IS it safe to have a pet rabbit with a dog?

[Parker]

I have a pet dog and  I really want a pet rabbit. But the only real reason I can’t get one is because of my dog, I’m worries it may eatmy pet rabbit. Does this happen often? Any thoughts?

[Bam]

Whether it’s safe or not depends on a variety of factors. It depends on the pet owner, the dog and to an extent, the rabbit. It depends on your living situation (space, possibility to separate rabbit and dog when needed, how you’re planning to house the rabbit etc). How common it is for dogs to eat a pet rabbit from the same house, I can’t say. I don’t know if there’s any reliable statistics. Far more common I’d say is the risk of the dog frightening the rabbit to death. We’ve had several reports of such incidents here on the forums. This can happen if the dog chases the rabbit or paces around the rabbit’s cage or even just from the dog barking and whining. Rabbits frighten very easily. In the wild, rabbits move over vast areas and can run away from dogs, they can even escape into their tunnel systems underground. In our homes they don’t have that possibility. 

For a dog to get along well with a rabbit, the dog should be calm indoors and have a will to please and the basic obedience laid down. A very young pup can be taught to respect a rabbit, but a young dog between say 4 months and 3 years is more difficult. Impusle control is not fully established in a dog until it’s around 3 years old. Some dog breeds are a lot harder to train not to go after a rabbit than other breeds.

The rabbit can learn to accept a dog, but you should take it slow. You should be able to completely separate the dog and rabbit by keeping them in different rooms with a closed (locked, if you dog can open doors) door for when you’re not home and for the introduction period. Here is an old thread with very useful tips on how to introduce dog and rabbit and optimize their chances of a harmonious life in the same household:

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/164067/Default.aspx#573141

I have a dog and a rabbit.

[SeeShmemilyPlay]

It truly depends on the dog. If you don’t trust your dog, I wouldn’t risk it.

I raised a baby puppy alongside my rabbits, and now my pup’s almost 2 and does amazing with them. They’re not besties, they mostly ignore each other but can be caught sleeping on the same bed very occasionally.

On the flip side, I adopted out rabbits to a very knowledgable family who had a wonderful setup for the buns in their garage. They had two chihuahuas inside that didn’t go in the garage. The rabbits had every good thing going for them, or so I thought. Once the garage door didn’t click all the way, and…

There are some really good stories about dogs with rabbits. But people are afraid to talk about the bad stories, and bad things often do happen. Trust your gut.

[Author]

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