Can Rabbits and Dogs Live Together

Last Updated on May 31, 2023 by

Can rabbits and dogs get along? Is having them in the same room or house a good idea? Is it possible that they form a friendship between one another? What signs do we need to look out for to maintain their relationship? All to be answered:

Can Rabbits and Dogs Live Together.

Introducing One-Another

This is the most important phase.

In the beginning, having good terms with one another is a challenge itself. But how do you make the first step? You don’t want to let them alone in a room and get them to know each other.

The first thing you want to do is put the rabbit in its cage and let the dog be near it. It will be shocking for both the dog and the rabbit at first, but as time goes by, the dog’s excitement will go away and it will get used to the smell of the rabbit.

Gradually, under your surveillance, start picking up the rabbit and staying closer to your dog, so you can see if its instincts allow it to be nice. Once you see how your dog reacts, meaning if it’s genuinely friendly or wants to hunt the rabbit, you’ll know, for sure, how their relationship will go.

If the dog becomes aggressive, likely, they won’t be able to live together.

A Dog and A Rabbit Living Together – The Recipe For Success

There are a few key factors when it comes to letting them live together:

Knowing your dog – I can’t stress this enough. You need to know it’s character – whether it’s good with kids and small animals or it tends to be aggressive.

The Dog’s Breed – Some breeds have a strong instinct to chase, an example is the Greyhound. Others, like Jack Russel and terriers, are prone to having a hunting instinct towards small prey.

Some Golden Retrievers, even tho they’re seen as a friendly and gentle dog, can be quite dangerous, upon triggers, to rabbits. Some dogs’ genetics make it hard for them to get along with rabbits and other smaller animals, but it’s not impossible.

Dog Training – All dogs are INDIVIDUAL, even a Greyhound can get along perfectly with the rabbit, but it highly depends on the way you’ve trained it. Dogs that follow commands have a high chance of becoming friends with the rabbit.

Size Doesn’t Matter – It doesn’t matter if your dog weighs 120 pounds, as long as it’s calm and doesn’t hurt the rabbit with its weight, it can be perfectly safe to have them in the same room. A 30-pound dog can pose the same threat as a 120 pound one.

Age Matters – If your dog is still a puppy, it’s a good idea to have the rabbit in the room, but DO NOT leave them alone in the beginning. Puppies are playful and they still don’t know that they can cause harm – they chew on everything. If your dog is an adult and it doesn’t have a wild temper, it can make friends with the rabbit rather easily.

Rabbit Spot – When you start letting them play together, make sure you create a spot or a shelter that the rabbit can go in when it feels threatened. You never know what might trigger your dog. Make sure it can’t get inside of it.

Acknowledging the Risks

To sum everything up.

Can rabbits and dogs get along? Certainly. But in most cases, it’s a great challenge that possesses a potential risk.

If they don’t get along and can’t live together, you have to keep them in separate rooms. That is tough to manage, as just a split-second can result in a fatal outcome.