Experiences with getting a puppy when you already have a rabbit?

[Pennybuns_mom]

Hi everyone! I’ve been lurking on here since adopting my bun, Penny, about a year and a half ago, and it’s been super helpful for me as a first time bunny mom.

I’m starting to consider getting a puppy sometime within the next year.  Specifically, I’m looking at schnoodle (schnauzer x poodle) puppies and have put down a deposit to add myself to a nearby breeder’s waiting list, though I have few qualms about losing that deposit if things aren’t going to work out.

I know that bunnies and dogs aren’t exactly natural best friends and I was wondering about others’ experiences bringing a dog into a home that already has a rabbit or rabbits.

A couple things about my particular situation – I live in an apartment. Because it’s carpeted and Penny would absolutely eat the carpet if given a chance, she lives in a very large playpen in a part of the apartment that could easily be sectioned off using a baby gate. There would be a significant buffer zone between the gate and her pen as well. As I plan to crate train the dog and have him sleep in my room at night with the door closed, he wouldn’t be unsupervised on his side of the gate. 

I’m concerned more about Penny smelling, seeing, or hearing him and getting scared than the dog actually getting to her. If it helps, I did adopt Penny from the local SPCA, where she lived in a cage in a noisy lobby with dogs and cats around all the time and was relatively fine.

[DanaNM]

I don’t personally have experiences with this, but one of my bunnies was a craiglist rescue from someone who rescued a puppy and it wasn’t working out. The previous owner realized it wasn’t fair to always have to have one or the other in a crate.

I also have a friend of a friend who’s dog was “playing” with her bunny and gave it a heart attack just by frightening it.

So yeah… I don’t personally have great thoughts about dogs and bunnies… But I know it’s possible and some members here have very calm dogs and it works out. I would be concerned with a puppy though. The success stories I know are all adult dogs, which are very calm around small animals.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Pennybuns_mom]

Thanks for your insight!

I do want to reiterate – in general, not specifically in response to you – that Penny isn’t and has never been (at least since I adopted her) a free range bunny, but instead lives in a large playpen. I realize there is a chance, of course, that the puppy’s activities could startle her and possibly cause a heart attack.

I’m on the fence about this. I think there’d be enough separation without it being unfair to either, but I don’t know.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Pennybuns_mom on 12/09/2017 7:53 PM

Thanks for your insight!

I do want to reiterate – in general, not specifically in response to you – that Penny isn’t and has never been (at least since I adopted her) a free range bunny, but instead lives in a large playpen. I realize there is a chance, of course, that the puppy’s activities could startle her and possibly cause a heart attack.

I’m on the fence about this. I think there’d be enough separation without it being unfair to either, but I don’t know.

That in itself should be enough of a reason to not risk it.

[Vienna Blue in France]

A dog needs to be under complete control in order for you to be able to command a perfect “LEAVE”.
It takes a very well trained puppy atleast a year if not more for them to do that.

I’m of the camp that thinks you can have both in harmony if you are careful, in charge and are prepared to live with barriers in the apartment.

A dog and bunny can live calmly together but should never be allowed to “play” high jinx together. A dog’s simple harmless “mouthing” could be harmful to a bun.

My rainbow bridge dog was a cross hunting breed but well trained. It took her a week of realising the bunnies weren’t for her amusement. They lived in harmony after that (NEVER without me present). My buns are big buns and not afraid of much.

Hope that helps.

My new adult rescue dog has yet to be left free range with them as i do not know his reactions to everything yet. But he is more interested in finding and eating their poops than playing with them….

If you have already paid a deposit you could ask the breeder to start early with getting the pups used to rabbit smells…. never too early !!!

[UroborosElite]

Hi Pennybuns! I’m also a long time reader, first time poster. I’ve actually done this twice – had multiple dogs and a rabbit cohabitate; different rabbit, different dogs over the years. Like you, I am an apartment dweller and have been so the entire time that that I’ve had furry companions. Its definitely a lot of work to acclimate them to one another but its doable.

