trips outside

[PeppersMama]

Today was Peppers third trip outdoors, i have a pen set up out there for him, and i had a few questions about it.

The first trip was good, he did fine and ran around a binkyed (sp?) and didnt worry about anything except himself and his freedom and me. The second trip was good, until my dog noticed. The pen is out front where the dog cant see unless she comes to the side fence which she rarely does, well it just so happened my dad came outside with my brother and she followed them around there and noticed the bunny. She was behind a fence about 20 feet away but she just sat there and stared and whined at the rabbit and wouldnt go away, needless to say pepper got scared and immediately ran to my lap and just sat there until i took him back inside. Once inside he acted normal. Now today was the third trip outside and my dog wasnt present for this one thankfully. when we first went outside i put him in the pen with water and some toys and hay. i sat in there with him like always and for about the first ten minutes he was fine. he started eating some dandelion weeds but i had read it was okay for them to have these and we dont spray our yard so i wasnt worried. well about 15 minutes into the play session he just went inside his pet taxi and wouldnt come out. i couldnt get him out no matter what. so i took him inside and put him in his cage and he darted to the cardboard house and didnt leave for like an hour. does anyone know why he acted this way? should i not take him outside anymore? thanks!

P.S. Potty training is going unbelieveably well! he never pees outside his potty box unless he gets mad at me for trying to pick him up when he doesnt want it…then he pees on my floor! lol! he poos mostly in the box too! not many stray outside!

[BinkyBunny]

Congratulations on successfuly litter traiining!!

I think that what happened with your dog and bunny has made your bunny extra cautious. I mean if you went outside, and a lion came near you and acted like he wanted to get at you, you might be a bit freaked out for a while. It’s survival instincts that keep us alive and are hard to shake if rattled. I have no doubt that the last time your bunny went out he was more on alert, and any little noise (even if you couldn’t hear it) made him run for cover.

So you could try a couple of more times to see if he’ll start to feel safe again, but if does not and it just ends up stressing him out, then give it a break for awhile.

An important note about bringing your bunny outside: Even with the xpen, be sure to cover it with a sheet or something for several reasons: This may make him feel a bit safer, protects him from birds of prey like hawks, and keeps him out of direct sunlight.

Also, be sure to check your bunny for fleas and mites on a regular bases, especially during the summer months, as they are more susceptible to these when they are outside and sometimes by the time you notice the fleas and mites on your own without checking, they have caused great discomfort and even infections. So just check weekly for fleas and mites. Sometimes you can’t see them, but you can see the debris they leave behind.

Also, always be sure to let all of your family members know you are out there with your bunny and to keep the dog away until your bunny is safely inside.  Put a note on the doors, whatever it would take to prevent your bunny from ever being in danger by someone who may forget. Xpens can easily be pushed down by dogs, and not only that, your bunny can actually be scared to death without ever being in direct contact.

[JK]

It sounds to me like the big outside world was just too overwhelming for the bun.  He sounds like he was just scared and retreated to a safe place. I am just not a fan of taking them outside. 

[Beka27]

another thought i had… your dog was safely behind a fence. even if he got out, you know your dog, you know how to (hopefully) stop or restrain you dog. if a neighborhood dog got out and was determined to get your bunny, he would. or, in trying to stop him, you might be bitten or hurt. just be aware of all the dangers that the outdoors pose to your rabbit.

[ScooterandAnnette]

What was the weather like when you took the bun out the second and third times? Was it significantly warmer than the first? Might he just have been looking for shade?
– Annette

[PeppersMama]

thankyou all! yes my dog was safely behind a fence and he cannot get outside, there arent many neighborhood dogs, most of the ones who are are small yappy dogs, but even then it could be dangerous. but whenever i take him outside i always make sure he has water, hay, and i put his pet taxi out there so he can go in for shade, plus its under a tree as well, so its a generally shady area. i always sit in the pen when i take him out there, i never leave him alone, i worry about him too much to leave him alone. i think maybe he was just being extra cautious because of the first time like binky bunny mentioned. he seems to have a much better time in my room running around though, so i think i will mostly limit his excursions to my room. lol thankyou everyone for your help!

[RabbitPam]

If your neighbors have yappy dogs then there’s a good chance he heard them, even if they were inside. Bunnies hear much better than we do (or they’re just paying more attention) and a street noise, a distant animal, a shadow from above that could be a bird, birds chirping – all are noticeable to a bunny. And then they take cover.

[PeppersMama]

yes this could have been the cause, its so funny how he absolutely adores to sit in my lap when theres a scary dog around, but any other time he usually wont lol! hes warming up though!

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