Dog Meets Bunny

Sometimes It's Easy

2010-09-03T19:18:00.000-05:00

A reader just sent in this story. It's not the typical scenario, but proves that sometimes inter-species bonds come easy, especially if one of your pets is young when you introduce them ...

"I am sure I am just lucky, and the occurrences in my studio apartment should have taken much longer. However, my family started with my boyfriend, myself, and a rescued cat named Lexi. It soon expanded to include a puppy (pit bull mix, now 8 months old). Later came 2 kittens (about a month ago) and then I adopted a flemish giant for my 5th grade class pet (I am a new teacher). Long story short, the bunny was accustomed to roaming as he pleased and using a litter box. That is the way it was for him in my class (I have very careful, well behaved students) until administration said he had to be caged. I knew he would be miserable, so I brought him home until I was able to find a new home for him. That was yesterday. As soon as he came home, I opened his kennel (the dog was at day care, only cats were home) and one kitten crawled in and laid beside the bunny and fell asleep. Later they both woke up, and the bunny came out the explore. The other kitten fell in love with him, and the adult cat really just couldn't care less about his presence. She ignores him. I was nervous about bringing the dog home, but it was nothing to be worried about. I came inside (with puppy on leash), and the bunny hopped right over to the puppy. She backed up and laid down. The bunny continued to approach her, and climbed on her and smelled all over. She stood up and sniffed and licked the bunny all over. Although I have not let them alone unsupervised, I am not worried at all. They are like best friends! At this moment the puppy, one kitten and the bunny are all curled up asleep! I am so pleased this is all working out, but still looking forward to a larger place!"

No Cord Chewing but Plenty of Drywall

2010-08-23T11:51:00.003-05:00

Little Jeremy is becoming quite the character. I've been careful with any cords that are out and lying around the house but it seems that he is not interested in any of them. Jeremy prefers chewing drywall and just plain wall! He enjoys finding a piece of anything with an edge and just ripping it free. I'm in the process of rehabbing my mother's home and so I wasn't too upset when I saw he enjoyed doing this. I was more worried about his little body digesting the pieces. Fortunately, he doesn't really eat the pieces. He likes to collect them and disperse them around the house. As he's becoming more and more comfortable loose around the house, I find him enjoying himself in the dogs' crates. Not only does he like hanging out in the crates but he leaves little "tokens" behind. I'm sure he smells the dogs and since HE is actually the alpha of the house, he feels the need to leave reminders for the dogs. The funny thing is, he rarely leaves them around the house but in the crates, I'll find at least 5-10 little "peppercorns".

Settling In

2010-08-18T09:37:00.002-05:00

I'm really happy with the way the animals are reacting to Jeremy. I can always tell when Jeremy wants to come out and play. He starts gnawing on the rungs of the cage and throwing his toys around his house. In fact, every time I open the door to feed him he tries to make a run for it. It's only the excitement of his veggies and salads that keep him patient. The dogs hover around me when I'm feeding him but he doesn't care. He still wants to come out. One of my dogs named Neil, is a 50 lb attempt at a Labradoodle (found him in a kill shelter in GA). He was the only one of the bunch I was worried about because he's awkward around cats he doesn't know and likes to slap things. I've given him more and more freedom around Jeremy and now he could care less about him. Most of the dogs (down to five now since a foster was recently adopted) are more interested in what Jeremy is eating than Jeremy. Sure, they enjoy a good sniff but then that's that and they move on. Hughy is a Lhasa Apso and does enjoy chasing Jeremy just to scare him but that's the nasty Lhasa coming out. Jeremy doesn't get that upset, although he doesn't understand that it's play, I'm sure. He hops all over the house. He's quite good at stairs even. I have a larger house and he enjoys checking out each room in the house and then resting under the bed a bit. After running the living room, he might relax on the cool basement tile after. Ultimately, he will go back into his crate on his own. I rarely have to put him back in. It's as if he's saying, "I've had enough. I'm going to bed everyone." I wrestled with the idea of getting him a mate but I think with how things are going, he's best as the only bunny.

One Foster Dog Down

2010-07-30T09:46:00.004-05:00

Now that Roger (westie/yorkie foster terror, I mean foster terrier) has gone off to his forever home, Jeremy can run around the house without being barked at non-stop. So far Jeremy has been doing really well in the house. He has no problem rubbing shoulders with the dogs. In fact, even when the dogs are surrounding his area, I will hear him throw his toys around and scratching at the door. He wants to come out and play! I moved him into a very large wire crate so that he can interact with the dogs even when he's not loose. This has been mainly a good move because the dogs will just lay by the crate and watch him. The down-fall is that they stick their tongues through the rungs trying to steal his food. They love all of the same foods he does: carrots, romaine, kale, cilantro, and even his pellets. If I forget to lock his cage door when Jeremy is out, it's inevitable that someone will finish off Jeremy's pellets and leave a sparkling bowl. Ella, my 65 lb. terrier, will literally sit outside Jeremy's crate until he finishes all of his salad. When I leave the room, she gets that tongue in there trying to maneuver the veggies out of the crate. Jeremy doesn't seem to mind. He stays in the front of the crate, happily munching away. At night, I find Jeremy lying by the crate door and Ella sprawled next to it. It's very cute.

Pack, Meet Jeremy!

2010-05-11T10:34:00.012-05:00

Hello. My name is Delaney. I'm a 34 year-old woman with lots of animals. I've always loved critters of all species. As a little kid I had teddy-bear hamsters and bunnies. We always had cats, too. I always longed for a dog but this wouldn't happen for many years. In college, I found a family giving up their Lop. I jumped in the car and picked him up and brought him back to school with me. Lloyd and I lived in my single dorm room. He was well-liked by my friends and school mates. He was always the hit of the party, too. We lived happily in that dorm room until someone saw a paw under the door and turned me into my dean. Sadly, Lloyd had to leave school and live at home with my mom. I would come home on weekends to visit him. Ironically, Lloyd passed on Easter of that year (1998). We had some great times. RIP, Lloyd...

After college, I really wanted a cat for the apartment but my then-boyfriend was very allergic to cats so hamsters were perfect.

At age 28, I was finally able to get my first dog and she was/is a beauty. I wanted a BIG dog and saw this Sheep dog/St Bernard looking thing on Petfinder. She had paws the size of saucers and was covered in mud. I thought she was beautiful. Ella was $50 and a big bag of cheap dog food. After a couple of days, I thought my heart would burst when this little girl's tail finally untucked and she held her head up high as we walked up and down Grand Avenue. About a year later, I adopted her little brother (a 50-lb terrier) from Georgia. Neil, too, was a highway runner but living in a kill-shelter. I had him flown to me. I think back at how crazy that was. He could have been an insanely high-strung lunatic. Instead, he was a very laid-back orangutan-like, black, curly terrier. Ella and Neil fell in love instantly and were the perfect duo, sparring all day long. I was so happy. A few months later, upon learning about puppy mills and the state of homeless dogs, I began fostering dogs and haven't stopped.

I adopted Jeremy from a bunny rescue in May of 2010. He was part of a 60-bunny seizure. I chose him because of his tendency to fall asleep when held like a baby. (I didn't think he was especially cute or attractive, an English Spot who even the rescue people mistook for about three other bunnies, but I was looking for temperament. I needed a bunny that would be laid back enough to allow dogs to love him, too.) I knew my dogs would eventually be fine with a bunny hopping around and I was excited for them to bond. They are, after all, used to all kinds of train-wrecks coming through the door. (We've had puppy mill dogs that have been pretty messed up. We've also had many super-hyper backyard breeded mutts that were just dumped at shelters without given a fair shake.)

