Ezio is only 4 months old and we have a dwarf rabbit, Gimli, who is around 8 months old. Because of Gimli's breed he is still pretty small and always will be. It's Gimli's instinct to run and Ezio's instinct to chase, especially because he's still a baby. I'm hoping that keeping them separated while Ezio's young, letting him get used to Gimli's scent, and telling him no if he tries to play with him through the cage will eventually lead to Ezio losing interest in the bunny. Or at least learning that the bunny isn't something he can chase or play with. In a perfect world they'll be able to be out together (while supervised, always) without Ezio ever becoming rough, but when Gimli is happy he runs circles around the couch and it's probably farfetched to believe Ezio won't try to chase him!

Have any of you dealt with a species barrier like this? Right now they generally leave each other alone. Ezio will watch Gimli like a hawk every so often (I think it's just curiosity), but if he seems to get playful from the outside of his cage I tell him no and he stops. That's been happening less and less. Gimli gets 1-2 hours out a night after Ezio gets put to bed, but like I said it'd be great if they didn't have to deal with having their "outside" time in shifts. One day. Any advice on how to possibly get them there? They basically speak two totally different languages, so I definitely understand it will be a long process! I love them both and want them to love each other, too.

Well I suppose it depends on the dog, mine eat rabbit, so, yeah mine would not do to well in that situation lol.

MetalMama wrote:

Well I suppose it depends on the dog, mine eat rabbit, so, yeah mine would not do to well in that situation lol.

Oh no! Rabbits are friends, not food.

Ezio will always have chicken/duck based foods. We don't even buy him toys that resemble rabbits. He has two ducks he's torn to pieces.

Delilah likes bunnies, she cuddles with my brothers bunny and will clean him.

Cato on the other hand, will gladly eat the bunny.

It just depends on the dog I suppose and the level of play drive. I would NEVER leave them unsupervised.

mheath0429 wrote:

Delilah likes bunnies, she cuddles with my brothers bunny and will clean him.

Cato on the other hand, will gladly eat the bunny.

It just depends on the dog I suppose and the level of play drive. I would NEVER leave them unsupervised.

DEFINITELY never unsupervised. Gimli typically needs supervision while he's out anyway because he enjoys chewing on things he shouldn't -- things he knows he's not allowed to touch, but does just to see if I'll notice! I'm hoping that Ezio's personality will mesh well with Gimli once he's a bit older and trained enough to control his initial chase instinct. I've read that we shouldn't even try putting them together until he's closer to a year old. When we adopted Ezio the people were calling him "mellow-yellow" and for the most part he does seem to be a mellow puppy, so hopefully that will carry over.

We have a lionhead bunny (Cosmo) and the dog's don't seem to mess with Cosmo at all. They show no interest in him, but I'm sure if he got lose in the whole he would become dinner real quick! I don't trust mine.

Well nothing is impossible, but you gotta keep in mind if something goes wrong, you hav e no bunny anymore

i would not even chance the chance... just one snap and no more bunny, they are much faster then we are! your pup is still young and "might" be ok now but come teenage years they turn into different dogs.....
my 2 would eat it. we had to re-home our chinchillas because sierra would not leave them alone, i had a child play pen gate around the cage and she would still just pace around it . i did not even trust letting the chins run in the inclosure with sierra around.

itsjosieb wrote:

mheath0429 wrote:

Delilah likes bunnies, she cuddles with my brothers bunny and will clean him.

Cato on the other hand, will gladly eat the bunny.

It just depends on the dog I suppose and the level of play drive. I would NEVER leave them unsupervised.

DEFINITELY never unsupervised. Gimli typically needs supervision while he's out anyway because he enjoys chewing on things he shouldn't -- things he knows he's not allowed to touch, but does just to see if I'll notice! I'm hoping that Ezio's personality will mesh well with Gimli once he's a bit older and trained enough to control his initial chase instinct. I've read that we shouldn't even try putting them together until he's closer to a year old. When we adopted Ezio the people were calling him "mellow-yellow" and for the most part he does seem to be a mellow puppy, so hopefully that will carry over.

