Adding a puppy to our family?

[baxterbun]

Hello. I haven’t been on here in a long time. I was Nibbles_NZ. We are getting ready to move into a much bigger house with a nice big yard. My Husband works nights and I am home alone with 3 little girls so I was thinking about getting a puppy. I just want a dog to bark to alert me if someone is around my house. I want something small but not nippy. I have read that Basset Hounds are great family pets although stubbon but I am a stay at home mom so I will be there to train it as nessessary. I was wondering about Baxter though. I know some dogs would go after a rabbit. I do have gates up so Baxter couldn’t escape from the kitchen. I was thinking a basset hound having such short legs and a heavier body may not be able to jump over a higher gate to get to a rabbit. I would also train him not to be aggressive toward Baxter. They would never have full access to eachother. I guess I am looking for opinions for people who have both dogs and rabbits. Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

                          

 

[LoveChaCha]

There are some shelters that won’t allow dogs to go home if they arent okay with bunny. I’m not sure where you are going to get doggy, but I read on some sites like bringing some fur or a rabbit toy to when you meet the dog. It is a good indicator of how the dog will react to it!

Welcome back nibbles!

[Beka27]

I think I’ve heard that bassets are one of the worst breeds to have in a home with rabbits. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.

[Sarita]

Beka, are you thinking of Beagles?

[Cheyann]

My advice, dont get a basset hound. I was so excited to get a dog and I have never had one before (well I have but when I was like 5 so I dont remember) so I didnt do much research on breeds and got a dachshund. He dug up the carpet in front of my door to try to get to the guinea pigs and rabbits. He used to jump up at the rat cage to try to get to them. He would try to get into the hamsters cage. The ferrets, rats and guinea pigs have to have floor time upstairs now. I have trained him not to try to get to the animals but it was really frustrating when he did. So its not the best desicion to get something like a basset, dachshund, terrier etc. when you have small animals.

[Tate]

Hey!
I was a dog trainer for a few years before I transferred schools. I haven’t ever dealt specifically with bunny/dog situations, but I could give you some advice.. I wouldn’t go for a basset, in fact stay away from hounds in general! They are wonderful breeds, but not appropriate because they will constantly want to get at your bun! They have been trained specifically to find small animals- rabbits, foxes, etc. It’s in their nature to do so! Most dogs will probably be quite interested in Baxter. They all have that sort of gene, but hounds have been able to retain it for longer.
A Welsh Corgi MIGHT be a good option for you… they stay small, are excellent watch dogs, and rather than wanting to “hunt”, they want to “herd”. An American Eskimo might be a good choice as well, though they shed like crazy and are extremely active.
Unfortunately, most dogs are predisposed to at the very least being curious about other inhabitants in your house. You may end up looking for something that just does the least harm.
If you are set on the idea, I would visit some shelters and consider adopting an older dogs, maybe 3-5 years of age. At this point, you can really judge the personality of the dog and whether it would be a good fit. Some dogs are just more laid back with other critters than others, despite the breed.

[BinkyBunny]

 I’m sorry I am not much help with the dog/bunny thing.  There are great examples of bunny dog scenarios and dangerous scenarios as well, I do know it has everything  to do with the dog’s personality and owner responsibility, so hopefully you will be able to get enough diverse advice that you can weigh your decision carefully. 

On another note – is there any reason you started a new account?  Would you rather use your  Nibbles_NZ account?  If so message me to let me know what you want me to do — keep this account and delete the other or ???

[LoveChaCha]

I’ve heard that working dogs, dogs that are used to herding animals, are quite good with rabbits.

[Beka27]

Posted By Sarita on 03/24/2011 02:34 PM
Beka, are you thinking of Beagles?

Haha.  Yes.  Sorry Baxterbun.  Didn’t mean to worry you.