I kept Jeremy in his own area the first week. I wanted him to be able to hear all the house and animal noises. I wanted the dogs to know he was there, too. I then moved him into a giant wired dog crate. Everyone crowded around Jeremy to see the newest member of the household. There was some crying and some whining (and some dashing around the cage) but after a couple of days, the pups were sort of bored with Jeremy. OK, not quite bored but not as intense. I was very excited to let him hop around the house. I put the dogs that I knew were prone to slap-happiness into their crates and let Jeremy loose! He was not shy! He happily left his crate and began inspecting the house. When my 60 lb terrier got too close while sniffing, he promptly stomped his foot. He also pottied as close to her as could! My little Shih Tzu didn't know what to think of Jeremy. He followed him around wiggling his butt and stiffened neck while grunting. Jeremy promptly pottied on him, too. All the dogs were treated while Jeremy was loose. I hoped this would give them the idea that Jeremy = good times. Right now, I'm up to four dogs loose with Jeremy (always supervised): Ella, the 60-lb terrier, a crabby Lhasa, an incredibly shy 25-lb puppy-mill terrier, and a 7 lb Bichon. Ella, likes to follow him around from time to time but loses interest. She will lie down and Jeremy will bound up to her sniffing around and even climbing on her by putting his front paws on her as he's nosing around. The Lhasa will yell at him (as he yells at everyone) and chase poor Jeremy away from "his turf" if he gets too close to his bed. The puppy-mill dog shyly follows Jeremy around. Jeremy is not afraid. He has his own room but when the door is open, he always pops out and is ready to hang with the pack. The dogs cannot wait to get into Jeremy's room and taste all the goods. They are slowly starting to respect Jeremy's room. They aren't allowed in there because I want Jeremy to have his one sacred place. The little Bichon will chase him around trying to play. Jeremy will run faster, as he doesn't know what this is about. After about an hour, Jeremy will be lying flat with his legs behind him, relaxing. At this point, I still have two dogs crated. One will slap at Jeremy (like he's a fish or something) and the other foster dog screams that awful high-pitched terrier bark at him (as if a bunny in the house is an injustice). Jeremy doesn't mind the screaming. He goes around and around this foster dog's crate. I think Jeremy is a bit of an instigator!

My local humane society hosts Hoppy Hour every other weekend for an hour. People from all over bring their bunnies to the auditorium and rescue volunteers become "bouncers" and monitor the bunnies. Jeremy is quite awkward around other bunnies. (He's had a couple of time-outs for bad conduct.) He is much more sure of himself around dogs, ironically. He will mount and de-fur other bunnies. He is still learning bunny etiquette but he sure enjoys hopping around the auditorium and throwing in some binkies.

Worrying that Jeremy might be lonely when he is alone during the day in his room, I lined up a date with another English Spot named Eliza. It was NOT love at first site! I may keep trying to find his soul mate but he may be content being the only bunny. I am completely in awe of the fact that Jeremy refuses to pee outside his litter box. This is coming from someone who puts diapers on her foster dogs. What a blessing!!

New Guest Poster

2010-05-11T10:26:00.001-05:00

We'll be bringing on a new guest poster soon. Delaney just adopted a little boy bunny named Jeremy. She fosters animals, and has six dogs and five cats in the house right now. Jeremy seems very interested in everyone, Delaney says. We'll see how things go!

THE CAST

Jeremy: The Dog Fosterer's Bunny

Slowly but Surely

2009-02-03T08:36:00.003-06:00

Our journey with Topi took us down what is for some a controversial road -- that of the electronic collar. But the story's happy ending is being illustrated right now. As I write this, the bunnies are running around in the living room doing their fancy jumps and sprints on the same rug on which the dog is sound asleep.

So we spent about two months working on the things our trainer suggested and meanwhile we were of course also working on basic obedience and leash training with Topi. The more we worked with her (following mainly the methods of the Monks of New Skete) the more we realized that we were dealing with a very stubborn dog! She is too smart for her own good, and constantly found ways to weasel out of doing what we were asking her to. But with 20 minutes twice a day of training, we slowly began to make some progress on walking nicely on a leash and the sit or down stay. But still Topi would get so excited around the rabbits that we were afraid to let everyone be together. We began to feel that the only way this relationship could work is if we had total voice control of Topi when she was off leash since being on leash around the bunnies clearly made her frustrated. This need for voice control was becoming increasingly obvious because not only was it important for her to listen to us around the rabbits, but she was getting more and more confident on hikes and was occasionally taking off after wildlife (deer and antelope). Our challenge became to teach her to come when called no matter what.

In the middle of our feeling like we were working really hard and making slow but steady progress with Topi, we got a chance to go out of town for a month and we were not able to bring the dog or the bunnies with us. So we found a house sitter for the bunnies, but felt sad that the dog would probably forget all her training and slip backwards while we were gone. So we looked around for a "board and train" facility and we found one that seemed to fit our needs and budget and Topi went there for 4 weeks of boot camp! They worked really hard with her on her leash training and the basic obedience stuff and got her to the point where she was excellent on a short leash and on a 15 foot lead with come, stay, heel, etc. We got her home and continued the work, but still felt frustrated with her habit of becoming a crazy noodlehead as soon as a distraction like a squirrel, another dog, or a friend came by. And finally, one day when my husband had just left for work she squeezed out the front door past me and before I could grab her she was running full speed across the street to try to catch up with him. She narrowly missed getting run over. I was screaming her name at the top of my lungs and she just didn't listen.

So we decided to try an electronic collar on her and we basically had instant results. We started on the lowest stimulation level (I tested up to a level 20 out of 80 on myself and it feels like touching a doorknob in the winter--a good snap, not pleasant, but not anywhere near real pain.) Luckily, she is so sensitive that we've never had to use a level past 10 and after a couple of snaps at level 10 (out of 80) we now just use the vibrate option which has no shock but makes the collar shake like a cell phone on vibrate mode. Basically using the "snap" in connection with a command helped get it into her thick skull that when we say something important like "Topi Come!" that means she needs to do it or there will be a consequence (and somehow the vibrating collar consequence is enough of a deterrent that she does it.) I'm sure there are plenty of good books that teach how to properly use the electronic collars, so I won't go into details on how our trainer taught us how to use it, but I will say that after one week of using it with her on a long lead where we could practice "come" and "lie down" we had a totally different relationship with Topi. We finally felt that we could trust her to listen to us off leash in a variety of situations even when she wasn't wearing the collar (but we basically made her wear the collar all the time for a couple of months so that she forgot all about it).

So after we felt like we had her attention when we needed it, we decided to try rabbit introductions again. We first took her on a long walk and got her both good and tired and in her working mode where she knew she was supposed to be attentive to our commands. We then put her and the rabbits in our kitchen and blocked it off so that everyone had to be in close quarters, but we put our coffee table in one corner so that the rabbits had a safe spot to be under if they wanted to. And finally, we had Topi's collar on and had made a rule that anytime she approached within a foot of the rabbits we told her "No" and if she didn't listen we would give her a "snap" with the collar. Our other rule was that we would reinforce our female rabbit's lunging (she lunges and growls when she feels threatened) with a "snap." The results were pretty amazing. After 2 snaps with the collar at the appropriate times the dog lay down on her bed and enjoyed a treat while the buns hopped around the kitchen. After only a few minutes of Topi being calm, the buns approached her for a few sniffs and then retreated to their area under the table. We let everyone hang out for about 30 minutes and then called it quits. I did this every night for about a week.

After that week, we started giving the buns and the dog free rein in other parts of the house where the bunnies were used to being, so that they knew the places to hide if they were feeling freaked out. I only a couple of times had to zap Topi with her collar because she was getting overly excited, and this was mainly because the rabbits were feeling so relaxed about the dog at this point that they were starting to run around and do their running and jumping displays, and that was very hard for the dog not to be excited about. But I guess about two weeks after the initial re-introduction in the kitchen, after a 20 or 30 minute supervised session, the dog started to really ignore the rabbits almost completely. She still tries to sniff them and steal their treats from time to time, but a growl from Magpie or a "no" from me will get her to leave them alone. We've now gotten to the point where the bunnies and the dog all hang out together for several hours each day, even when I'm not home or am home but am in a different part of the house. So I feel at this point that we have a real success story! Crow and Magpie just celebrated their 6th birthdays and the dog is 2, so hopefully we'll have several more years of peaceful interaction.

I hope that our story is helpful to some of your readers. It's a scary process, but I think that with the right dog it can surely work.

- posted for Alex by Michelle N.

Face to Face Impressions

2008-11-30T22:10:00.000-06:00

Well as I mentioned in my last post, I thought it was about time for a face to face. Herbie had calmed down about the ferocious smell of Millie, and we thought he would be ready to meet her face to face.

