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Forum THE LOUNGE Bunny and Dog?

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    • Isabelle
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        Hey everyone Well I now find myself in a position to be in need of an ESA service dog most likely at some point in the probable near future. So my basic question is this: can a rabbit and a dog live together positively? I really need honest and open opinions here especially for someone who has been in a situation of having both.

        Let me expand a bit. Dutchess is now 4 years old, she is in perfect health and happily runs around the majority of our house for 12-14 hours most every day of the week. She is the Dutch breed and weighs four pounds. I got her at 4 months, she has been a solo pet with me, before I believe she lived with another bunny and a cat, I’m not sure if they also had a dog or not.

        Now my ESA could be any breed of dog technically, it would be fully trained by myself and a trainer. I would get it as a puppy, it would be taught all the basics commands as well as service training for my needs. In this training it would be learning to stay calm and ignore and/or let be any animals it would encounter while out with me, no excessive barking or running after other animals or anything.

        Is this scenario possible with a bunny? Has anyone ever had a bun and a dog that were able to be together? Keep in mind that some of the time Dutchess is elsewhere in the house that I am by her own fancy little choices (little princess), my ESA dog would be with me pretty much 24/7 giving me support. So in theory interactions between them would not be unsupervised, though most days would probably be all three of us together in the same area.

        Now for a last note, I absolutely would NEVER give up Dutchess under any circumstances. She is my baby and I will have her for her entire life, there is no question on that. I would not want to have to restrict her back to her condo for most of the day or diminish her quality of life while having a dog. If a dog and bun just would not get along, I would forgo the ESA dog until after Dutchess crossed the bridge (OMG TEARS!!!  My baby I want her forever.)

        I could really use some advice here, I’m struggling with trying to make a choice. I wouldn’t have to get the ESA dog immediately, it might even be a few years before I could, but I’m asking now to learn as much as I can. I do not want to jump into anything.


      • Sarita
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          I would imagine if you have a Service Dog they will be trained very well and I would probably recommend that you tell the trainer about Dutchess so that they can train the dog in this particular situation (having a rabbit) especially since you will both be training the dog. I imagine the training for the dog must be very rigorous and specific to your situation too.


        • bunnytowne
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            I agree with Sarita.   

            Also there are households that have dogs cats and bunnies living together that get along.   

            I only have a bunny I cannot offer any advice from experience.  Tho Sarita makes good points as far as telling the trainer and you both working with the dog to get along with the bunny.  It should work out.  Being the dog will be a working dog. It will have to go thru rigorous training and be taught not to chase things etc. 


          • HECA
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              You should be fine. Your bun will be taken into consideration with the training. My dog and bun got along great… My only problem was that the dog would want to play with my bun and the dog was a husky mix, so good sized, and a pup yet. I kept them apart just for the fact that I didn’t want the dog to trample my bun on accident. Though I let them snuggle through the screen, which they did all the time.
              So… My only advice would be to take size into consideration. I would suggest no larger than a medium sized dog, and I wouldn’t get a herding breed, or the dog may instinctively want to herd your bun.


            • manic_muncher
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                You will be surprised to see just how well they get along. Being trained as a service dog and learning about you and rabbits together will pretty much ensure bunny safety. Bumpy has the run of the house about 20hrs a day. I’m only down to 2 little dogs right now, but sometimes Outlaw does get a wild hair up his butt and wants to play with Bumpy. Except his idea of playing is what he does with Bandit, and that’s growling, lunging, and barking at each other. I’m always there and give a gentle reminder “easy” and he calms down.

                I have to mention that Bumpy doesn’t care either way. If there is sudden movement, he might squat, push his ears forward listening intently, or even may look for a hiding spot. I have his favorite box he used to sleep in away in a corner and a crinkly tube strategically placed so he can easily go from one to the other, but they are spread around so he can get to both easily. He rarely goes in them at all now, so he basically sleeps in his cage (with the door open) or on the carpet beside one of the dogs. Whenever the dogs are running around me, Bumpy is right there too. I think he might think that he’s a dog. I really think he has no idea that he’s different from them.


