

how are you dealing with that? Take her back to the bed once every hour - show her it (grab her if you need to) and yell "NO! NO! NO!" (think child plus motorway)

Ignore her the rest of the day, other than those once-an-hour visits

She'll get the message and never do it again!

i think it was excitement, but i dealt with it by showing her it, shouting NO NO, then horsing her out the house for half an hour. She hates being left so howled the place down.

I dont know if i can call her house trained really, she doesnt have accidents often because she is out in the garden most of the time, but in the house, she never goes to the door to want out to do one...perhaps that will come in time.

no i said she tries to mutt lol, but gets sent to her bed which is a bootom half of a rabbit cage with a little child duvet in it. She sleeps there. Even if i was to let her, my huby most certainly wouldnt, its bad enough sharing a bed with a verging on heavily pregnant woman!

sorry about the appalling spelling