We decided to start in the living room. Millie would be in a sit/stay on her bed with me and Herbie would be in his pen with Joe and lots of treats to distract. We were very pleased with the results. There was no thumping, no whining, and a good amount of curiosity between the bars. Millie stayed very nicely, curious about what was going on, but not fixated. Herbie enjoyed the treats, took some time to smell and look through the bars, but eventually got tired of being trapped in his pen (about 15 minutes in).

The session was going so well that we decided to do a more traditional bunny bonding session. Both pets would be in the enclosure with supervision. This went well also, a little bit of curiosity on the part of both Millie and Herbie, but after a while, casual indifference. I pet both simultaneously, mixing scents. Before long, both were lounged out in complete satisfaction.

Over the last few days, we have had a few more of these sessions. We've also allowed both Herbie and Millie to be out in the living room together as long as we are keeping close supervision. The last few days of interactions in the living room have been a few curious sniffs here and there. Right now, both are getting more accustomed to the others movements and behaviors. When Herbie is out romping, I have Millie lay on her bed. When Millie wants to romp a bit, I make sure that Herbie is in a safe location in his favorite lounging spot.

While our bun and dog are not what I would call best friends at this point, after only a week, they are tolerable of each other. Stay tuned for more to come!

Our First Few Days

2008-11-26T17:48:00.000-06:00

What an exciting week! My husband Joe and I have been looking for a dog to bring into our home for several weeks now. We've visited the pound, searched web lists, etc. trying to find just the right companion for our Herbie.

Herbie is a 4 year old male lop rabbit. He was a rescue as well. We got him to bond with our female rabbit Luna who had survived two other bunny husbuns. Luna passed away about two years ago and Herbie has been a bachelor ever since. He seems to think it's fine, not having to share treats or attention with another rabbit, but we think he would like to have another animal to share his life with as much as we would. Herbie is an extremely friendly and extroverted bunny, but when it comes to other animals (ie. the cat the came wandering into our house one day), he is pretty terrified.

So we've been on the search. Debating...puppy or adult dog, what breed, etc... We settled on going with a herding breed because of their high intellegence and good behavior with other animals. We had both had Shelties growing up so that was an option. But, we also were looking at Corgies, Border Collies, and Autrailian Shepherds. The smaller the better since we have a smaller house. We found a few Corgie/Border Collie mixes, a few Aussies, but nothing seemed quite right. Of course we were tempted to go with a puppie because of the cuteness factor. However, we thought a puppy might be too scary for Herbie with sudden movements, wanting to play etc. So, well trained adult dog it was.

We kept our eyes open for a few weeks, and as soon as we saw the posting, we knew we had found the right dog. Millie is a 4 year old Sheltie, EXTREMELY well trained, and abosolutely the sweetest dog you've ever met. Her family was being forced to give her up because they had a toddler in the house that was terrorizing her. Millie ended up having to live most of her time outdoors to avoid the child. And so, her family thought it would be best for her to go to a home where she could have loads of love and and indoor home. We brought Millie home last Friday. We've been spending the last few days getting to know her and visa-versa. She is a wonderful dog.

Day 1: Herbie's space is in the laundry room. When we're at home, he's free to roam the house - in particular the living/dining room. The laundry room is normally closed off by a baby gate, but for the meantime, we'll keep the door closed to eliminate any suprise encounters. Now that Millie is here, her space will be our bedroom. This is where she will go when Herbie is out for his runs. We brought Millie home this evening. She spent the evening exploring the living room area and getting to know us. Towards the end of the evening, we put her in the bedroom and allowed Herbie to come out and have his usuall romp. As soon as his little paws hit the living room carpet, he knew something fishy was going on. He darted to his little corner, and told us how unhappy he was for several minutes with lots of thumping. We didn't force him to roam around tonight, just get used to the unusual smells.

Day 2: Millie gets a bath, a leash, and some breath cleaners...she's very stinky from being an outdoor dog for several months and she needs a beauty treatment. She spends the remainder of the day lounging in the center of the living room on the rug, her new favorite spot. She seems completely disinterested in sniffing around Herbie's favorite living room areas. In the evening we put her in the bedroom again and allow Herbie out. By now, he knows he doesn't even want to leave the laundry room, but we force him out and shut the door. He retreats to his corner in the living room. Very little thumping tonight, just very jumpy. Towards the end of the evening we coax him out with a little apple. He grabs it and runs right back to his hiding place.

Day 3: Same routine, except for an improvement in Herbie's behavior. No thumping. He's curious enough to come out of hiding, sniff around a bit, beg for treats, and lay down for pets in an area that Millie was previously sleeping.

Day 4: Continued improvement. We don't have to force Herbie from his room any longer for his run at night. Just a little apple coaxing does the trick. He roams around the living room, even venturing out onto the rug that Millie has been lying on all day. I've also been trying to mix their scents a bit, brushing each animal with the other's brush.

At this point, I think we're almost ready for a visual introduction. I'll let you know how it goes!

New Poster on Board!

2008-11-21T14:38:00.000-06:00

I'm pleased to announce a new guest poster for Dog Meets Bunny!

Missy and her husband Joe have been bunny parents for seven years. They've done a couple of bunny bondings over that time, so they have lots of bunny experience. Right now they have a "single" rabbit, Herbie, who lost his bunny companion about a year and a half ago. They've wanted to get another friend for him, but were hesitant because they'd really like to move in the direction of a dog. They've been searching for the perfect dog for about a month now, and think they may have found the perfect one. She's a four-year-old Sheltie, who's well trained and needs adoption.

Missy and Joe have been studying the advice on Dog Meets Bunny as well as others, and are ready to take the plunge. We'll see how they do!

THE CAST

Herbie: One Busy Bunny

Millie: The Perfect Pup?

Joe and Missy: Patient Pet Parents

Settling into our new home

2008-10-11T09:53:00.000-05:00

We've settled into our new apartment - everyone is enjoying the extra space to run and play. Sydney and Butters' interactions are still limited by us. We try to keep it to when Sydney is calm and more on the tired side. It's also been important for her to understand Butters is not a super soft puppy she can rough house with! But her obedience training has helped and we can usually put her in a sit/down stay. As before, we're still taking in slow. Its more for Sydney - waiting for her to mature and be less rambunctious, as well as always keeping their interactions calm, quiet and positive. Check out the photos - we're really happy with their progress and they are super cute together

Online Resources

2008-08-03T09:28:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons I created this blog was because there aren't a lot of online sources talking about bonding and living with dogs and rabbits together. So, here are listed some of the best ones I could find. If you know of others, please post them in the comments.

When Fido Met Thumper (Dogs and Rabbits) - An article from the House Rabbit Society website, which is full of other useful info.

Bunnies and Dogs - Together? - An article from the Wisconsin House Rabbit News

How to Introduce Rabbits to Other Pets - The basic, stripped-down steps from eHow.com

Bonding: Rabbits Need Friends Too! - A short section in this article from adoptarabbit.com on bonding rabbit to dog.

Buddies for Your Bunny - A quick overview on bonding rabbits with dogs is included in this article.

Can Dogs & Rabbits Live Together Happily Ever After? - One pet owner's experience, from the House Rabbit Network's website.

Bunny - Puppy Relations, Can Rabbits and Dogs be Friends? - Another answer to the question from an avid bunny lover.

Dogs and Rabbits Have Much in Common - A list of similarities observed by one pet owner, for those who don't know what to expect.

How are Rabbits Different from Cats & Dogs? - An overview of important differences from the Sacramento House Rabbit Society.

Choosing a Rabbit-friendly Dog (PDF) - Downloadable article from the Rabbits in the House newsletter.

Is it bad for my bunny to snack on dog or cat food? - Answer from a vet on VeterinaryPartner.com's Q&A

FAQ: Housing - Rabbits don't have pads on their paws like dogs, so the wire flooring in a cage can cut through a rabbit's feet! Learn more in this article on housing from the House Rabbit Society.

Choosing a Rabbit-Savvy Vet

2008-07-31T19:44:00.001-05:00

One of the most important things you can do for your pet rabbit is to choose a rabbit-savvy vet. Especially if you already have a vet for your cat or dog, don't just assume your rabbit will be fine seeing him, too. "But my vet SAYS he sees rabbits!" you say? Still, be cautious, and take my story as a warning ...

