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nicolekline97

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My husband got me a beagle pup from a rescue. It was a fairly impulsive thing we did. We were on a waiting list for an hour and decided yes before adopting. He wasn't sure it was a good idea. I read that they could live together in Peace and many have.....so we did. I had been in the hospital and very much wanted a dog again. So it was impulsive. She has been around big dogs and ignored them. He wants to play and she is scared of him. She is bigger than him (flemish). I read about sniffing and slowly introducing. My husband thinks slow is not best for introducing pets. Ideas? Tips?
 
I think slow is absolutely the best way to introduce any pet to a rabbit, specifically. Many recommend that introductions not take place until the dog shows a consistent history of being calm around the rabbit and has a high level of obedience-- this is a challenging requirement for a puppy, but it is there for a reason. In a rabbit-dog or any rabbit-other relationship, safety concerns exist for both the rabbit and the other pet. You do not want your overly curious puppy to trigger your rabbit to bite him, and vice-versa. Also, puppies "play bite", which would not be safe for a rabbit.

There is information here regarding parameters around safe introductions, signs to look for, etc.: Relationships with rabbits - WabbitWiki
 
I agree with @John Wick, slow is definitely best.

Maybe it you can try training the puppy (distracting him so he’s interested in a toy or something else) where your bunny can just watch him and get used to how he acts. Maybe with a barrier she can see through at the beginning. Then she can get more used to his yips, and little barks without being the direct object of attention. It might make her more comfortable.

With my first bunny, we’d sometimes have to take care of my grandmother’s overweight beagle for a week or two. Although she was a hunting breed, she never went after him, sometimes they touched noses. Sometimes she would be lying on her side sleeping and he’s start running around her and he’d leap over her like he was hopping a rabbit jump. For reference, she was a 35-40lb beagle and he was about a 2lb dwarf hotot mix bunny.
 

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