Old dogs new friends?

[xXPanicXx]

i really want to bond my old 12 year old dog with my bun bun. my bun seems interested with her, but my dog just growles at her. she is not the kind to bite her face *seeing as how she only has one tooth* but my dog is not socialble with ANY other thing except for people. *shes a tiny little poodle. i would like some tips of how to bond the bun with the dog. *female dog and female bunny* i started out by putting the dog in the cage with the bunny. (i no thats not a good idea) but ive done it alot of times befor and babs is totaly fine with a dog in her cage. any other tips? cuz i got them in  the same area, now i just need them to actualy take notice in eachother.

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[Beka27]

i would absolutely not put the dog in the bun’s cage. the cage is your bun’s space. she needs to feel secure in her own area. plus if a fight did break out, there would be no place for her to go to escape, and you might not be able to get to them quick enough.

you’re not going to be able to bond them in the sense that two buns can be bonded. dogs should never be left unsupervised with a bun.

[xXPanicXx]

>.< i want them to be friends… but ill take her out. sooo…is there no way to bond them?

[Beka27]

what is your definition of “bond”? in the bunny world, bonding is sort of like a marriage/permanent relationship where they eat, sleep, poop, and play together 24/7. that is not going to happen with a dog or cat. the species are too different. it is possible that they can get along, but they should not be left alone together unsupervised. it especially concerns me that the dog is growling at her. and the dog should definitely not be in the bun’s cage.

also, she is getting over a pretty bad illness.  i think the dog’s presence may be more stressful than you think.  buns don’t show pain or displeasure in the same way other animals do.  you may think your bun is completely relaxed, while in reality she could be scared out of her mind.

[xXPanicXx]

yeah okay. i just feel bad for babs cuz shes alone, (but she may liek that). ill just stop trying to force the dog to liek the bun. thanks for the concerns for my bun bun

[JK]

Beka is absolutely correct!  Your bun should have her own space without a dog in her cage!  She’s probably scared to death!  Edson is terrified of my golden retriever and she is the sweetest thing in the world.  Whenever the dog walks in Edson’s room he takes off to the corner of the cage and we of course get the dog out.  The bun needs a place to retreat to.  I want my cat to bond with Edson so much.  Edson loves her and she is a still a little unsure of him and will jump up onto something if he follows her too much.  They have rubbed noses and  the cat has actually licked him but then she darts off.  It’s a SLOW process and should not be forced under any circumstance!

[xXPanicXx]

okay ^.^
yeah, i think ill stop and let her get betters :3 thanks guys

[babybunsmum]

aww… i know its with good intentions that you want your dog & bunny to bond.   beka’s right tho.  your dog should def not go into bun’s enclosure and since your dog growls at bun it doesn’t seem like he’s a willing participant in forced bonding.  best not to push it. 

i *do* think tho, that if you have bun & dog out at the same time -only while you are paying close attention- that they will learn to live together and may bond slowly.  their form of bonding may not include cuddling & snuggling but they still may enjoy lounging within view of each other and be happy for the company.   i even think this type of bonding can happen thru the enclosure!

the really really important thing about having bun & dog out at the same time is to never ever leave them alone together.   even if they seem to get along just fine a disruption can come along unexpectedly (loud noise like a doorbell / thunder / something in the house falling of a shelf making a thump…) & cause panic in one or both of them and behaviour that they’re not used to dealing with.

[xXPanicXx]

o.o theres hope? lol maybe ill let them stay in my room togeather with me in it but not in the cage,.. after her eye is fixed. thanks alot guys LOL

[KatnipCrzy]

Attempting to force a dog to tolerate another animal is just asking for trouble.  Your poodle is old and set in her ways- to expect her to change is unreasonable.  Even with only 1 tooth- she can still harm your bunny.  Rabbits prone to abcesses from scratches or puncture wounds- and an old dogs mouth with dental disease is LOADED with bacteria.  You won’t get away with home care with something like that should an wound happen.  Not to mention a buns senstive and exposed eyes.

Pushed far enough the dog has no choice but to bite, snap or scratch.  In your dogs mind- your rabbit is repeatedly IGNORING the warning growls- and this will cause behavior to escalate.  And if your bun happens to get over her fear and try to investigate and demand grooming, try to groom the dog, or even worse- dominant mount the dog- you will have trouble.

Why don’t you buy a stuffed bunny for your rabbit?  What happened to your sisters rabbit?????????