 

Bassets… Beagles… both start with a “b”…   

[brittbritt]

If you go with a Bassett hound be prepared for the smell. My parent’s bassett Darby always has that hound smell and they have to wash her face quite often and her ears to keep her from not smelling so bad. She is a sweetheart and a very laid back and lazy dog.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’m just curious about the reason for getting a dog. Please no offense, but I think if you are getting a dog just to alert you to burglers an alarm system is better…for the dog and for you. If a burgler or anyone wants past a dog, they can get past a dog easy enough. And I think you will be disappointed and frustrated getting an animal who is just a job. Dogs are a TON of work and expense and commitment so I would highly strongly recommend not getting a dog solely for protection.

The other thing I was going to say is, depending on how old your kids are…a puppy? If your superwoman or the kids are great (I’m sure they are!! ) great but a puppy is going to add so much workload…I see so many people with young kids and a puppy or two-and just the bags under their eyes!! lol It’s a ton of work…another kid if you will.

That said, if you are an animal lover, and have time for a dog, and the burgler thing is not the only reason….Then I would highly recommend getting an adult dog. Again with the kids…I don’t think I would have patience to look after a puppy who chews EVERYTHING up and nips things for MONTHS on top of kids who are so much work…might go crazy. Add to that house training which can take MONTHS and entails high vigilence, training and a lot of cleaning up…I don’t know, potty training, bite training (i.e. don’t chew the kids) and teaching a puppy to walk on a leash, socialize with people, kids and other dogs, learn obedience…well that’s a job and a half. Add kids…Well I’d give up!!!

Ok so my point is getting a dog for protection not a good idea…. But that probably not your only reason! So getting a puppy with young kids (if your kids are young) is wowza amount of work. So I would totally say get an adult dog who is trained, doesn’t chew things, screened through a shelter (so that they are already known to be GOOD with kids), knows how to walk on a leash, knows tricks or at least commands.

[jerseygirl]

Oh, good points K&K. What about all those toilet trips you’d have to make also? Taking the pup or dog out at any hour to go potty. That could be many times when your hubby isn’t home. Don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be too keen standing outside in the dead of night why a dog mucks about and finally decides which plant it wants to pee on. lol

Regarding Bassett hounds, member mrmac just got one. Maybe PM her for more info on the breed?

[KatnipCrzy]

I think that most breeds of dogs CAN work with a rabbit- it all depends upon the dog itself.  And one of the first things to research about a breed of dog is its genetic tendencies towards medical issues- Bassets are prone to skin and ear infections and often joint issues due to their conformation- they are not generally a low maint pet- money and time wise.  So they are the perfect dog for someone- but not for everyone.

I guess I would think about what you like in a dog- and the work from there.  There will be many dogs that can’t or won’t jump a barrier that you have up.

I have Australian Shepherds- but I can honestly say- they are not for everyone.  My dogs are great with my cats, bunnies and parrot- but they are high energy and without a fenced yard I would probably have to leash walk them in order to keep them out of our neighbors yards (we live in a subdivision).  Aussies and other breeds are really smart- and they know what is and is not acceptable.  My dogs are baby gated in our bedroom when we are gone- they could jump over the gate but they don’t.  They also don’t chase our house bunnies or even do much with them other then check for tasty poo- but one of my Aussies will try to herd wild rabbits in the yard (we had to block off the access between gate and post so this could no longer happen since he was scaring them terribly).

So think about what you think you might like, look at genetic issues and also behavior tendencies.  One breed I would not recommend with cats or bunnies is Huskies are they are notorious small animal killers- but not all Huskies will be like that and a Husky mix might never show that tendency.  Just continue to do your homework to try to eliminate any heartbreak- having to choose between the pets or having behaviors that you can’t tolerate.

[Ashley&Bing]

My very first rabbit was killed my my very first dog. I grew up with both of them and it was traumatizing when it happened. Now I don’t even let my parents cats near my Bing, let alone their dog, who is a chihuahua/doxen mix. If you do want to get a dog, I think the smaller the better. The smallest breeds can be really aggressive, but I think if you get like a Shih-tzu it might work? And I don’t claim to know a lot about dogs, but I agree with the others–hounds will not work. Just my two cents.

