Free roam bunny?

[Pepper the Bunny]

I want to free roam my 3 yo female mini lop. I think that she has the perfect temperment since she is very smart, brave, and not a very chewy rabbit, she tends to like her toys more than wires and baseboards. First I am going to spay her and make sure that she has mastered the litter box before I let her 100% full roam. But, I have two large dogs one is about 42 lbs and the other about 53. They are very sweet dogs and wouldn’t hurt anything on purpose. But they are very playful and can get rough sometimes. They aren’t prey driven and don’t want to hurt my bun but they think she is another dog. When she is on the floor for her regular playtime they like to come and say hi. Luckily she is very brave and isn’t scared at all and just continues playing I am always worried they will try and play with her. When I am holding her they are fine (in fact I’m holding my bun right now and my 50lb dog is sleeping right next to me) but when she is on the floor hopping around they get excited. Any tips to help them calm down? And also any tips for free roaming and litter box training? Thanks!

[Sarah]

Hi there,
If you do end up free roaming Miss Pepper, I would advise either crating the dogs or having a space for Pepper to go while you are not home. That way nothing happens when you are not home to intervene.
As for litter box training. There are many videos on how to litter train. Here is a good one:
https://youtu.be/zsB7SILsOns
Hope this helps! Good luck with litter box training!

[Pepper the Bunny]

Sarah, thanks! Our dogs can’t be trusted to be out of their crate when we aren’t home. So that go in their crates while we have to leave the house. So we will always be supervising. We are also going to let Pepper have a space in the living room with her food and water and toys and a hide where rheyvdigs aren’t aloud. I’ll check out that link though!

[DanaNM]

I don’t have personal experience with dogs, but I know some of the forum leaders have dogs. It’s very important to not give the dogs any soft toys that teach them to kill small animals. (No stuffed toys, nothing with a squeaker in it).

Some members here report they have to keep their dogs 100% separate, others are fine with the dogs hanging out together. In general the consensus is to never let the dog chase the bunny, as this can trigger their prey drive, and is most likely scary for the bun. I think starting with slow introductions, and positive reinforcement for calm interactions is the way to go. If the dogs are acting rambunctious or playful, I would not personally around them around bun at that time.

. . . 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.  

[Maley]

My Flemish is free roaming and I have 6 pomeranians, and I’ve never had any problems besides chewing (plants, drapes, and even the couch, he’s a little monster). Obviously my flemish is a lot similar in size with my dogs so it is a different situation, but in my experience the more my dogs have been around my bunny the less excited they’ve been around him. Definitely keep an eye on them while they are out together until they start to be more calm around your bun

[Pepper the Bunny]

Thank you every one for replying! I have been doing slow introductions with them and they are doing very good! One of my dogs doesn’t care at all and the other is interested but not acting harmful towards her. She is getting spayed on the 27th so free roaming is coming soon!!

[Author]

Messages