# Dogs that luv buns?



## Mrpumpkinbunny (Jul 18, 2006)

Hi I know there are dog lovers here on this board. I am wondering which dog breeds you all have and how well they are doing with your buns. 

I know some breeds should never be introduced, but wonder about others. My cousin has a Papapoo. Papion(SP?) Poodle mix that is adorable and I wonder if she would be able to bring her when she visits? Also my DH is wondering if we could someday get a small dog. (neither of us want a big dog.)

Thanks!


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## Jenni (Jul 18, 2006)

I have a West Highland Terrier/Poodle mix that gets along with my bun just fine. He is about 14 years old though and has lived well with many different species his whole life. He seems to have a 6th sense about things that are smaller than he is.

I don't know about the Westie breed in general, they were often used to hunt rats and things, so it might not be the best. 

The dog should be very well behaved. Beamer, my dog, knows better than to hurt Gretchen. He tolerates her well. And she adores him! The only problem that I've had is that the bun will occasionally nip him. He doesn't like this at all and barks at her. She runs and then comes right back. :shock:

It's hard to predict the dog. My parents have two shih-zu's. When I took Gretchen to stay with them one absolutely adored her and licked her nose. The other one wanted to eat her. We had to keep him out of the room! They were the same breed and they reacted very differently.

I think a well-behaved and gentle poodle mix like your cousin's papapoo might be a good bet. Poodles can be trained well and are pretty smart. They are also companion dogs and may not have as much of that hunting instinct. 

My dog will actually go up to my bun and pounce his front paws right next to her. He's playing of course and she could care less. She has grown up around him though and she doesn't see him as a threat. A bun that has never seen a dog, may not like it too much. It depends on the bun and the dog.


Beamer and Gretchen


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## Mrpumpkinbunny (Jul 18, 2006)

That is an awesome picture. Your fur family is so photogenic.

Thanks, I was thinking she would be good. I worry about the barking though, smallerdogs can be yippie. My cousins doesn't seem to be yippie though.


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## dreamgal042 (Jul 18, 2006)

we have a purebred cocker spaniel whose almost 7 years old (november 99). he used to be very good with the bunny, but now he seems almost jealous of the attention ivory (bun) gets. most of the time they're still fine together, but occasionally harry (dog) will get a little rough.


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## Mrpumpkinbunny (Jul 18, 2006)

AWE Harry looks just like the dog my Grandma had when I was little. His name was Macho. I could see how a dog may get jealous of sharing attention.


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## Jenni (Jul 18, 2006)

Beamer does get a little jealous. He steals her lettuce and parsley and tears it to shreds just because she has it and he doesn't.

I always give him a treat before I feed her so he can feel like top dog. 

When I pet Gretchen he will sometimes insert his head between us, so I will have to pet both at the same time.

Also, he doesn't speak rabbit. I feel sorry for Gretchen because she will come over to him and lay her head down to be groomed and he just looks at her like "What?". Sometimes I will pet her instead and she thinks that Beamer is grooming her. That makes her happy.


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## Snuggys Mom (Jul 19, 2006)

*Jenni wrote: *


> I feel sorry for Gretchen because she will come over to him and lay her head down to be groomed and he just looks at her like "What?". Sometimes I will pet her instead and she thinks that Beamer is grooming her. That makes her happy.


 Aww, Gretchen wants some Beamer lovin'. How sweet. 

I have a large, mixed breed dog who just started living inside. I am introducing him to the buns slowly. He's very laid back and pretty disinterested in them. I think the buns are a little afraid of him because of his size. When he trots around, they scurry to get out of his way.


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## mskoala (Jul 19, 2006)

we have a (supposedly) half shepard half lab mix. She loves grace like a hockey puck. Literally, tries to bat her around and squash her. All in fun of course, but we keep them seperated for Grace's sake. Plus, I'm afraid she'd finally put her paw down and give sam a bite.


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## MyBabyBunnies (Jul 19, 2006)

She isn't mine, she's my sisters but I'm currently living with them. Maggie is a 5 year old Golden Retriever, she was a mere 1 and a half years old when I brought Mocha home and she has been the best dog with the rabbits. When I first got them, I went on vacation and my brother-in-law and sister watched the rabbits. They would put the rabbits out in the run and Maggie would guard them like her babies. And when I came back at the end of the week and brought the bunnies home, she whined for a week. I used to let her in the run with Mocha (not any more because of Zoey) and Mocha loved her. I only had to watch because Maggie is quite clumbsy and almost sat on him a few times because she isn't the most observant dog there is.

But she is great, especially with babies. She refuses to leave any baby rabbits. She watched them like nuts and lets them jump all over her.


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## mskoala (Jul 19, 2006)

what a beautiful dog!!


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## Mrpumpkinbunny (Jul 19, 2006)

Poor Gretchen, sometimes I think men can be like beemer. They don't get the bunny cuddle message!

Oh I love Maggie. My DH is pretty fearful of big dogs. Even golden retrievers, which I can't fathom He and his younger brother were attacked as kids by a German Shepard. No matter what I can't get him to like big dogs. On the one hand it made life easier when I introduced him tobunnies when we were dating. "At least they weren't dogs" Now that he is good with rabbits I REALLY want to get him over his fear of dogs!

Anyone else with good bunny breeds or surprisingly goodbreeds?