[Beka27]

bonding the two rabbits would make the most sense… but they would need to be permanent cage-mates. and your bun’s eye would need to be completely healed and signed off on by a knowledgable vet.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

If your dog growled at the bun, even once, I’d suggest never putting them together. How bad would you feel if your dog bit the rabbit? I know you’d feel bad, and I know your intentions are good. Just doesn’t sound like a good match. OK?

How’s her eye doing?

[xXPanicXx]

her eye is awsome >.< something really weird happened. okay. so i was washing my dog and bunny, and while i had them in the bathroom, the bunny jumped behind the dog leaning on her, and the dog just looked at me, and kinda walked away. she didnt growl. i was really proud of her. (i havent attempted the cage thing yet, but im thinking they are getting use to eachother(not so sure yet tho))

[ScooterandAnnette]

Does your bunny really need to be washed? They groom themselves clean quite well on their own.

[Gravehearted]

I would highly discourage attempting to bond your rabbit and dog. Rabbits do not need baths – they are VERY fastidious about cleaning themselves – baths are very stressful for them and should only be given when a vet recommends it or there is a health issue – like poopie butt.

[xXPanicXx]

well, the pet store owner person said it was okay, and i thought while i was at it i could really clean her eye good. like get all the crusties off and stuff, and there is no point in washing her head, i may as wel wash all of her but i guess u guys no more.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Panic…This might sound blunt…but if you want to look after your bunny properly, you need to:

A) Don’t put her anywhere with that dog, it could bite her and hurt her before you have a chance to intervene! You need to stop that-your endangering her.
B) Take her to a vet to get that eye thing cleared up. It looked terrible the last time I saw a picture and your saying its not cleared up yet
C) Stop taking her outside. Has she not been hurt twice outside and once got under the porch?? That needs to stop.
D) Stop bathing her. Unless she’s incontinent or gets into something she doesn’t need a bath and it’s stressful. Pet store employees often can’t tell the front end of a dog from the back end-take their advice with a grain of salt.

You might not mean to, but by putting her with that dog, taking her outside and not looking after that infection properly you are risking her life.

[BinkyBunny]

I…I…I….have found myself speechless.

Okay…Panic, you have received great advice and I double, triple ditto what people have advised. Please seriously consider what Kokaneeandkahlua has also advised. These are things that should really be thought out a bit more. I have no doubt you absolutely want the best for your bunny and would feel devastated if something horrible happened, so I think that you should use a strategy of asking before acting. That way you can research, come here to ask questions, and we’ll give you links, advice etc beforehand.

For example, in this situation, there is a helpful link at rabbit.org about dog and bunnies http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/dogs.html, but if your dog is older, doesn’t like other animals, and growls at your bunny, then really think about it, take time to consider some of these decisions – how or why would putting this dog in the pen WITH your bunny be a good decision?

I think that it may be better in the future to research and ask for advice before acting on many of these things.

[COOKIE'N FLUFF MOMMA]

I THINK IF YOU WANT THEM TO GET USE TO EACH OTHER THAT LETTING THE DOG LAY NEXT TO THE CAGE WOULD BE BEST AS LONG AS THE DOG CANT BITE THE BUNS FEET THROUGH THE CAGE. I WOULD THINK SINCE YOUR DOG DOSE NOT LIKE OTHER ANIMALS I WOULD KEEP HER AWAY FROM THE BUN.

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I HAD A MINI LOP BUNNY ( BABY) AND A VERY YOUNG MALTESE PUPPY. NOT KNOWING WHAT I WAS DOING I LET THEM OUT TOGETHER .SUPERVISED THOUGH! THEY GOT ALONG VERY WELL AND THE BUNNY ACTUALLY WOULD HOP ONTOP OF THE DOG AND RUN THROUGH HIS LEGS OVER AND OVER. IT WAS VERY CUTE AND I WAS LUCKY TO GET IT ALL ON CAMERA. I WAS ALSO LUCKY THE DOG DIDNT GET MAD AND HURT THE BUN BUT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH VERY YOUNG. THE FUNNY THING WAS THAT I THINK THE DOG LOVED THE BUN SO MUCH CAUSE HE THOUGHT THE BUNNY WAS SOME WEIRD TREAT DISPENSER( IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN )   LOL  SO GROSS

[xXPanicXx]

yeah i stopped putting my bun outside, and my dog hasent been with my bun since last time u guys saw (the pic). my bun now runs around my room, so yeah. her eye is getting alot better. the fur is growing back and i have been wiping the eye every night putting drops in it too. thanks for the help and suggestions

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