              • Isabelle
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                  Thanks guys this is making me feel better Yes the dog would go through quite extensive training, and I would get it probably as soon as it could leave it’s mother, so it would grow up being around Dutchess, and boy would I be diligent about manners around the bun! I would go for a purebred (I know shelter dogs can be great) however so that I could base the breed as best I can against living with a bunny as well suitable for being an ESA. And at first bun would probably be bigger than the puppy. I would absolutely be getting a smaller breed so that Dutchess wouldn’t feel dwarfed. I’m working with a friend who is training her own service dog and she is like a dog expert so we’re thinking of potential breeds in that regard. I was perhaps loosely considering a Yorkshire terrier, I’ll do some more research, and they only weigh like 4-5 pounds and are hypoallergenic.


                • MoxieMeadows
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                    I just had to reply to this thread!

                    Your service dog would be trained very well, and from a puppy, so you would be able to train your dog and bun to get along.

                    I think I might have seen a photo of AndHenry’s Henry and a dog laying together(might of been another person)?

                    Anyway, it is possible. Good Luck! I hope everything works out!

                     

                    NOTE——– When choosing the breed of dog, for the best chances of them getting along, DO NOT CHOOSE A DOG WITH HIGH PREY DRIVE!!!!!! (Had to add that)


                  • HECA
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                      I don’t know your reason for getting a service dog, but I just wanted to throw some info out there that may help you.
                      Yorkshires have a great temperament, although they do require more bathing, as their fur will get oily, and they start to smell.
                      Shih tzus are a great bread as well… They don’t shed though they require a lot of grooming. They are also VERY smart.
                      Poodles are a very smart breed as well… And non shedding. Though again… Grooming.

                      Again… I don’t know what your situation is. One can always send them to the groomer. Though count on that expense every 4-6 weeks.
                      I wouldn’t recommend a puppy that the breeder has paper trained. That’s a HARD habit to break… Unless you want to use that form of pottying at home.


                    • Deleted User
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                        Hi Isabelle! Henry (bunny) was welcomed into our family a year ago, and our family also consists of 3 house dog’s. They were all bonded within the week and everyone including Henry is free roam 24/7. Even though Henry has his own house, it doesn’t even have a door on it. We are a little different to manic – where her Outlaw (Shih Tzu) wants to play with Bumpy, our Henry ‘wants’ to play with our Frank (Shih Tzu) and the other dog’s, but they have little interest in him, and I think (?) that’s cause our dog’s are older (the youngest being 9)? So I can assure you bunnies and dog’s do and can live happily together. My only concern (and I’m not experienced) is the puppy stage where they can get overly excited and rough with playing – but I agree, if your puppy is going to be specifically trained, I too doubt this will be an issue? Another BBer who’s dog interacts freely with her bun’s is bam, and her dog is a large breed. My dog’s are Lhasa Apso x Maltese (Sam pictured above), Toy poodle x Maltese and Frank is Shih Tzu x Maltese – all smallish breeds cause we need room to fit everyone in our bed, LOL!
                        And Moxie was right, ha hah…. nearly every pic I post of Henry has one of the dog’s with him! It’s hard to get one of him without a dog.
                        I get what HECA is saying about dog grooming – my dog’s go to the groomer’s approx. 3-4 x’s a year, more than I get my hair done! Dam pets! LOL! Wishing you all the best Isabelle – cheers.

                        Edit to ADD – manic, if Henry ever saw himself in the mirror he’d say “what’s that”?????


                      • KytKattin
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                          Everyone else pretty much has the whole dog/bunny thing covered, but I want to address something else. If you are living in the US, this is what I know about service animals as I have done extensive research on them as I was looking into one at one point. What it sounds like you are needing is a psychiatric service dog, not an ESA. To prevent access issues, never refer to a service animal as an emotional support animal. Any animal of any species can be an ESA, and they need absolutely no training beyond what would be expected for a normal pet. The only privileges an ESA are given are the ability to live in what would be non pet housing (or pet friendly housing with no deposit) and to fly in the cabin of an airplane. Someone who knows their laws or rights as a business will be able to refuse any ESA, and are perfectly in their rights to do so. An ESA must be recommend by a licensed health professional.
                          A psychiatric service dog is for all intents and purposes just a service dog and should be referred to as such. The only difference is that unlike a service dog that has been trained to assist someone with a physical disability, you do need to be under the care of a licensed mental health professional and have them recommend one. This should basically be a note that your doctor writes in support of you having one. This is not something you should laminate and carry around, but it will protect you in the future if you had to go to court to defend your right to have a service animal, or if you were denied access to a business and wanted to pursue the issue legally. You should also keep all receipts for training, take as many certification tests as you can (CGC is the only one I can think of at the moment, but there are more), and basically document as many ways as possible that your dog has been well trained. I have seen supposed service dogs get in fights with each other, and at the very least you want to show that your having a dog is valid, but it would also help you be reimbursed if someone pretending to have a service dog caused injury to yours.