Honestly, huskies have a very intense prey drive - its more than just the chase. I wouldn't chance it out of the cage. My brother has never let his bunny be out of the cage with out dogs either, Delilah just affectionately plays with him. It would be different if you didn't have a husky. THey are VERY prey driven - its not just an initial "chase instinct"

SiberianAnubis wrote:

Well nothing is impossible, but you gotta keep in mind if something goes wrong, you hav e no bunny anymore

There will NEVER be an opportunity for something to go wrong! I'm definitely going to be super careful. My bunny was my first baby. I read online that it is possible to make your husky learn that the bunny "outranks" him in the pack. I just haven't come across the way people do that! They are certainly not ready to be out together at this point in time, but I'm hoping after a lot of training and growing they'll get there. I guess we can only wait to see how Ezio grows.

Well, just my opinion, but if the rabbit really means that much to you I really wouldn't want to take the risk at all. Id rather be safe than sorry.

MetalMama wrote:

Well, just my opinion, but if the rabbit really means that much to you I really wouldn't want to take the risk at all. Id rather be safe than sorry.

Clearly "the rabbit" means a lot to me or he wouldn't be my indoor pet. I'm sorry if I come across rude, but your comment put me off. I've always dealt with people speaking about my animals in a negative light -- like they're just food and their happiness/needs were less important than the needs of a cat or dog. Before Gimli I had a pet rat named Valentine who was seriously the sweetest animal I've ever had and I constantly had to argue his life's validity.

Gimli and Ezio will both be around a long time. Gimli could live 12 years or more. I'm pretty well-versed in rabbit health and behaviors after 8 months of reading and taking care of Gimli. I've had dogs basically my entire life. I realize they're not going to be best friends by default or easily, but after I feel Ezio is trained and old enough I will try to introduce them slowly. Gimli deserves a quality of life where he is able to come out several times a day, not only when Ezio is in his kennel. And Ezio deserves to not be put away just so the bunny can come out. I'm responsible enough to realize this would have to be done slowly and if it's not possible because of Ezio's personality, it's not possible. I merely asked if anyone had a similar situation and how they dealt with it. Clearly Gimli's safety is my number one priority or I wouldn't have done any research or asked. The happiness of both of our animals -- with each other, us, and separately, is very important to me.

Val has experience with her sibe and her guinea pigs.

I would expose the two together as much as possible while Ezio is young. Keeping the bunny in the cage would be best or you holding it makeing sure Ezio stays calm and stop him from jumping up to see the bunny. After a while he should loose some interest in it.

Mine were raised with my two cats and I have foster kittens quite often. Siku has more self control, but I think she'd be the one to actually eat a kitten first. Elara thinks cats and kittens are wonderful play things. We only let them together when we're there to watch and we usually keep them on leads when we show them kittens to make sure nothing bad happens.

"Mom, can I please, please eat him?!" Siku doing a wonderful down-stay.


She didn't even know what to think there! lol

itsjosieb wrote:

MetalMama wrote:

Well, just my opinion, but if the rabbit really means that much to you I really wouldn't want to take the risk at all. Id rather be safe than sorry.

Clearly "the rabbit" means a lot to me or he wouldn't be my indoor pet. I'm sorry if I come across rude, but your comment put me off. I've always dealt with people speaking about my animals in a negative light -- like they're just food and their happiness/needs were less important than the needs of a cat or dog. Before Gimli I had a pet rat named Valentine who was seriously the sweetest animal I've ever had and I constantly had to argue his life's validity.

