A question asked by many pet owners is, “do rabbits and dogs get along?” Can they both live together? Are they compatible in living with one another? Theirs a general rule of thumb. Before adding a new pet to your family, you must check whether those two are compatible in living with one another or if they will tear each other apart. Let’s take an example. You may wonder if your bunny will get along with a new dog. One is the prey, and the second is the predator.
Rabbits are sensitive and easily stressed. Bringing a dog into the picture can be risky for the rabbit, not only by physical safety, constant psychological stress, and a perpetually looming threat. The possibility of both living together in peace sums up to the dog. Its size, its nature, and the degree of obedience it has.
You must factor out any possibility of your rabbit living with a dog in all cases where the dog is not following orders or is disobedient impetuous, too lively, or aggressive – even if small in size.
Depending on the dog’s age, if it’s a puppy, it can be trained to respect the rabbit and consider it a part of the family, just like all the other members.
An adult dog is already a trained personality and can have its own ‘opinions’ regarding the introduction of the rabbit.
An obedient dog that behaves well would be a better match, but caution would always be required.
Smart Approach
Taking long internships is the most innovative approach you can give both animals to get to know each other. Long internships are necessary to approach the two animals and carefully check both reactions gradually.
There are many cases in which both of these animals stay in harmony, but a minute is enough for a disaster to occur. The dog must be trained well and obey every command of its owner.
Some rabbits are friendlier than others, like Sussex breeds, the German rabbit, the Himalaya, Havana, or Californian have an amiable nature.
If the rabbit is the second pet you bring into your home, it’ll be better if you choose any of these breeds.
Educating both animals helps create respectful behaviour, an essential element to keeping these two pets in your home without problems.
Encourage Both Of Them
Since each animal has their personalities, there isn’t a single method to encourage them to live together.
But a general rule of thumb is that it’s better to proceed slowly, with caution rather than immediately, to get some results and risk danger.
To be more precise, there are many signs to indicate either they could live together. If your rabbit is active and the dog is a bit unsettled, it’s better to keep the rabbit in the cage and the dog on a leash.
Rabbits feel safer when they’re in their territory.
Encourage Them With Praise
Encourage, praise, and give them a treat every time you see a curious and kind attitude on the dog.
This way, the dog will learn to link the word “good” with calm, relaxed, and friendly interest, and that when it behaves like this, it is rewarded. “Dog is a man’s best friend”, and this praise isn’t wrong. It will do everything in its power to make its owner happy is appreciated.
If your dog is hyperactive and doesn’t calm down quickly, rather than scolding him and feeding him with negative energy, try to say “no”.
If your dog is too excited, tell it “no” and give a slight tug on the leash to get its attention. Doing this will signal your dog to calm down and if your dog does, praise it, appreciate it, and give it a treat so that it’ll know how to behave next time.
On the other hand, you see your dog not following your commands, and you have to correct its behaviour multiple times, repeatedly calming him down. Then it indicates that you are proceeding too quickly for the dog to adjust. It would be best if you worked on the dog’s obedience before letting him meet the rabbit.
Using expressions such as “Stay down!”, “Good!”, “Good dog!” and “Great!” should become integral parts of its vocabulary.
The Main Goal
The main goal should be for the dog to lie down and keep quiet if the rabbit hops and runs freely in the house. Work on the dogs fluently, firmly, and gradually.
Don’t rush the process. Take one step at a time. Try multiple techniques with your dog and find what is best suited for it. It may be hard but not impossible, and the results can be exceptional. Try to put your dog in the best situations to succeed in this “process”. Work with it.
The confidence of a rabbit or the calmness of a dog allowed them to sniff nose to nose without any barrier separating them.
Put your dog on a leash and have it lie quietly, then bring the fluffy fellow inside the room and allow both of them to look at each other, sniff each other, and look around each other so that they become familiar with this new situation.
Never miss out on appreciating or giving a treat to your dog if it behaves well in front of the rabbit or general anyone.
Keep Going With The Plan
Keep at it for several days ( Yes, it may take long) and always be present during dog-rabbit encounters. This phase can last a long time. It may take some days, weeks, or even months. It is the animal subjects that determine the time and method.
Always be present and ensure everyone (dog, rabbit, people involved) is ready before moving on.
Moving forward, you could remove or keep the leash on without holding it back. You can have your dog stand and sit whatever you want so the rabbit can become familiar with the new position.
After this, you could allow your dog to take a few steps so that your rabbit could get used to moving and so on.
Why The Dog Only? Training is one thing that must never be pressured, an obligation, or a manifestation of one’s power over the animal.
Training shouldn’t be to think that the amount of control one has over their pet but a way of communicating and educating them.
Suppose I say to my pet to “come here” or any other command. In that case, I’m sending and, if I have done an excellent job and the intention is positive and is acknowledged by the animal to which I am talking, I expect the pet to understand the meaning of that message and behave accordingly.
Dogs with positive, gentle, and practical obedience training know they can depend on their owners when confronting new and unknown situations. The rabbit knows it can rely on him (and so can any other animal).
A dog that doesn’t obey your command, ignores or freaks out on the minor things won’t be an excellent companion to your rabbit. Training should build relationships and communication between you and your dog. That’s why it’s so important.
Final Thoughts on “Do Rabbits And Dogs Get Along”
So should your rabbits and dog live with each other? Before adopting a rabbit, you must know that your dog that your order and whether it can adapt to living with a rabbit and respecting it or not.
If you own a rabbit choose an obedient and calm-tempered dog, perhaps adopting an adult, whose character can be immediately estimated and move on accordingly.
If some rules are followed, a rabbit and dog can live together and get along very quickly. Follow the advice that is discussed in this article, and you can have an even more cheerful and fun home, thanks to the affection of these two extraordinary and peaceful pets.