I spoiled my first bunny Loki like you wouldn't believe. He actually refused to eat veggies, since he was so used to getting crackers as treats almost every day (the equivalent of a Big Mac for a bunny!). He was seriously overweight (okay, obese). Then one day he stopped eating. He droppings were tiny, and he didn't want to come out of his cage at night. Since I didn't have a vet already, I took him to the vet that my brother-in-law used for his cat. I told the vet that he'd lost a LOT of weight, probably half his body weight, and wouldn't eat. She said that it was probably just because he was lonely because I'd been gone for a few weeks for summer school. He died in less than a week, from the most common killer of pet rabbits: GI Stasis.

A rabbit-savvy vet would have recognized the symptoms immediately. But your typical cat or dog vet wouldn't necessarily, because rabbits are "exotics" with a very different metabolism. Be sure the vet you choose specializes in rabbits.

So, how do you find a specialist rabbit vet? Don't wait until you have an emergency; instead, call around to a variety of vets and ask who they refer their clients to for serious rabbit cases. Then, don't just ask if they'll see rabbits since many will say "yes," meaning "yes, I'd like to have your business" rather than "yes, I'm specially trained in rabbit care." Ask the "trick" rabbit questions ...

Ask how many rabbit clients they currently have.
How many rabbits has the vet has spayed/neutered and the success rate (the loss rate should be almost none ... 99.5% is average success rate for specialists).
Does the vet withhold food and water prior to surgery in rabbits? (The right answer is no. Rabbits can't vomit, so there's no risk of that during surgery, and rabbits should never be allowed to have empty digestive tracts because of the risk of GI Stasis.)
Ask if they know which antibiotics are dangerous for rabbits (amoxicillin and most of the "...cillin" drugs like penicillin).
What's the best way to prevent hairballs? (Answer: Provide your rabbit with hay every day, preferably 24 hours a day. Provide daily exercise and brush frequently.)
You might also want to ask which conferences they've attended lately that had talks about rabbit medicine and what journals they read. You want your vet to be up on the latest in rabbit treatment.

You can find these and other questions on the House Rabbit Society's FAQ on finding a good vet and questions to ask before spaying/neutering . The HRS also keeps a recommended vets list that might be helpful, and your local rabbit rescue group likely keeps a similar list.

Finding a rabbit-savvy vet is worth the effort. I drive an hour across the city to get to mine, but I rest easy knowing that my bunnies get the best care possible. After all, paying a vet who doesn't specialize in rabbits is just throwing your money away, and can cost the life of your pet.

On the Importance of Spaying/Neutering

2008-07-31T17:20:00.000-05:00

Probably the number one thing you can do to make bonding work is to spay/neuter your rabbit. Why? you ask. Well, for many reasons ...

Unfixed rabbits are sexually aggressive animals. You'll never see two rabbits meet for the first time and start playing together, like dogs in a dog park might. In the best cases they stay warily at opposite sides of their space. At their more typical they lunge at each other, bite, mount, and pull out fur. Watching your beloved Thumper become part of a roiling ball of teeth-gnashing fur with another animal is not fun, believe me.

Fixed rabbits are calmer, less prone to destructive behavior like digging and chewing, they don't spray urine, they're easier to litter train, females have a drastically longer life when the 85% risk of uterine cancer is removed ... and of most interest to us is the fact that they're less aggressive when the urge to mate is removed. That means less hormone-induced biting, lunging, circling, and growling, and so an easier bond weather it be with a rabbit or with another pet like a cat or dog.

Plus, by spaying/neutering you'll be sure not to accidentally contribute to the rabbit overpopulation problem ... remember that rabbits are the third most abandoned pet after cats and dogs.

For more information on the importance of spaying/neutering as it relates to bonding rabbits, visit www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

And for info on choosing a rabbit-savvy vet, see www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html (I'll be writing more on this topic soon!).

Week 4: First date

2008-05-27T11:13:00.002-05:00

So the other weekend, we brought Sydney and Butters to the landing in our apartment building's stairwell. We put a sheet down for traction as the stairwell is tiled. I held Sydney and Ricky held Butters. Once we were situated in the stairwell, we just let the two mingle in the space. We made sure Sydney was very tired - so less likely to act too playful. After 5 mins of quiet 'inspection' by Sydney, we felt like "What now?" The two got along very well. Mainly, because Butters was extremely laid back about the whole situation and allowed Sydney to smell, lick and be right in his face. For this meeting we really allowed the two to do whatever and I only pulled Sydney back a couple times when she got a little excited. I was always able to call her over to sit for a treat. She is currently enrolled in puppy kindergarten so once she is more reliable with Sit, we'll try another date but this time ask her to sit for a short time and let Butters move around her.

Whenever they interact through the baby gate that separates them, it is always inquisitive or playful (on Sydney's end).

I've also attached Sydney to me with a leash while I did the dishes in the kitchen (Butters main headquarters) and all has been quiet. Hopefully, the next date will go just as well.

Week 2

2008-05-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

Before we brought Sydney home, we set up what was to become 'her space' (i.e. our living room). The crate, food dishes and potty area (she is being paper trained due to us living on the 5th floor of a walk up building in nyc) were set up at least a week before as well as a gate which divides the living room and dining room/kitchen where Butters resides. We hoped this would help Butters get used to not having access to the living room, but also the new sites and objects that would become the puppy stuff.

For the first week after we brought Sydney home (she was just 8 weeks old) it was mainly spent on focusing on her - getting her settled, accustomed to us, on a scheduled and starting basic training. After a week she is pretty reliable (95%) with her paper training (she must go on a space the size of an open newspaper, so its not too big). She is doing really good with "sit" especially if there is a treat involved! We also made sure to continue giving Butters his regular treats and attention and even working on petting him after handling the puppy to get him accustomed to the smells of the new puppy.

While we do have the puppy and rabbit in separate rooms and we usually keep the door closed, throughout the first 2 weeks we have occasionally left the door open with a small gate in place. Sydney is still learning to sit quietly in front of the gate (like when we leave the room), and she has definitely noticed the presence of Butters as he has free roam of the dining room. We kept these visual encounters short - Butters has seemed fairly carefree about the puppy - walking around, eating, stretching, sitting on his "pillow" for treats. It was also important for Butters to hear and see how Sydney acts.

Sydney is very curious about Butters - She seems to think he'll be a great playmate. Since Sydney has learned "Sit" I try to keep her in a sit while she is watching Butters and although she is interested, she is not fixated.

Last night was actually a big night - in my opinion - yet it was not a planned "date" or meeting. Ricky had left the living room and I was playing with Sydney on the floor. We left the door open, but the gate up in place. Ricky gave a treat to Butters (who is trained to sit on his pillow for a treat) which put Butters less than a foot away from Sydney. She remained fairly calm, but definitely intrigued. I gave her treats and asked her to sit, but mostly just let them be close. Butters finished his treat and came right up to the gate for some one-on-one sniffing and than moved casually away, because like most rabbits, he had something better to do. See a couple shots below.

You can see the gate in place and the proximity of the two - I thought it was very successful as neither party became overly stressed, excited or another very highly possible emotion. Stay tuned for our next installment. We might try to have a date with the two this weekend.

Intro

2008-05-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

Hello!

We have just recently brought home an 8 week old female Boston Terrier puppy named Sydney. She has joined our small household which is also shared by an equally adorable Jersey Wooley rabbit named Butters. After reading about all of the other experiences on this blog, I knew that when we did bring her home this would be a great place to share our story.

Please join us on this journey. We'd love to hear any advice, comments or shared experiences!

Liz & Ricky

First Steps

2008-05-07T08:31:00.000-05:00

My husband and I have a new dog, Topi, who is a German shepherd/hound cross that we brought home from a rescue group about 2 months ago. We also have 2 houserabbits that we've had for around 6 years -- Crow and Magpie.