My advice is to follow similar steps as you would with bonding two rabbits, with several distinctions – always ensure the bun has somewhere to hide away, a safe zone to flee from the interaction and always keep them separated by a pen or gate. Although a schnoodle isn’t a massive dog, he/she could still hop up on his hind legs and inadvertently trample the bun. Invest in a couple of gates and pens to be able to section off parts of the apartment as necessary, never ever give the dog any toys that are remotely shaped like a rabbit. That isn’t to say no plushie toys but avoid rabbit shapes. I get my dogs alligators, elephants and bear chew toys. And during the entire acclimation process I describe below, take the dog for a long walk before hand so he’s calmer and not as overstimulated when you attempt to start their introductions. Also, don’t let the dog dictate the interactions. You are in complete control of the dog, keep him leashed, and pay attention to Penny’s behavior changes; she’s in charge of how these two will get along. She’s the prey animal not the dog, she’s at greater risk of injury so she calls the shots. Be patient and If Penny runs into her hiding spaces give her time. Its only natural that she not feel safe initially.

If possible, keep Penny in the bedroom, at least until she and the dog are used to each other’s smells and sounds and that way she’s not out on her own in the living room at night while you sleep. Keep the dog’s crate in the living room, he’s going to need time to adjust to the new living space and this is the perfect time for you to foster boundaries. After he’s been in the apartment 3-4 days (that may not see each other but at this point they’ve already smelled the other’s presence), bring the dog on a leash into the bedroom and do one pass round the room with him. Do not let him stop to try and sniff Penny, keep him moving. Quickly exit the room, reward the dog with a treat and do the same with Penny. Repeat this process for a minimum of 1 week, but aim for 2 then increase the time they’re around one another. At no point should you walk the dog directly up to Penny’s pen, let her be the one that comes out of her hiding place and tries to smell the dog. If she immediately comes out the runs away to hide, she’s not ready to increase their time around one another. When you notice that she starts to approach the sides of her pen as you enter the room with the dog, its time to step things up.

Try sitting in bed reading or watching tv for 15-30mins with the dog in the room or on the bed (I don’t mind my dogs on my bed but you may not want that). It doesn’t matter what you choose to do to fill this time but make sure its something you do that allows you to ignore both the dog and Penny while still physically supervising the interaction. Afterward, praise and treat both. Repeat these steps for at least a week, 2 if needed. This will give them time to adjust to each other’s noises – Penny’s binkies and thumps and the dogs whimpers and barks. If you need the bedroom space and want to move Penny to the living room or another area where she might be around the dog unsupervised, do not do this until you have observed the dog ignoring Penny’s sudden movements. A glance and a look away is fine but if the dog focuses in on her movement and is very attentive, its too much stimulation and I would not trust him yet around her alone, even being separated by a pen.

I know it seems like a lot but its been really rewarding for me. My previous bun Basil died several years ago but he was very chill with the dogs because they never invaded his space. I used to give him his outside time in the entryway to the apartment. My then boyfriend would be in the bedroom with the 2 dogs watching tv or playing with them in the living room, I would fence off the foyer, which was pretty large, and sit on the floor with Basil and do my homework or just read while petting him and watching him play. With my current rabbit Hazel, she’s a bit of a cranky old broad lol she loves coming up to smell the dogs when they come into the bedroom but if they bark even if I shush them she thumps in protest. She thumps when I yell across the apartment to my boyfriend and when my downstairs neighbors get up early in the morning on weekdays. She doesn’t thump or hide from the dogs otherwise so from this I can deduce that she’s just not a fan of loud noises.

I hope this helps you decide whether having both a dog and a bun and acclimating them is something you’re up to task for. I did it (with my previous bun Basil) in an apartment, with 2 dogs and 2 parakeets. With my current bun Hazel, she shares her home with 2 dogs, one senior bichon and possibly corgi mix and one 1 year old rambunctious border collie mix. If I can do it you definitely an to its just a matter of whether this is what you really want.

Let me know if you have any additional questions. I may have been unclear about some stuff since i wrote way more than I intended to but wanted to be helpful.

Kind regards,
Caroline

[jerseygirl]

Thank you for such detailed advice, Caroline.: )

[LittlePuffyTail]

Yes, thanks for sharing. This comes up pretty often on BB about dogs and bunnies.

[Author]

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