What dog is best situeted for a bun?

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I find that Australian Shepherds/Cattle Dogs are usually quite friendly towards the rabbits. Granted, you'd probably want to get one of these guys as a puppy, but they don't kill small animals, they are just bred to herd.

I currently have an Aussie Shep and he doesn't mind the rabbits at all. He's very curious about them, and when they are out in their pen or on a leash he doesn't bug them at all.

My previous dog, an Aussie Cattle Dog, was very protective of the rabbits, and she would lick them, cuddle with them. Very sweet girl.

I find that girl dogs are better with small animals, but that's just my experience.

Also, Steph, I don't think you should allow your dogs out with your rabbit anymore. Her behaviour is saying that she is frightened of them, and I don't see how that is funny at all. That's cruel to let your dogs chase her, and you're setting yourself up for a bunny heart attack. Control your dogs, or don't let them near her.
Rabbits don't like being chased and her foot stomping is saying that she is really scared.

Emily

 

[jcottonl02]

elrohwen wrote:

I would recommend against terriers - they typically have very strong prey drives and it can be difficult or impossible to train them to behave with a rabbit. Herding breeds can be ok, but if they have a strong herding drive they may try to herd the buns and get on their nerves.

I like really little dogs (like yorkies) or really big dogs for rabbits.

That's a complete contradiction.

Yorkies are terriers. And that sentence about it being impossible to train to behave with a rabbit is totally wrong because I have 6 that are perfectly behaved with mine. I'm not sure you own terriers (I could be wrong), but I can tell you with my experience that they most certainly can (and do) behave very well with rabbits, if trained right.

Jen:expressionless

 

[elrohwen]

Ok, you're right. Good call! I wasn't really considering yorkies along with other terriers like jack russels, schanuzers, rat terriers, etc. I've honestly never met a yorkie with a prey drive that acted like the other terriers and I think of them as more of a toy breed than a terrier.

I have known some JRTs and schnauzers that could never ever be trusted around a small animal no matter the amount of training. If someone is looking to get a dog that is good with rabbits, not someone who has one already and wants to know how to train it, I would stay far away from those breeds. If the question was "how do I train my JRT to leave the bunnies alone" it would be a whole different answer. Fact is that terriers were bred for centuries to hunt down and *kill* small furry creatures and it's not always possible to train around such a strong instinct.. I love terriers, but when I get a dog I'll stay far away from them because I want the best chance for my dogs and bunnies to live in peace.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Julie, I would strongly suggest that you choose a dog that the shelter has already proven to be very gentle with cats.

The other thing was that I think a dog that rates very high in terms of obedience would be ideal... there is this list here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs. While the list is supposedly "intelligence", it actually rates obedience by breed.

From looking at the list, it seems that many of the working dogs that other folks have listed make the top of the obedience list as well.

If you are choosing a breed that has an 95% accurate, first-command obedience ranking, I think the odds of them obey you and respecting your commands with regards to the bun will be that much higher.

A senior dog would be a good a choice too, if quiet and fairly obedient

 

[mae9406]

Here is a sight that might be able to help you on selecting a breed that is right for you.

http://www.puppyfinder.com/breedselector.php

You can also browse that sight and look at all the individual dogs that come to mind that you fancy and then check to see what it says for stats on the general characteristics of the dog.



Also, from personal experience with Rotties, you'd need to be just as careful selecting one of them as you would any Pitbullthat comes througha pound.

 

[Haley]

As much as I am pro-rescue, for me raising a dog from a puppy in order to help train him to be gentle with my rabbits was extremely important.

I have two golden retrievers and they are amazing with my rabbits. They are both still puppies (6 months and 15 months) and are very hyper at times, but know how to act around the buns. That's not to say all goldens will be, we sure put a lot of work into it, but they are wonderful and I know a lot of other goldens who are great with rabbits. I think its the need to please in the breed that, if they are trained to know how to act around bunnies, allows them to be so gentle with them.

I think its most important to find a dog that fits your lifestyle, as others have mentioned. We are very active and social with space for the dog to run and play, so a golden was a great fit for us.

Let me know if you end up getting a pup and I can help you through some of the early training. Good luck!

 

[juliew19673]

so it sounds like Golden Retrievers are the "hands-down" bun dog - lol.. I've read this before and that Terriers are not a good mix (but again, as some of you have posted, not always).

I also loved the suggestion of checking with the shelter saying "this dog is good with cats" is a great idea, as also the idea of going for a more Senior dog (would help adopt an older dog and make it easier to understand my world of young buns and previous, feral kitten).

I thank you all and will now hijack my own post and ask..

I need to get my newest bun that I adopted from the shelter I volunteer atto stop peeing on everything as well as chewing up my floorboards and just being destructive all around (she was unsexed end of February - so hormones are not the problem)..

She was one of the best buns at the shelter (clean, great disposition, never a problem, just quiet, was there for about 2 years). Now she is hell on wheels at my home and being a big bully with my other bun and kitten. Think its "prison freedom syndrome?". She no longer is confinded to a "hutch" and is not just taking out at noon everyday for 15 minutes and then put back; nor had she had to deal with other animals. Been working on this for sometime, just not sure how to "correct" her other than giving her time out (back into her pen) when she chases the other pets (thought at first, they'll work out their pack, but she just seems to do it now, to be a bully).And further, I do not allow any pet to chase the other (as I'm dealing with cats and buns, always would never allow the kitten to do this - don't want her to grow bigger and then have instinct kick in; so the same goes for buns, other than then maybe one needs show they are in charge but Gabby just seems to be a bully - so not OK.

Everyone "gets along" as long as Gabby can have whatever place the others are sleeping in and thats not fine with me. Gabby and Baxter! were bonded about a month ago and have been fine (other than their bonding was by "ill-gotten-means" as Gabby just jumped out of her Xpen one night and chased his lil furry butt around all night and I awoke to the 2 of them cuddling in his Xpen (his was never shut as he was just a good boy all of the time). They've been "close-friends" after this incident,but wouldn't say "in-love", probably as their bonding process was like the worst date ever and then you moved in with each other and now they put up with each other.

Any help with this matter so that I can get to the "dog" would be appreciated. Thanks all!

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Would you be willing to copy your new question to a new thread Julie? I think it would help others find and answer your question more easily