Since we've had the dog, the poor buns have basically been on lockdown as we have been really working with Topi to get basic obedience commands down pat. She is a really sweet girl, but has a lot of puppy in her and definitely wants to act excitedly around the rabbits. There is no sign of aggression on her part, but she just really wants to play with the rabbits, and they are terrified of her. Crow, our male rabbit just wants to run away. Magpie, our female, stands her ground and lunges at Topi when she gets too close. We have been trying to have the dog on leash on a down stay when the rabbits are in the house, and that has been pretty frustrating for everyone.

So yesterday we hired a trainer to come to the house, and she suggested a few things which we are going to start working on. They seem like good ideas, so I thought I'd tell you about them in case you want to let other people know. The first thing we did was to have my husband hold Topi while I sat on the floor with Magpie, the calmer of the two rabbits, on my lap. We then had Topi come up to us and lie down. I then spent about 5 minutes petting the rabbit and the dog and making a big fuss over what a good dog Topi is, giving her treats, etc. She also was allowed to gently sniff Magpie, but my husband had a firm grip on her collar so that she was forced to stay down and not get too pushy. After about 5 minutes of that, we released the rabbit and praised the dog for not getting up to chase her (she couldn't have even if she'd wanted to because she was being restrained still) and then the rabbit was allowed to hang out in a safe space and take a break for a few minutes (this was under our kitchen table). We then walked the dog over on her leash and had her lie down near the rabbit, next to the table. As soon as the dog tried to wiggle under the table to smell the rabbit, we walked her away and then had her lie down again next to the table.

The rabbit was happy to ignore her and focused on washing off all the gross dog cooties. Our trainer explained this exercise as giving the dog a chance to investigate the rabbit's territory in a controlled way, showing the rabbit that the dog would be respectful in the rabbit's space and showing the dog how to act respectfully in the rabbit's space while being allowed to satisfy her curiosity about the rabbit's smell. We were told to repeat these exercises several times with each of the rabbits. Since Crow is more skittish and nervous about the dog, we only had him go through the sitting on the lap exercise one time, but we'll work with him to build on that so he can understand that we won't let the dog hurt him.

The second kind of activity that the trainer suggested we try involves using a baby gate or other see-through barrier to separate the dog and the rabbits, but to let them each move freely in their space. So this morning we blocked the buns in our kitchen and the dog spent most of the morning watching the buns through the baby gate. Crow spent most of the morning moving around as little as possible, but Magpie hopped up to the baby gate and touched noses with the dog several times, which was great. Again, the trainer stressed the importance of effusive praise and rewards for the dog.

Let the dog know that being nice to the bunnies means you'll love her even more, rather than having the buns just be a source of disappointment and frustration for the dog. We plan to also try blocking the dog in our foyer and letting the buns run around the living room and the opposite arrangement in the kitchen where the dog is blocked in and the rabbits are blocked out.

- posted for Alex by Michelle N.

Raining Cats & Dogs

2008-05-06T17:41:00.001-05:00

Okay, not so much the cats, but the dogs DEFINITELY! I've just finished arrangements for a SECOND new guest poster to start an episode on Dog Meets Bunny.

Alex and her husband have a new dog, Topi, who is a German shepherd/hound cross that they brought home from a rescue group about 2 months ago. They also have 2 houserabbits that they've had for around 6 years -- Crow and Magpie. They've been working on obedience with Topi so far, even hiring a trainer to come to the house. We'll see what happens next!

THE CAST

Crow & Magpie:

Lounging Lagomorphs

Topi: The Playful Pup

Alex: Able Animal Lover

New Guest Poster

2008-05-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to announce a new guest poster coming soon to Dog Meets Bunny. Liz and her husband Ricky just brought home an 8-week-old Boston Terrier puppy, and also live with a 6-year-old Jersey Wooley rabbit named Butters. At this point they haven't yet done any "introducing" -- rabbit and puppy just know each other exist in the same apartment. We'll see how things progress!

THE CAST

Sydney: New Dog on the Block

Butters: The Doubting Bunny

Liz & Ricky: Their Perseverant People

GI Stasis: The Silent Killer

2008-04-12T09:55:00.000-05:00

I was replying to a comment, and realized that it might be worth talking about GI Stasis in a more prominent place.

When under stress (as when being bonded to another animal) or if they have other health problems, the gastrointestinal system of a rabbit can shut down as a reaction, which can lead to death. Symptoms are refusing to eat, weight loss, sluggishness, and very small droppings in their litterbox. This can come on VERY quickly ... just in a manner of a day or two. Rabbits are designed to eat almost all the time, which is why having free access to hay at all times is so important ... that constant eating keeps the GI tract moving. If your rabbit hasn't eaten in a day, seek medical attention from a rabbit-savvy vet immediately!

And remember, rabbits are an "exotic" pet with a very different metabolism than cats or dogs. Be sure the vet you see specializes in rabbits. Don't just ask if they'll see rabbits since many will say yes when they shouldn't. Ask the "trick" rabbit questions ... see the House Rabbit Society's article on this for suggestions.

I lost my first rabbit to GI Stasis, so I try to tell people about it when I can. See Dana Krempels' excellent article on the subject for more info.

Week 5

2007-10-14T07:34:00.000-05:00

It's been 3 weeks already! I choose not to chime in the last few weeks because there wasn't much progression. Well, let me rephrase that; there wasn't much visible progression. I'm sure in both Kozi and Buckwheat's minds, a lot of things have changed.

By now, Kozi spends most of time outside of his crate. The downside to this? Buckwheat spends less time in the living room! Right now, both animals cannot occupy the same space, so Buckwheat is forced to stay mostly in the bedroom.

Our children's safety gate finally arrived! Living in Japan it was hard to find an affordable gate, so we ordered one. Anyways, it came in today and we immediately set it up. Both Buckwheat and Kozi were immediately interested. I think at first there interest only went as far as the gate. And then they realized there was another animal on the other side!

This experience actually went better then expected. Kozi did not get over excited. He payed a little more attention to Buckwheat then previously mentioned, but not enough

Intro

2007-09-20T23:55:00.000-05:00

3 weeks ago Sachiko and I decided to bring home a 3 month old Shiba Inu puppy. The problem is, we have a 8 month old Netherlands Dwarf mix bunny! How are we suppose to get the two to live peacefully together? It's going to be a long and interesting journey, but we're up for it.

Please join us as we explore integrating an energetic Shiba puppy into the life of a spoiled mischievous bunny. We are making no assumptions, except that it will take persistence and patience. We want to share our experiences with others who are trying to cohabit a puppy and bunny. Please share your experiences as well!

Jason and Sachiko

Dwarf Netherland V. Shar Pei

2007-09-13T13:42:00.000-05:00

One of our readers sent us a link to her pet rabbit's web page. She says:

I just introduced my 2 pound dwarf to a 66 lb Shar Pei mix. It went really well. I expect that over time they will be friends. If you are interested, here are some pictures:

www.princesscarlotta.blogspot.com/

Week 2

2007-09-09T05:29:00.000-05:00

This week, we let Kozi out of his crate for a few hours at a time. During this time we put Buckwheat in the bedroom. Also, if we weren't home, Buckwheat stayed in the bedroom (or his cage) . We didn't want to take the chance of Kozi getting out of his crate (although very unlikely).

Sachiko and I really didn't know where to start with all this. Everything we had read about dogs and rabbits cohabiting together involved older dogs, already trained basic obedience. Kozi is just a pup! We have to teach him to listen to us before we can even think about letting him near Buckwheat. So there's going to be a lot of trial and error here. Not to mention a slow process. Normally this process is slow, but with an untrained puppy, we have slowed our walk to a crawl.

As far as bonding goes, we didn't do much this week. We kept both separate from each other. I would let Buckwheat smell my hands after just petting Kozi, and vice versa. Buckwheat might stop in front of Kozi's crate while passing by just to check out the scene. But as I said last week, Kozi doesn't pay much notice.

So this week is short. We are still letting everything soak in. One thing we make sure of though is to give Buckwheat the same attention he received before Kozi arrived. We don't want him to feel like he's been replaced! If you have any questions or comments, give us a shout!

