puppy-bunny bonding…!?

[harley'shero]

so glad the site is back up. i’ve been dying to get back on here and get some help!!

Harley has been my only pet in the house since I got him and I’m certain he thinks he’s the king of the palace. I’m getting a puppy in a few weeks and am trying to make a game plan of how to make the transition for him as easy as possible. I know it’ll be an adjustment for him but I’m hoping that any of you that have done this before or anyone who just has suggestions can give me a little guidance in how to introduce the two and make it as seemless as possible for Harley. I don’t want him to clam up into a ball and never come out of his cage again!! I would like to see the two get along once they get used to each other.

Help!!

 

I still want him to feel comfortable enough to sprawl out

[Monkeybun]

You’ll want your new puppy to know a few simple commands, and listen to them , before introducing to the bunny. Come, Sit, Stay, Leave it for a few necessities. A lot of puppies are very excitable and playful, and could accidentally injure the bun, or scare them. Introduce slowly after he/she learns the commands, with pup on a leash just in case.

[Beka27]

I would also make sure that the bunny has a completely puppy-free area. So either the room the bun is housed in is off-limits to the dog, or the pen is completely blocked form view… It takes a lot of time to get them to the point of introductions, and this can vary a lot depending on the breed and level of excitement. Training has to be well underway before they are introduced, and the puppy needs to be past the “excitable puppy” stage and starting to calm well. Do you have a time frame for training the puppy?

[KytKattin]

Size matters too. I have had bunnies bigger than my dog, and they pretty much set the rules. So bunny personality is important to take into consideration. One of the larger bunnies would chase the dogs out of their crates at dinner time to try to eat the dog food! Right now Nova and Daisy (plus a cat) all get along just fine. They certainly don’t “like” each other, but there is never aggression or problems. It is all about training.

[harley'shero]

The bunnys cage is in the living room so I was planning on gating it off to the puppy until I have him trained well enough to listen to me. I also read somewhere about putting a blanket with the dogs scent on it in the bunny room first so he can get used to the smell.
I plan on starting to train the puppy right away with the basic commands and what not.
I’m hoping that with the puppy gated out of the living room the bunny will get used to his scent and seeing him a little through the gate but still feel safe enough in the room. And then some day introduce them when the puppy is tired out.

[Elrohwen]

I’m getting a puppy at the end of July, so I’ve been putting a lot of thought into my training plan.

I think you’re on the right track with keeping the bun gated off at first and only doing introductions when the puppy is tired. If you’re getting an 8 week old, I would start introductions immediately, then maybe pull back as the puppy gets bigger and more exciteable. 8 week old puppies are just babies and are going to be interested in getting along with everyone. The older they get, the more rambunctious and playful they are, so you might need to limit interaction as the puppy gets bigger. I definitely wouldn’t wait to do the initial introduction though because the 8-12 week period is a good time for that – it’s the end of a puppy’s very very key socialization period, so whatever he’s introduced to at this age will stick with him. For an older dog I agree with waiting until he’s totally under control before doing intros, but a puppy that young should be introduced right away. A young pup on a leash and harness will be easy to control and you could start with the bunny behind a gate, then work up to puppy held on your lap with the bunny free to approach. Whether or not you let the puppy off your lap is a judgement call and depends on how the pup is doing, but I’d definitely leave the leash on for a long time.

Kikopup has a fantastic YouTube channel with dog training videos, so definitely check that out, especially if you’re new to dog training. The first things to work on with any pup is impulse control, like leave it. Teach him to be polite and wait for things he wants and it will be infinitely easier to introduce to the bun.

[harley'shero]

Yeah the pup will be about 8 weeks old, so I’ll try the intro with the bun. thanks for the tips!! That’s really helpful! I’ll definitely check out the training videos too!

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