Oh, and I didn’t mean to be blunt about Logical’s death! (my first rabbit) But every time someone asks me if I’d get a dog while I had Bing, I always think of that first. I just never want it to happen to anyone else.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I think that most breeds of dogs CAN work with a rabbit- it all depends upon the dog itself

I’ll wholeheartedly ditto that. It’s the individual, however prudent to steer clear of breeds that were bred to hunt rabbits I think. My dog has a very very strong prey drive and it took a ton of work (I can’t emphasize enough that if I had kids I don’t know how I’d fit it in!!) he accepts them as family and is fine with them. No I wouldn’t let him and them loose all day with no supervision but I certainly trust him with them now. That was months of work though!

Breeds off the top of my head that have low prey drive, are forgiving training wise and easy going- are bassets, sight hounds (like a Borzoi), golden retriever, english bulldog (seriously you’ll never get them excited about anything!) or a whippet/greyhound -they are actually VERY calm dogs and love the couch. Getting a retired greyhound through a rescue group is a fantasic way of getting one of these sweet dogs.

I’d steer clear of terriers-well for anyone who isn’t a dog trainer and an exercise freak, I’d steer clear of terriers But definitely these are digging/hunting little guys and you’ll have your work cut out for you with one of them!

[LizzyBunny]

I have a 9 year old Shih-tzu/poodle and he loves thumper They both follow each other everywhere and sniff each other, then again when got thumper when he was 8 but he has always been very active and puppyish.

On the other hand I have a female Chihuahua who HATES thumper. I never let them near each other because every time they are, the chihuahua goes nuts growling at her and can’t stand being in the same room as her. That is why my bun has the top floor of my house to herself

Good luck with your search

[Sucre&I]

Keep in mind a puppy is a lot of work and it can get VERY frustrating. We are helping our roommates make it through puppy stage with theirs right now. We adopted a yorkie/schnauzer mix when he was a puppy(he is a year and a half now). Him and Sucre (our bun) grew up together and do very well together. Our roommates have a 3 month old Husky puppy. Getting him used to the bunny has been more of a challenge. So far with the husky puppy we have taught him to completely say out of a room the bunny is in. He knows if he gets too close to bunny he is in trouble. Patience in my opinion is the biggest thing in getting a dog used to living with a rabbit.
If you do decide to get a dog I would suggest taking him to a trainer, no matter what breed or age you decide to get. A good trainer can be a miracle worker.

[Kate Monster]

My advice for anyone planning to get a pet when they have others at home is pretty much always the same. Go to a responsible local shelter, tell them that you have a rabbit that you want to make sure will be safe and that you are looking for a dog that would bark at an intruder, and then meet all of the dogs (and I would say go with an adult, it’s hard to judge the personality of a puppy, plus, no potty training!) they say would appropriately fit your needs. It very well might take a little while and you might have to visit a few shelters, but I think it’s worth it to make sure that you adopt the right dog for your family. Because of the nature of dog breeding I would say that dogs have more common breed personality traits than rabbits, but it’s by no means 100%, so I wouldn’t rely on that alone. For example, when I was a kid my dad had an english setter that he bred, 11 puppies! And this was a purebred setter, a line of champion bird dogs bred for years and years to point at birds. And probably 9 of the puppies showed strong instincts that way, they ran around the yard pointing song birds and butterflies, but two of them lacked any and all instincts to point and just chased the other puppies or slept in the sun, but they are probably very nice family pets. Good luck, and if you decide to do it, let us know how it goes!

[baxterbun]

Wow! Lots of responses. Sorry I didn’t respond to any of them. My computer went down right after. I didn’t just want the dog for an alarm. I think bassets are cute! But so are a lot of other animals I should not get! Lol. I am not getting a dig. I am a bunny person. I did get another bun though!

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