Jason

A New Story

2007-09-03T14:09:00.000-05:00

Last year my friend Amy adopted a German Shepherd and then bonded him with her two bunnies. Amy wanted to help other people who were trying to bond dogs and rabbits, so I created this website where she could chronicle the process. As the story progressed, we got a lot of comments from people who really appreciated seeing a first-hand narrative of Amy's experience ... a kind of diary of her individual experience.

Now that Amy has finished bonding her pets, the site hasn't been as active ... but instead of letting it stay idle, I want to see it grow! We've found someone new to take up where Amy left off, and tell the story of his own bonding experience with dogs and bunnies ... his new story should be starting up in the next few weeks.

Also, I just put together a new website at catmeetsbunny.blogspot.com for cat and bunny bonds. We're looking for someone who recently adopted a rabbit into a cat family (or vice versa), who has some solid bunny knowledge, and who is moderately computer savvy. We want you to be our first "guest poster" on that site! All you'd need to do is write up weekly summaries of what you're doing and how things work out each time you introduce them. Amy actually had a lot of fun doing it, and it can be really rewarding.

If you're interested in being a part of the Cat Meets Bunny project, or if you're considering bringing a new bunny into your dog household and would like to be considered for Dog Meets Bunny's next opening, please email me and tell me a little bit about yourself. Thanks, and good luck with your bonding!

Week 1

2007-09-02T22:07:00.000-05:00

This first week was not very adventurous. When we got home with Kozi last Sunday, Buckwheat's cage was in the living room. Before we went to bed, we ended up moving his cage into our bedroom. We didn't want him freaking out by the new smell of a new puppy, just 10 feet away in his own crate.

The next day, we decided to let Buckwheat out into the living room while Kozi was in his crate. Buckwheat was definately nervous about the new addition. He would inch himself close to the crate, but never within 2 feet. He did a lot of sniffing... Kozi did a lot of ignoring. We wanted Buckwheat to feel like, although there was an intrusion into 'his' home, we didn't want him to feel like he was getting replaced or that his freedom was being taken away from him. Infact, we probably spoiled him a little bit too much over the next few days. He left him out of his cage for two days straight, restrained to our bedroom while we slept.

We feel that, actually, this two day freedom helped him get use to Kozi being in the home. Since Kozi was kept in his crate for the first week, there was no need to fear Kozi. By the second day, Buckwheat felt comfortable roaming around in the living room (the first day he pretty much lounged in the bedroom). He even felt comfortable enough to relax and lay down in the living room.

During this whole time, Kozi didn't even recognize Buckwheat's existence. He was more interested in looking out for approaching feet in hopes he would receive some more attention.

Next week, Kozi will be let out of his crate for an hour or so at a time. Meanwhile, Buckwheat will be stuck to the confines of our bedroom. We don't want to rush things too fast! It will be awhile before we let the two come face to face with each other. Kozi is a young, energetic puppy and needs a lot of obedience training before we will trust Buckwheat's safety with him!

Thanks for reading! Please post your comments and questions so that other can learn from our experiences!

THE CAST

Kozi: The Energetic Puppy

Buckwheat: The Mischievious Bunny

Jason & Sachiko: Intrepid Pet Owners

Share Your Experience!

2007-08-27T13:28:00.000-05:00

Lot’s of people have questions about bonding unlikely breeds of dogs with bunnies or bonding puppies and bunnies. These are questions that I don’t have the experience to answer – but I bet some of you reading this do!

I’d really like to hear from readers who have successfully bonded their bunny with a dog or puppy. What did you do? What didn’t work? Or, if you are in the middle of the process, how is it going? People with experience bonding puppies and bunnies please chime in. Your experiences could be invaluable to others who are trying to walk the same road!

Update On Our Progress

2006-10-05T11:34:00.000-05:00

Has it really been three months since my last post? What's been going on? Well, I'm happy to report that Rose and the rabbits are very peacefully coexisting. All parties seem to be quite used to and even comfortable around each other. Much co-lounging, co-snoozing, and happy bunny romping (unimpeded by the dog police) has occured.

Here is a picture from about two weeks ago of Mouse and Rose. This is completely unposed - they chose to relax next to each other like this. Looking back, you can see that we've come a loooong way in 5 months!

Rose's painful hip dysplasia has continued to hamper her mobility. We are hoping to replace her worst hip, but in the meantime, she goes to swim therapy every 10 days, which really helps her to feel better. Thank you Andrea Z. for your good advice! Here's a picture of Rose hard at work in the pool.

I've received several comments from people bringing dogs into their bunny homes, and I want to reiterate some of the basics of the bonding process that I believe really work:

First of all, be patient. Be willing to move through the process slowly. Remember that you are dealing with a sturdy predator and a delicate prey animal.

You can introduce the animals to each other via smells (brushed fur, litter box, bedding, etc.) long before they ever meet face to face. This will help take some of the surprise out of the face to face meeting.

I can't stress this enough: set your dog up to succeed. Start out on a positive note with your dog and reinforce her good behavior! Use praise and treats and reward her whenever she meets your expectations.

Try to make each interaction a positive experience for both animals. Don't make the bunnies a source of frustration for the dog and don't make the dog a source of fear for the bunnies.

Train your dog well. Use cues that your dog can understand to reinforce his "lower" position in the pack: feed the bunnies first, put her (on leash) in a down-stay while the bunnies have free roam, greet the bunnies in the morning before you greet the dog, etc. Make sure your dog has a "Ph.d" in Sit, Stay, Down, Down-stay. I also use the word Gentle to indicate "relax, calm down, no sudden moves".

Never let your dog chase or bully your rabbits. Don't let your dog bark at your rabbits. This is unacceptable behavior.

I strongly discourage you from making your first move waltzing a dog into your home to "show" your bunnies. Holy terrifying startlement for the bunnies, batman! Holy over-excitement for the dog, Robin! This is called setting up for chaos. Please don't do this.

I wish you success in bonding your dog to your bunnies and creating a happy multi-species household. We know now that it certainly can be done!

Rose Finds Her Voice and It’s a Growl! Plus 5 New Pics!

2006-07-02T19:25:00.000-05:00

In my last update I reported that I was using a bunny bonding technique sometimes called “dating” to introduce Rose and the bunnies. Shortly after writing that update I discontinued the “dating”. The bunnies were spending the whole dating session obsessively biting the bars of the enclosure trying to return to their house. Rose would sit patiently on her bed and practically fall asleep. There was no interaction between the three, and none of the benign neglect that you might see in a regular bunny bonding session: grooming, flopping over, nose-to-nose greetings, etc. It didn’t feel like the sessions were productive, so I had to rethink my approach.

Since then, I have just focused on letting the rabbits out of their house whenever they wanted and supervising as they came out to explore. Rose would generally be snoozing somewhere, and I discovered that when Mouse would hop up to sniff her she would sometimes utter a low growl under her breath at him. She wouldn’t sit up or assume any aggressive body language. She didn’t show any teeth. This was more of a very quiet warning growl. Unfortunately, Rose doesn’t understand that Mouse doesn’t speak her language, and her ‘growling as warning’ has no effect on him whatsoever. He would continue to invade her personal space and get right up in her snout.

This worried me quite a lot. At first I would give her a very stern and forceful “NO” command. Saying no always gets her attention and she acts very submissive when it happens. But saying no seemed to have no lasting effect: she would growl again in the same situation a day or two later. I really believe that the negative reinforcement of “NO” is much less effective than the positive reinforcement of saying “good dog, gentle dog”. So I started really watching what was happening when Mouse would hop up to Rose. Before she had an opportunity to growl I was already praising her, saying “good dog! Gentle girl!” After a week or so of this positive reinforcement we haven’t heard any growling at all.

We have now gotten to the point where the bunnies can be out of their house whenever there is someone home to casually supervise what’s going on. If I am taking a shower I put them in their house. If I am in the kitchen making dinner, I let them out. Mouse has gotten so bold with Rose that he has used her body as a launching pad for jumps several times. And Rose has gotten so good with the rabbits that she only looks perplexed when this happens. Thankfully Rose hasn’t shown any signs of food aggression, and just looks on when the rabbits get a treat on my lap. Of course, this led her to believe that eating a prune might be of interest to her too, but after several minutes of rolling it around in her mouth she decided maybe not.

