# how can I know if my bunny is a dwarf?



## bunbun1 (Jul 4, 2013)

How can I know if my bunny is a dwarf or not? She's about 8 months old now.


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## Bonsai (Jul 4, 2013)

There are usually some physical markers that can tell you whether or not your rabbit is a dwarf. There is also the subject of weight. Do you have any recent pictures of your boy?  Members here could most likely tell you whether or not he is dwarf or not.

Most Dwarf breeds weigh a max of about 2.5lb and characteristically, they have tiny ears and large eyes in proportion to their size. I'm not sure if this is true for Dwarf Hotot and Brits, but there are "false dwarf" rabbits that are used in Netherland Dwarf breeding programs to address the dwarf x dwarf problem. Technically they are "Netherland Dwarf" rabbits but they are carriers of the dwarfism gene rather than being dwarfs.


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## bunbun1 (Jul 4, 2013)




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## Bonsai (Jul 4, 2013)

He looks like a dwarf or dwarf cross to me what with his tiny ears. Do you know what his parents were?


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## bunbun1 (Jul 4, 2013)

*Her.

I think I might be overfeeding her :/
We fast walk for few hours outside every day though.

I have no idea who her parents were. All I was told when I got her was "she's angoran".
To me she looked like a netherland at that time:


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## Bonsai (Jul 4, 2013)

Sorry, I thought I was reading "he" in the first post.

It is possible she is a Netherland x Wooly cross but her fur doesn't seem "wooly"; she seems to be about "dwarf size" though. She could just be a false dwarf, they often look like a dwarf but not completely. Or just from pet quality Nethies that didn't have the idea conformation. She looks to me like a false dwarf. c: My Nethie's sire is a false dwarf and he looks similar to her in stature and anatomy, just blockier.

Angoran isn't a breed, Angora is. Angora are also much bigger than dwarf rabbits. They come in a few varieties (French, English, Giant, Satin and perhaps some others) and all weigh above 4lb. c: They also have a distinctive appearance, even as babies. So I think the person who sold you your rabbit had either no clue theirselves and made up something to try and sell her or they were misinformed.


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## Zaiya (Jul 4, 2013)

She looks a lot like one of my boys, Moss, did when he was younger. We're still not sure what he is.


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## bunbun1 (Jul 4, 2013)

The only wooly part seems to be on back of her head/ears, which gives her a girly appearance. 

Yeah, that's what I'm guessing, either dwarf or false dwarf.
Is there any way to be sure?


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## Zaiya (Jul 4, 2013)

You might just have to wait until she's grown up is my guess.


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## bunbun1 (Jul 4, 2013)

Shes over 6 months old. (had her for 7 1/2 myself)


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## Zaiya (Jul 4, 2013)

How much does she weigh?


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## Bonsai (Jul 4, 2013)

Seems I misinformed you; false dwarf do not carry the "dw" gene, they got two normal ones instead. This happens when a pair carrying "DWdw" both breed and then there's the potential for normal rabbits. Your girl does still look like a false dwarf to me, though. Netherland Dwarf rabbits have a bit of a blockier anatomy and her face doesn't seem as flat as a Nethie of proper conformation does. So I still think she is a false dwarf, which isn't a bad thing!

There's really no way to be 100% sure about anything without knowing her parents and knowing what genes they had. If they had "DWdw x DWdw" or "dwdw x DWdw" or whatever the case was, there's no way of knowing if she is, with 100% certainty, a false dwarf or true dwarf. :c Anatomy tells me false dwarf, but I could be wrong.

This is my boy's sire:





(Image belongs to Thoma Homestead Farm & Rabbitry)

I see a lot of similarities in him and your girl. He's a bit blockier whereas your girl is rounder, but I see a lot of things in common with them.


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## bunbun1 (Jul 4, 2013)

So a "false dwarf" is just a normal rabbit. Why do you mention the similarities between her and a normal dwarf like the ear size? I'm confused.

And I'm not sure how to measure her weight correctly.


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## Bonsai (Jul 4, 2013)

A false dwarf is still a dwarf in that it comes from dwarf parents, but they usually have ears a bit longer than normal and their overall body shape is a bit different or "normal". Offspring between two Netherland Dwarf parents are still Netherland Dwarf rabbits whether they are true or false dwarf. For False Dwarf, their muzzles are typically not as flat, their bodies are ganglier or not so compact, and they have ears a bit longer than a normal Dwarf. That's all a false dwarf is, it just means they didn't get the dwarf gene.  They usually weigh a bit more than a dwarf, often going past the 2.5lb weight the true dwarfs typically are.

I mention the similarities because my boy's sire (his father) is a false dwarf. As you can see, when you compare a Netherland Dwarf of proper conformation to a false dwarf, a true dwarf has a flat face and shorter ears than he does. This is because he is a false dwarf and that's why I was pointing out the similarities. 

To weigh your girl, I would just use a normal scale. Or a produce scale.


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## Nancy McClelland (Jul 4, 2013)

Looks like a mix with some dwarf in the mix like our avatar Nikki. She has the short ears, but her head is not quite the same and she's just under 4 pounds.


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## Ilovemyrabbit (Jul 4, 2013)

I'm not sure what breed she is but she looks like she could have some dwarf in her.


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## majorv (Jul 4, 2013)

She almost looks like she has Polish in her, too. I don't really see Nethie in her as much as maybe Jersey Wooly and Polish mix? Polish aren't considered a dwarf breed even though they only get to about 2 1/2 lbs. What color is she? The two pictures you posted show different colors.


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## bunbun1 (Jul 5, 2013)

She is gray and cream colored.

I realise now, I don't really want to know if she has a dwarf gene or not, just what breed she is and if she is a "small" breed or not (are there smaller rabbits than her breed?)


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## Bonsai (Jul 5, 2013)

The smallest breeds, to my knowledge, are the "dwarf" breeds. This includes Britannia, Netherland Dwarf, Polish, Jersey Wooley and some others - but you get the idea.  Anywho, the breed standard for Brits and Nethies says "2.5lb" is the maximum. I've yet to see a standard below that weight limit but I could be wrong.


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## OakRidgeRabbits (Jul 5, 2013)

It's difficult to determine what's in a rabbit's background based on physical appearance. Distinct characteristics don't often carry through like they do with dogs (for instance, you may be able to tell with almost certainty that a dog is a Boxer mix, or whatever the case may be.) Likewise, just because they're small doesn't mean they're a dwarf breed, just like being large doesn't mean they're NOT a dwarf breed.

Based on the photo, the shape of her head and bold eye would point toward Netherland Dwarf, Jersey Wooly, or Polish. But without a pedigree, there's no way to be certain.


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## bunbun1 (Jul 6, 2013)

if shes one of those, I guess we can at least say she's a "small breed"?


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## Alexiaknowles (May 20, 2016)

Hi I was also wondering if anyone could help me figure out if I have a dwarf rabbit or what breed he is. He's currently 3/4 months old.


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## majorv (May 21, 2016)

Hi, it would be best if you started a new thread, but it looks like a Californian.


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