                          If you know all of this, great! Maybe it will help someone else in the future who comes across this board. I am just really passionate about service dogs for people, and I want to make sure that people who have them an need them are as protected as possible. I worry a lot that the laws will change as more and more people take fake service dogs out that give the real ones a bad name, so doing what you can now to make sure everything you do is documented will help protect you.

                          For breed, I personally suggest a smaller breed if you are not looking for a dog that can physically lead you away from a situation. Smaller dogs tend to live longer (many of the Chihuahuas in my family live to 16-20 years) so they potentially could have more working years, and can easily sit in your lap if you happen to be in a crowded place. They also would be easier to raise around a rabbit during that playful puppy stage. A playful smack from a 10 lb dog is a lot less than one from a 40 lb one. They also eat a lot less, which is helpful if you have to buy expensive food due to allergies, or you just want to feed a better quality food. That being said, some people simply won’t believe a dog that small is a service dog, which could create access issues, though so could having a dog too large. They might also draw more attention, or rude comments (“hey, look at the little rat”) though I have seen people bother those with service dogs of any size. They are definitely significantly more fragile though. You have to make sure your yard is well secured. Basically, there is a lot to consider, so take your time and visit with lots of dogs!


                        • Isabelle
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                            Thanks everyone, taking everything in still. I’m just looking into a lot of the terminology and such, and I am finding more specific terms for different service dogs, so you are right I would not be getting an ESA it would be a type of psychiatric service dog. I don’t mind saying that I’ve been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, panic attacks, PTSD, and depression, and we haven’t fully covered everything yet but I show a bit of generalized anxiety disorder as well and I’m unfortunately sinking into a bit of agoraphobia, which we don’t want. So not sure exactly how deeply each of these goes and what definitive they want to call me, or officially diagnose me yet, but the basis is anxiety, especially in public, and I can only work about 10 hours per week at this point and have only been in a store twice in the last 6 months with much difficulty.

                            Since my mom unfortunately has to foot the short end and come with me everywhere all the time and go shopping for me, I definitely feel as my therapist does that a service dog may increase my independence and stability while going in public. As I said originally I am still just looking into this now, and my mom doesn’t really like dogs and I’m not able to move out at the moment, so odds are I won’t be able to get one for at least a year or so, but I wanted to learn as much as I could and even see if its possible at this point. I know it will be expensive training wise, so I need to figure out somehow to save up that money too.

                            I don’t mind dog grooming . . since I bunny groom. . . frequently XD My vet clinic says I have the cleanest bunny they have in clientele, I brush her and clean her beds and boxes and all that stuff so she stays all nice and pretty white and chocolate brown. Not even a tinge of yellow urine stain one a single paw! So care wise I doubt I’ll have problems, I think it’s more on the lines of getting parents around to the idea and actually completing the training and certification that I’m mostly in roadblocks with. But I wanted to make sure dogs and buns were actually compatible, since I’ve heard lots of bad things can happen, and I realize some articles want to scare to daylights out of us but in reality things can go smoothly. So I’ll keep researching all of this and hopefully get to a good spot


                          • manic_muncher
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                              Shih tzu. That’s the breed you want. Seriously.


                            • KytKattin
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                                Best of luck to you! I have suffered from severe depression, which is when I was looking into training a service dog for myself. For me, it was caused by an extreme hormone imbalance due to a thyroidectomy/thyroid cancer and thankfully fixed itself for the most part once my medication started working. Though I only started working just a few days ago, after taking 5+ years to build up the courage to start work, so only now do I consider myself functioning. From people I know that have trained their own dogs, most feel comfortable calling them trained after about 1-2 years depending on the breed and dog (different maturity rates and trained tasks). Depending on the reason for training as well, I have seen people become much more confident in their own abilities while/after training a dog.