There is a tendency for a dog like Rose to want to police or supervise what the rabbits are doing. I have made it clear to her that this is not her job, but mine. When Mouse is creating a ruckus in another room and Rose hears it, she is likely to go trotting off after him to police his behavior. I will intercept her and remind her to mind her own business, that it’s my job to patrol the rabbits. I also never speak in a threatening or angry way with the bunnies. It’s important to never give the dog reason to think she should step in to protect me or to support me in opposition to the rabbits.

The most important things that we are doing right now are keeping up with the praise and positive reinforcement of Rose’s good behavior. I keep reinforcing her role in the pack as “below” that of the bunnies. I feed the bunnies before I feed Rose. I let Mouse climb on her and praise her for being gentle. I also make a point of talking to Mouse and Duchess in front of Rose, telling them that they are good bunnies, I love you, etc. This way she can learn that they are valued members of the pack.

She is a really smart dog and it hasn’t taken much to drive these points home to her. We are hoping that as things become even more comfortable and stable that we will see more friendly interactions between the three.

Training News, Vet Update, And The Meet & Greet

2006-06-05T15:56:00.001-05:00

We met with Rose’s personal trainer (The Spotted Dog Obedience Training: anna_mann72@yahoo.com) the evening of May 23rd. After taking a long walk with us Anna somewhat jokingly said, “I can’t help you – this dog is already perfect!” Anna gave us some instruction on how to work on a few concepts with Rose: Focus, Sit-Stay, Down-Stay, and Come. We think that Rose already knows most of this stuff and it’s just a matter of waking that knowledge up and reinforcing it again. Over the last few weeks I have been working a little each day with Rose as Anna instructed. Rose is incredibly responsive and happy to work – of course, that could be the result of the chicken jerky treats she gets during the training session!

Rose saw an orthopedic surgeon on June 2nd. He doesn’t believe that Rose is experiencing any pain from her hip dysplasia. In addition, he didn’t see any evidence of spinal neuropathy, which is great news. He didn’t think that Rose was a candidate for a total hip replacement surgery and considered her to be doing really well, especially in light of how her x-ray’s look. I’ll probably get yet another opinion because I’m just paranoid that way.

Okay, so here’s the biggest and best news: Rose, Mouse and Duchess have been ‘dating’ since May 26th! I’ve been treating their getting to know each other (all up close and personal) just as I would a bunny bonding session. Rose and the bunnies have been fabulous. Rose knows that I expect her to lie down for the entire session (about 15 minutes). She will turn her body from left to right to watch the bunnies wherever they are, but she stays down the whole time. The bunnies mostly ignore her, but will occasionally hop up to smell her, or to touch noses with her. The bonding takes place in a space about 6’ x 6’ with nothing in it, just us. I try to remain in the background as much as possible, and just stay alert to supervise.

After bonding several times over a period of about one week, I moved the bunnies and their house from the second bedroom back to their original place in the living room. I just missed the rabbits too much for them to be in that bedroom any longer. For now they must be locked in their house except during these three times: when I am directly supervising run time, when Rose is out for her morning and evening walks with Ed, or during the bonding session.

Rose has been an angel with the bunnies, very patient and gentle. Mouse is getting braver and braver in interacting with Rose, regularly touching noses. Duchess doesn’t seem fazed by Rose during the bonding sessions, but hasn’t approached her outside of a bonding session yet.

I’ll be continuing with Rose’s individual training and with the bonding sessions a little bit every day. Stay tuned for more bonding updates!

Good News & Bad News

2006-05-22T14:38:00.000-05:00

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Rose had her first veterinary exam this past weekend and after a series of X-rays we found out that she has stage five hip dysplasia. Sad news. This diagnosis explains why she moves like a much older dog when she is getting up from a nap or climbing the stairs. After checking her over the vet thought that she is probably closer in age to seven years old than six. We are waiting to hear back on the blood work and urinalysis test results. We are hoping that in every other way she is strong and healthy. In the next weeks we’ll be exploring our options for ways to manage or treat Rose’s hip dysplasia. If anyone has experience living with an older dog with hip dysplasia, we’d love for you to post a comment and share.

For the 24 hours following the veterinary exam Rose was completely knocked out – obviously feeling very uncomfortable and ill. This was our first experience seeing her in pain. Today she is back to her usual good spirits and enjoying being outside on walks again.

The good news is that Rose and the bunnies have been very peacefully coexisting (the bunnies from their side of the baby gate and Rose on her side). All behaviors are very positive: mostly just benign neglect with some inquisitive sniffing and looking by both parties.

Everyone has been so good that Ed and I decided to try a little more direct exposure. I brought Rose's doggie bed into the second bedroom and placed it next to my desk. Then I shut the bunnies into their condo, put Rose on leash, and brought her into the second bedroom. I let her smell around the bunny house for just a minute, and then had her sit down on her doggie bed. The bunnies did not thump or react with fear. Mouse immediately commenced biting the bars of the cage door (always his reaction when he discovers the door closed, whether he wants to come out or not)! Rose whined at me and got some attention, then settled down on her bed. I think the bunnies made her nervous because she was whining quite a bit and seemed to want a lot of attention from me. I talked to her soothingly and told her she was a good, gentle dog. I kept the total time of the event to about five minutes.

Ed and I are really missing the presence and companionship of the bunnies at this point. It’s also obvious that the bunnies (especially Mouse) are eager to leave the restrictions of that one room. It is tempting to make introductions before Rose has had her training but we are determined to not rush. We have our first training session tomorrow evening, which will help us move toward our ultimate goal.

Welcome Home Rose

2006-05-15T23:17:00.000-05:00

Though allowed free roam of the house, Mouse and Duchess do have a fancy two-story condo that Ed built for them that they use as their home base. To prepare for Rose’s arrival, I’ve moved the bunny house from the living room to the second bedroom. It’s not ideal, but the bunnies will have to be isolated in the second bedroom for the time being. We’ll be starting off this process using a “belt and suspenders” approach to guarding the doorway: the door itself combined with a sturdy wooden baby gate.

Ed attaches NIC cube panels across the baby gate to ensure that there will be no bunny escapees and no dog jaws pushed through the bars of the gate.

We’ll start off with the door closed so there is no visual contact. Eventually we’ll open the door and just use the gate to prevent physical access. Even at that point we will always be closing the door between the animals when there is no one around to supervise them.

Ed brings home several double thickness boxes and we together we build a large cardboard castle for Mouse and Duchess. We’re putting it in the second bedroom for their entertainment – we’re really sorry you’re limited to the second bedroom right now!

May 4th, 2006. Rose comes home! She thinks this place smells really funky. I’ve deliberately not vacuumed so she is smelling rabbit everywhere. I’m acting like it’s completely normal to have bunnies living in your ‘den’ – “Good girl, Rose!”

It’s easy to understand that everything is new and overwhelming for Rose right now. She’s a senior dog who has been in a shelter, a foster home, and a kennel over the last few months. Right now we’re focusing on helping her to settle in and to feel safe, secure and comfortable. We’ll be providing her with a regular walking, eating, and sleeping schedule. This is what we want to focus on during the next few weeks. Well, plus loving and welcoming her, of course.

My friend the dog trainer, Anna (anna_mann72@yahoo.com for those on the Westside of LA) has recommended that we not dive into training just yet, but rather let Rose settle into her new home and start to relax first. I’ve been told that it can take quite awhile for rescue dogs to truly unwind and ‘be themselves’.

Over the next few days I’m letting Rose smell bunny things as they come out of the bedroom: litter pans, bedding, brushed out fur, the works. “Gentle girl, Rose!” She is learning that my expectation for her behavior when she smells bunnies is to be gentle, calm, relaxed. This is a time for lots of praise and positive reinforcement.

We’ve gotten really lucky because it’s obvious that Rose has been obedience trained. She’s not like a soldier marching in formation, but it’s clear that the basics are there. At this point on our walks I’m mostly reinforcing good behavior and only introducing one or two new things to her.

On one of our walks through the neighborhood, we make an amazing and fortuitous discovery. There is an empty corner lot with a 6’ chain link fence surrounding it that has a domestic bunny living inside! According to the neighbors, the bunny belongs to one of the families living next door and he’s been hanging out in the lot off and on for the last six months. This rabbit has become quite the local mascot. Neighbors bring offerings of vegetables and walk their kids and dogs past the lot, while the bunny -- apparently completely fearless -- hops around, grooms himself, flops over in full recline, eats, or greets his adoring public as the mood strikes.

