[TanyaVDM23]

Our dog has caught and eaten at least one wild rabbit in the past. We have recently acquired two bunnies, and he sits by their cage almost all day, hardly touching his food. Do you think he is "holding his appetite" for them, so to speak, or just curious? We have had him very near to them, and he just sniffed them, did not try to bite them (yet!). So far we are being very careful to have him restrained when the bunnies are out of the cage and being held. Do you think it is possible for our dog to befriend the bunnies (keeping in mind his wild rabbit consumption)?

[MelanieRay]

I would be worried about the dog scaring the bunnies to death. Ive seen a few dogs befriend cats but those cats weren't caged or trapped in any way and had the option to escape. The bunnies don't have that.

[mogrann]

I have sent a message to our bunny expert she also has dogs.
I too have 1 dog, 3 cats and one bunny. The dog and bunny have been together in the house for 2 years. When the bunny has had enough of him sniffing at her she lets him know what a growl and a nip at him. I do not let them together unsupervised as I want to be able to intervene if necessary. When my bunny is lose for playtime she is allowed to be alone and enjoy the time with no cats and no dog. To be honest I am more worried of her charging and attacking them then them hurting her.

[Lucky098]

Seems like your dog has too high of a prey drive for you to own animals such as rabbits.

It's very hard to introduce an adult dog to small, furry animals. I'm sure it can be done, but is it really worth putting the rabbits lives at risk?

I would suggest to rehome the rabbits and know you cannot own animals like them with your dog. He is what he is... And you're not going to train him to ignore his natural instincts... Especially if you're expecting him to lay and play with them. You might luck out with them in a different room completely, closed off 100% from the dog... But than what life would that be for the rabbits... And at that point... What's the point in even owning them.

[Alty]

I'm the bunny expert Mogrann mentioned.

I have 2 dogs, one is a 6 month old border collie puppy, the other is a 4 year old beagle (beagles are bred to hunt rabbits). I also have 4 rabbits, a bird and two fish.

I do not allow my dogs and my bunnies to interact. One is predator, the other is prey. But, they do co-exist very well. We have the bunnies in their own room where they can hop around without fear of the dogs getting to them.

Where are your bunnies in the house?

No, they will not become friends. Like I said, they are two very different species, one predator, the other prey. A dog and a rabbit becoming friends is like a bear befriending a fish.

Now, having said that, it can happen, but in order for it to happen these animals would have to be raised together from infancy. Since that's not the case, the only option is to keep the bunnies away from the dog. When you have the bunnies out either have them in an enclosed area that the dog can't access, or put the dog in his crate while you're playing with the bunnies.

Remember that bunnies need at least 4 hours of hop around time outside their cage every day. Also, please have your rabbits fixed at 6 months of age, otherwise you'll have nothing but trouble.