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## Jenni (Jul 20, 2006)

I feel sorry for Gretchen too. She really thinks Beamer is a big rabbit and adores him.


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## heavenlyshelties (Jul 20, 2006)

My shelties are pretty good with miffy. I still watch my breeding female because from my experience they can get more territorial during certain times but my pet sheltie is fine around her, in fact she pretty much ignores her. Summer (my breeding female ) follows her around and lays down near her and just watches her, she is facinated with her lol.


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## MyBabyBunnies (Jul 21, 2006)

Here's some new pictures and a video. As you can tell, Mocha is much more relaxed around Maggie than Zoey is but Zoey is not terrified or anything, just cautious.


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## Nadezhda (Jul 22, 2006)

Hunter hasn't met the bunnies where they're both unrestrained on the floor deal, but when he was a young puppy I let him sniff both bunnies who were in my arms. When Zorro had to wear a cone, I would take him downstairs to put a compress on his, er, boything. One time I left him on the couch to grab the polysporin from the kitchen... and my brother let Hunter in! Hunter ran over to the couch and looked at Zorro. Zorro stuck his cone over Hunter's nose so he could get a good sniff! No agressiveness at all.

Hunter regualarly goes up to my room to check on the bunnies, even just to look in the room and leave. Fred growled at Hunter once, when I had just fed Fred and Hunter was sniffing a little too curiously at the food. Zorro always sniffs Hunter when Hunter sticks his nose up to the cage, but Zorro gets irritated because Hunter's nose is wet and it would mess up his fur.

Edited to add: Hunter is 3/4 Siberian Husky and 1/4 wolf. He's about 6 or 7 months, and was just neutered yesterday. Wolves love bunnies!


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## Mrpumpkinbunny (Aug 2, 2006)

Love to see all of the Dog and bunny pics. 

Its been awhile since I was on the board because Dh and I were sick, keep the pics and stories coming.


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## Pet_Bunny (Aug 2, 2006)

Desmond is still a puppy, andhasn't learned to be gentle with Pebbles.

Rainbows!


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## peapoo_bunny (Aug 2, 2006)

myenglish shepherd/gordon setter mix named Maxloves the bunnies

max&peapoo





our other three dogs also get along good with the bunnies.. other than max we haveabasset mix, pitbull/english shepherd mix, and an english shepherd/samoyed mix.. 















mutt (pitbull/english shepherd) & peapoo





butch (english shepherd/samoyed)





mookie (basset mix)





max( gordon setter/english shepherd)





mutt (pittbull/ english shepherd)


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## ruka (Aug 2, 2006)

*Pet_Bunny wrote: *


> Desmond is still a puppy, andhasn't learned to be gentle with Pebbles.
> 
> Rainbows!


 Those two are just adorable together! I love the picture even though poor Pebbles is being smooshed.


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## Linz_1987 (Aug 2, 2006)

I have a border collie who likes my bunnies. She is really friendly to them when they come in the house, and when they sit still in the garden. But as soon as they run in the garden, she chases them. She wouldnt hurt them atall, just chases. But I dont tend to let them in the garden the same time as each other as it is cruel to get chased by a wolf! Sometimes they get annoyed at being chased and chase her away back, and she does run off scared of them lol. 

I do agree that is certain breeds that get on with rabbits, unless you train them to like each other when they are puppies.

We had our dog as a puppy, and she got on well with the rabbits. But as soon as she grew up and had her naturalinstinct to chase animals (sheep for example) she started chasing the rabbits. So you cant always train a dog to like an animal. Well my dog likes them, she just thinks that they are a chasing game and rounds them up. You could try it out but make sure the dog is on a short lead. Good luck!


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## Mrpumpkinbunny (Aug 3, 2006)

*Pet_Bunny wrote: *


> Desmond is still a puppy, andhasn't learned to be gentle with Pebbles.
> 
> Rainbows!


 

Oh my! I love it! :laugh: Desmond is getting so much bigger since the last pictures I saw on your blog I think it was. Dogs grow so fast.


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## Mrpumpkinbunny (Aug 3, 2006)

Peepoo you have a lot of great dogs. Such diversity in breeds too. Are they rescues? 

Linz I love your boarder collie. I hear they are very smart.


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## peapoo_bunny (Aug 3, 2006)

mookie,max,and mutt are rescues... butch isnt..we've had him since he was a puppy


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## Linz_1987 (Aug 3, 2006)

Yes they are very smart, sometimes too smart for their own good. I wouldnt really recommend them as pets though, as they are very hard to keep happy. They are ment to be out in the fields all day. 

When ever I go to stroke her she always growls and shows her teeth- I have actually been bitten once by her for just taking her collar off , she bit right through my thumb nail and into the skin behind. She has also bitten my dad a couple of times just for putting her in the boot of the car, or putting her lead on. Its not as if we do it agressively. 

I have met some border collies that are really friendly indeed, but most of them are not cuddly dogs and dont really belong in a normal family home, but on a farm. 

Heres a hint though, if you want a border collie as a pet, get it from a breeder that hashad generations and generations as house pets. We got ours from a breeder off a farm which I think was completely the wrong step to take. Thats why I think whatever you do, you cant teach her not to chase the bunnies any more. She also bits your ankles when you cross a road :XAnd its very embarassing when you walk across a crossing where cars have stopped to let you pass, they laugh at you crossing the road with a dog nipping at your ankles. 

She is so clever she is impossible to train! :?


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