I’ve got my treat bag with me the first time we see the bunny, and Rose and I spend about five minutes watching the bunny eat about two feet away from us. Rose is pretty excited, but responds when I tell her to sit down. I concentrate on stroking her, giving her treats, and repeating “Nice, Gentle Rose. Good Dog! Good Dog!” The second time we visit the rabbit, he hops directly over to us, bold as can be and he and Rose sniff each other -- nose-to-nose -- for about 15 seconds. Rose behaves like a dream! I think the rabbit’s complete lack of fear has something to do with this reaction. I’ve seen other people bringing their dogs over as well and getting similar reactions. Over the next several days, during which we visit the rabbit at least once a day, Rose becomes totally bored with the rabbit. “Can we go now, Mom?” This is just the result I was hoping for.

We’ve had so much success with Rose’s behavior toward the neighborhood mascot bunny that Ed and I decide to open the second bedroom door. It’s almost anti-climatic. I’m on the bunny side of the door and Ed is with Rose on the other side. He pets and praises her for her calm reaction. Not a bunny thump emerges, even from the Queen of thumping, Duchess. Mouse comes over to investigate and I pet him and feed him a little dried prune. He’s not acting scared, just interested in what’s going on and hungry for prune.

Now that they can see each other here’s the general scene: Mouse hops over and gives Rose a sideways glance and then hops leisurely away. Rose looks through the gate but loses interest quickly (these are lazy rabbits…there’s not much to watch when they are lounging around all day). Over the next couple of days she only goes to the gate if I am in the bunny room and talking to the rabbits. She’ll generally lie down in front of the door to wait for me to come out. Otherwise she pays no attention to them. Mouse will occasionally come within two feet of the gate when Rose is outside it, and Duchess – does she even realize that there is a dog in the house? I thought she’d lose her marbles, but she’s acting completely blasé.

Next Up: Down-stay & sit-stay – Training for Rose

Dog Meets Blog

2006-05-15T15:51:00.000-05:00

Did you know that you can subscribe to the Dog Meets Bunny blog so that new postings are automatically delivered to you? It's just like email but without the spam! This blog is set up so that you can access it automatically through Atom.

To learn about Atom check out the Blogger.com help page, and download one of the many software programs available at AtomEnabled.org

A link to Dog Meets Bunny's Atom feed is also permanently located at the bottom of this page.

Step One: Choosing the Right Dog

2006-05-15T13:50:00.000-05:00

My husband and I have had dogs as a part of our family for most of our married life. Our last dog, Nan, died in 2001. It was a difficult loss to recover from, and we were left with a house and hearts that were strangely empty.

That fall we visited our local Humane Society to get our animal groove on, and spent the evening talking with two volunteers from the Minnesota House Rabbit Society. They shared tons of information with us about living with a house rabbit and the joys of bunny companionship. The next day I went back to the Humane Society and adopted my first house rabbit, a fuzzy grey lop-eared bunny named Mouse. Shortly thereafter we became members of the Minnesota House Rabbit Society (since morphed into The Minnesota Companion Rabbit Society, a fabulous organization www.mnhouserabbit.org ) and adopted our second rabbit, a mini-rex named Duchess.

Fast forward to Spring 2006. We’ve moved to Santa Monica, California, bought an 800 square foot condo (of which the bunnies have free roam – a whole 800 square feet?! Where do they find the time? LOL), and have a major Jones on for doggie companionship. We love our bunnies tremendously, and their safety is first and foremost, so what are we going to do?

I’ve heard it’s possible to have a multi-species household that includes bunnies and dogs living in peaceful harmony. My husband and I are experienced with both dogs and bunnies. With advice from the MCRS educators I’ve completed a very successful bunny bonding. My best friend in Los Angeles is a certified dog trainer and has promised her assistance. I guess we’re going to move forward and pursue the dream!

To prepare I read everything I could find about bunny and dog households. Www.rabbit.org has a brief but informative article on this subject. There is also some good advice given in The House Rabbit Handbook. I also re-read all the advice I had been given by our very own MNRabbits chat group.

We had been advised to choose a dog from amongst the working breeds and to avoid the hunting breeds. There is definitely a lot that I don’t buy into about specific dog breed attributes, because I really believe that each individual is different, and a lot depends on nurture as well. However, we did decide, for the safety of our bunnies, to heed the advice to steer clear of hunting dogs.

We were open to adopting a mixed breed dog with working breed parentage, but we first happened upon a great organization that rescues German Shepherd dogs, so that is how we ended up adopting a “pure bred” German Shepherd.

We decided to adopt through a rescue organization instead of the city run shelter because we found that many rescue organizations have many of the dogs in foster homes and can provide extensive behavior profiles on the dogs. We looked at pictures and personality profiles on their website, filled out the adoption application online, and then scheduled to meet the dog that we were interested in.

Before we met the dog we kept three things in the forefront of our minds. 1. That the bunnies cannot become a source of frustration for the dog. Positive reinforcement must be used at all times. All interactions must be a pleasant experience for both parties. As George Costanza on Seinfeld said, “Always end on a high note”! 2. That the dog would need to be extremely well trained in the “down-stay” and “sit-stay” commands. 3. That I wanted the concept of “Gentle” to be introduced and reinforced right from the start.

In preparing to meet the dog, I brought along a few items from our bunny house to see how she would react to them. I brought a handful of bunny fur, a small litter pan with fresh pee and poop in it, and a towel that had been in my bunnies house for a week: it had fur, hay, a few poops and a pee spot on it. I also came prepared with a dog comb to bring a few tufts of dog fur home with me to see how the bunnies would react to that. These ideas may sound familiar to anyone who has done a bunny bonding – I was basically borrowing these bonding concepts from what I learned when I bonded Mouse & Duchess so successfully four years ago.

I also brought along small training treats, thinking that I could reinforce positive reactions with food. However, dogs in a high stress situation with strangers may not eat, and this was the case here. But it can’t hurt to bring along small food rewards in case the dog will respond to them.

We met Rose, a 6+-year-old female German Shepherd. She was described as being very mellow, good on the leash, good with other dogs and cats, and a good car traveler. We found her to live up to her description. She was very interested in all the bunny smells we brought with to show her. I didn’t really know how to gauge her reaction, but as she smelled each item I calmly pet her and repeated, “What a good, gentle girl! Be gentle.” I just knew that we would end up adopting her and I wanted to start introducing the concept of “Gentle” right away, and to reinforce her non-aggressive reaction to the bunny smell.

Based upon her mellow and obedient nature we decided to adopt Rose. We filled out the paperwork, paid our adoption fee, and then took one day to prepare for the new arrival.

Things in the forefront of my mind at this point:

This bonding will require a significant investment of my time. I must be committed to this process 100%.

Shortcutting the process could mean injury or death for our bunnies. I must be prepared to move forward very slowly.

Safety must be our #1 concern.

We will be working with a professional dog trainer who uses a positive, non-painful training approach.

This dog’s background is a mystery, so we must be prepared to deal with the unexpected.

It’s great to be giving a home to a senior dog! We are so excited to get to know the newest member of our household!

Next Installment: We Bring Rose Home – the First Week

Dog Meets Bunny

2006-05-15T13:06:00.000-05:00

A while back Ed and I were considering adopting a dog. Our biggest concern, of course, is for the safety of our two bunnies throughout the whole process. Can it be done? And
are we prepared to do it? Well, we finally made a decision! We just adopted a 6+ year old German Shepherd a few days ago. Over the coming months we are going to be slowly integrating our new dog and two bunnies into one peaceful, happy multi-species household. : )

This blog is for those of you who are interested in a sort of ongoing reportage as we go about how we are doing it and how it is going at various stages. I thought it might be a good learning experience for us to share, especially if there are others considering bringing a dog or cat into their bunny household.

Amy in Santa Monica

THE CAST

Rose: The Unsuspecting Dog

Mouse: A Rabbit with Attitude

Amy & Ed: Along for the Ride