Introducing my rabbits to my dog?

[ChesnutKC]

I just moved back home for the summer and my rabbits have their own room with me with plenty of place to run and sleep while my dog wanders the rest of the house. My dog is a year old golden retriever who gets a little hyper at times but he is very well trained. I have let the dog into the room a few times while the rabbits were sleeping just to get him used to their scents but I would love to introduce them so that I can play with my rabbits out in the family room without putting the dog outside or being terrified he might get too rough. He’s not a hunting dog but I know thin instinct to chase is still in there.

Are there any websites or tips that have worked for you personally? My two rabbits are well bonded and have very gentle and calm personalities. Would introducing a dog change anything?

Any information is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[LittlePuffyTail]

I don’t have any personal experience but from what I know, if your dog is well-trained and not a hunting breed, you should try to introduce them very slowly. First while the bunnies are somewhere safe (like a cage or x-pen) and your dog is on the leash. Watch body language for aggression, excitement, stress, etc. Try to make it a pleasant experience for the dog and reward him if he stays calm. Then, after you’ve done that a few times, you can try introducing the leashed dog to the bunnies while they are free-roam. Again, praise the dog if he stays calm. If all is well you may be able to eventually let them all out together but don’t rush it. You need to be 100% positive they are all okay with each other. A dog getting excited and chasing a rabbit can literally scare them to death.

Only you can decide based on what you observe if you will be able to reach that goal or not.

[Bam]

I have introduced my dog to my bunnies. She’s a German Shepherd. I did just about what LPT says. Bam was in a cage his first time with me, and I put his cage on a table so he wouldn’t have to see a German Shepherd dog hover over his home like a T-rex. Dog was allowed to sniff the cage. Then she was allowed to sniff Bam while I held him in my arms. My dog responds to “no”, so I could use “no” at every attempt at being too interested. Then immediate praise as she withdrew.

Golden retrievers are dogs with an aptitude for obedience, and you should be able to tell him to stay put while you have your buns out for play-time. This can take a bit of time though. You could start by clicker-training him to stay put, without any buns around, unless you’ve already done that type of training of course.

Make sure there are places that are totally inaccessible to your dog where the buns can run to and hide if they feel like they need to. I have a sofa that my dog absolutely can’t get under, but a heavy cupboard will do as well, of course.

My dog likes to steal the buns’ food, beware of that. Even kale can be a delicacy to a dog when there’s competition for it.

I’ve had no problems with my dog and the buns. They are free roam 24/7. She’s not really interested in them. The buns are more interested in her.

I wish you the best of luck with this. It’s of course more difficult with a young dog that still has puppy-ish tendencies, but at the same time, training a young dog is very worthwhile.

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