best dog breeds for rabbit people

[daniiwicked]

was looking for other peoples opinions on dog breeds that are good to have around rabbits. we are looking to add a dog to our family when we get moved and settled.

 

[ladysown]

livestock guardian dogs that are raised to think of the rabbits as "theirs" to mind.

Any dog that can be trained to leave them be.

 

[jaxmarblebuns]

A well trained one.

Breed isn't that important, training is what needs to be focused on. If your can get a dog that has already been with/behaves well with small animals or a puppy so that it doesn't have "pre-set" bad habits that would be easiest, but any dog can work. It really all depends on how much training you are able to put in.

 

[Skai]

A well trained one.

Breed isn't that important, training is what needs to be focused on. If your can get a dog that has already been with/behaves well with small animals or a puppy so that it doesn't have "pre-set" bad habits that would be easiest, but any dog can work. It really all depends on how much training you are able to put in.

Years ago I had three Dobermans, all raised from pups and certainly not herding type dogs, but they decided on their own that the rabbits and chickens were their responsibility and I never lost a single one to predators. Or to one of them.

 

[TroubleMakerAcres]

Where we live the dog market is saturated with LGD’s that, if the two we have is any indication, are garbage. I personally will never be getting a ‘livestock guardian’ breed again, and cannot recommend anyone else do so either. I agree with the other comments, any pup you get young that is trained to not chomp your buns is the right dog. Even and older dog of the right temperament can learn, my Shep mix dog of 6yrs leaned that sheep, goats, rabbits & a cat are not snacks after we became farmers, but he was already a very good dog to start.

 

[Cotton Rabbitry]

Our pug is totally disinterested in the rabbits and our Pitty allowed rabbits to crawl all over him, However, the chickens he was sure were for chasing up to the day he passed. So I would say get a 2-month-old pup of your preferred breed and raise it alongside of that which you want protected and reinforce to the pup what is and isn't proper behavior.

 

[RabbitDad]

was looking for other peoples opinions on dog breeds that are good to have around rabbits. we are looking to add a dog to our family when we get moved and settled.

Once upon a time we had a Golden Retriever. That dog loved everybody and any critter we introduced her to.
A baby squirrel we rescued. Ferrets, a cockatoo, cats... anything.
She was with us almost 20 years too. What a great dog.

 

[RabbitDad]

One of our German Shepherds brought me our first rabbit. He would constantly chase wild rabbits until they would stop, then he'd sadly walk away.
After we adopted the one he caught, now all the dogs and our cat is almost afraid of it! Maybe not afraid, just extremely cautious & won't go near it.
I don't know what happened when I wasn't looking but the rabbit is the boss now.
In general I think any dog could be trained to be compatible but some, like a Golden Retriever would naturally care for them.
Don't write off Pit Bulls either over their false reputation. When they haven't been abused, they are quite loving & family oriented.
I saw one a guy had in the feed store recently. I swear the dog was smiling as she went around greeting people she didn't even know. Nobody could resist petting her either. It pretty much boils down to how they are treated.

 

[judymac]

Our Golden Retriever cross would gently catch our escaped rabbits for us, we just had to point out which one we wanted caught. He would carefully catch it and bring it back to us with never so much as a scratch on it, live and well.

If someone would call us in a panic that their livestock had been attacked by a dog, it was invariably a German Shepherd or Collie cross that was the culprit. They loved the chase, would catch and kill or maim the prey, and then move on to the next fun chase. You've seen dogs grab and shake their favorite toy--looks cute until the 'toy' is a pet, and the quick shake breaks the neck.

Not saying all Shepherds or Collies are bad, after all, they are trained to work with livestock--but untrained crosses may still have the urge to chase the animals, but not know what to do when they caught them. After all, other breeds are bred to catch and destroy 'varmits'. A breed with the 'follow animal' instinct crossed with the 'kill it' instinct can be a bad combination.

 

[RabbitDad]

Our Golden Retriever cross would gently catch our escaped rabbits for us, we just had to point out which one we wanted caught. He would carefully catch it and bring it back to us with never so much as a scratch on it, live and well.

If someone would call us in a panic that their livestock had been attacked by a dog, it was invariably a German Shepherd or Collie cross that was the culprit. They loved the chase, would catch and kill or maim the prey, and then move on to the next fun chase. You've seen dogs grab and shake their favorite toy--looks cute until the 'toy' is a pet, and the quick shake breaks the neck.

Not saying all Shepherds or Collies are bad, after all, they are trained to work with livestock--but untrained crosses may still have the urge to chase the animals, but not know what to do when they caught them. After all, other breeds are bred to catch and destroy 'varmits'. A breed with the 'follow animal' instinct crossed with the 'kill it' instinct can be a bad combination.

I have to agree with this 100%
Our Golden Retriever was the perfect mother for anything we introduced to her.
Of our four current German Shepherds, only one isn't interested in the chase game.
They don't seem to be interested in hurting or killing anything, it's the thrill of the chase that interests them.
Some of the wild cotton tails have figured that out & sneak away quietly. Most of the time, the rabbits are long gone before the dogs even notice. Other times, if they don't move, the dogs run right by.