                                If you decide to go with a smaller breed, make sure you always use a harness while out walking, not a collar. While your pup should be (eventually) well trained enough not to pull, during training you want to protect their delicate trachea. It also lets you safely lift your dog up in an emergency. Collars can be worn for identification purposes.

                                You should use this time to research trainers in your area. I know back in my home town, my local SPCA has some truly wonderful trainers that would be able to help with everything from picking out a dog (from a shelter or not) to working on training specific tasks. Even if you decide to do the majority of the training yourself, having someone who is knowledgeable about dogs might help you pick out a dog that is best suited for service work. They might see things you wouldn’t, such as a dog that is going to be nervous, or too aggressive. If you have the help of an experienced trainer, do not be afraid of getting a dog that is already 1-2 years old if they suggest it. The dog will be mentally more mature, and are often given up due to outside factors (moving to a no pets apartment), or because they basically need a job, which you are offering. Going through your SPCA should also help to guarantee that you will find an ethical, positive reinforcement trainer instead of someone who uses damaging training methods. If you are able, talk with them, ask to sit in on any training classes they teach, and try to build a relationship with them.

                                I really love the clicker training methods shown by Kikopup on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup
                                Somewhere in there she had a training video on how to use her methods even if you are not using a clicker.

                                Sorry this is so long, I hope you can find something useful in all my blabbering. I hope you feel better and get to a good spot soon!


                              • MoxieMeadows
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                                  Breeds I would recommend for your purpose:

                                  Poodle(any size)

                                  Shih tzu

                                  Mini Dachshund/ Standard Dachshund (Well trained as some do show a prey drive)

                                  Collie

                                  Irish/ English setter

                                  Lab/retriever

                                  Breeds I would not recommend for your purpose:

                                  Husky(I own one, so I’d know )


                                • Elrohwen
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                                    It’s possible, but a lot depends on the dog’s temperament, IME. A dog who is very high prey drive and very active is going to have a hard time ever being safe with a rabbit, at least for the first couple years. My dog is like this and he’s fine with them on the other side of a gate (he’s not trying to leap over and kill them) but he’s way too active and impulsive to be allowed loose with them in a room. I don’t think he would intend to hurt them, but he would be too rough. I do a lot of training with him (he’s in twice weekly training classes for various things, we work at home, etc) but he’s still young and active and this stuff doesn’t happen overnight.

                                    A low key dog with low prey drive and some natural impulse control could fit in with a rabbit right away without too much training.

                                     ETA: I know a few service dog owners who have trained their own dogs and I want to warn you that service dogs are often born, not made. It’s extremely hard to pick a puppy for a SD prospect and many wash out. You have to be prepared that you might put two years of training into the dog and find it’s not suitable and have to start over. It would be much better to get an older dog, about 1-2 years. Many time breeders will have slightly older dogs available who didn’t work out as a show prospect for one reason or another and could make sure the temperament is what you’re looking for.


                                  • MoxieMeadows
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                                      Maybe a pug would be suitable too…


                                    • KytKattin
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                                        Posted By MoxieMeadows on 5/15/2014 2:04 PM

                                        Maybe a pug would be suitable too…

                                        Unless she lives somewhere cool, any dog that is born with the potential for Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome, basically any short nosed breed, is probably not ideal for service work.  If you are relying on a dog you want them to be as physically able as possible.


                                      • MoxieMeadows
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                                          I wasn’t really thinking about that… I forgot about all their health issues.


                                        • MoxieMeadows
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                                            (but I did say “maybe”)


                                          • KytKattin
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                                              Posted By MoxieMeadows on 5/15/2014 5:20 PM

                                              (but I did say “maybe”)

                                              I know.   I just felt like I should point it out since it is one of the dog breeds that sufferers from it at a more extreme level. I mean, even Shih Tzu and Chihuahuas can have it, but pugs and English bulldogs probably have it worse than just about any other breed I can think of! Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, and Von Willebrand disease are all things that good breeders will try to avoid or prevent, but you can’t fix the breathing problems if you are breeding for what the standards have been warped into.


                                            • MoxieMeadows
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                                                Oh I know, It’s mostly because of their smushed in faces.

                                                But they are cute!


                                              • Isabelle
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                                                  Thanks everyone I’m reading all your comments carefully for sure

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                                              Forum THE LOUNGE Bunny and Dog?