Gimli and Ezio will both be around a long time. Gimli could live 12 years or more. I'm pretty well-versed in rabbit health and behaviors after 8 months of reading and taking care of Gimli. I've had dogs basically my entire life. I realize they're not going to be best friends by default or easily, but after I feel Ezio is trained and old enough I will try to introduce them slowly. Gimli deserves a quality of life where he is able to come out several times a day, not only when Ezio is in his kennel. And Ezio deserves to not be put away just so the bunny can come out. I'm responsible enough to realize this would have to be done slowly and if it's not possible because of Ezio's personality, it's not possible. I merely asked if anyone had a similar situation and how they dealt with it. Clearly Gimli's safety is my number one priority or I wouldn't have done any research or asked. The happiness of both of our animals -- with each other, us, and separately, is very important to me.

I really don't think she meant to be rude. She is a VERY kind hearted soul. I don't think any of us are attacking you, but as Sibe owners we all know what can happen and DOES happen. You need to remember that these things are very common or people wouldn't warn you of it.

After finding a baby bunny and parents dead in my dog yard, I wouldn't risk it. Personally it depends on the dog. Most huskies and mals have a high prey drive like maggie. I just won't risk it. Hey though every dog is different. I could never do the cat thing either. Though maggie is fine and sweet to little dogs but other than that no!

mheath0429 wrote:

itsjosieb wrote:

MetalMama wrote:

Well, just my opinion, but if the rabbit really means that much to you I really wouldn't want to take the risk at all. Id rather be safe than sorry.

Clearly "the rabbit" means a lot to me or he wouldn't be my indoor pet. I'm sorry if I come across rude, but your comment put me off. I've always dealt with people speaking about my animals in a negative light -- like they're just food and their happiness/needs were less important than the needs of a cat or dog. Before Gimli I had a pet rat named Valentine who was seriously the sweetest animal I've ever had and I constantly had to argue his life's validity.

Gimli and Ezio will both be around a long time. Gimli could live 12 years or more. I'm pretty well-versed in rabbit health and behaviors after 8 months of reading and taking care of Gimli. I've had dogs basically my entire life. I realize they're not going to be best friends by default or easily, but after I feel Ezio is trained and old enough I will try to introduce them slowly. Gimli deserves a quality of life where he is able to come out several times a day, not only when Ezio is in his kennel. And Ezio deserves to not be put away just so the bunny can come out. I'm responsible enough to realize this would have to be done slowly and if it's not possible because of Ezio's personality, it's not possible. I merely asked if anyone had a similar situation and how they dealt with it. Clearly Gimli's safety is my number one priority or I wouldn't have done any research or asked. The happiness of both of our animals -- with each other, us, and separately, is very important to me.

I really don't think she meant to be rude. She is a VERY kind hearted soul. I don't think any of us are attacking you, but as Sibe owners we all know what can happen and DOES happen. You need to remember that these things are very common or people wouldn't warn you of it.

I agree with megan, we are just telling you our opinions on the matter. Its better safe then sorry. This is all we are saying.

mheath0429 wrote:

I really don't think she meant to be rude. She is a VERY kind hearted soul. I don't think any of us are attacking you, but as Sibe owners we all know what can happen and DOES happen. You need to remember that these things are very common or people wouldn't warn you of it.

I realize the "risk" and have read a great deal of horror stories, which is why I'm looking for any kind of success stories that could possibly be helpful. I do not need anymore "don't even try" advice. I'm going to try to introduce them slowly based on both of their cues. I'm not dumb enough to just let the bunny run free while Ezio is out and think that everything will be OK.

Ezio would clearly be leashed under my husband's control and I would be holding Gimli for their first encounter (which is months away). I just don't like the idea of people telling me "if you care about your rabbit you won't try". I want to try because I care about Gimli. The notion of me trying to shove them together without safety in mind is a little insulting.

itsjosieb wrote:

mheath0429 wrote:

I really don't think she meant to be rude. She is a VERY kind hearted soul. I don't think any of us are attacking you, but as Sibe owners we all know what can happen and DOES happen. You need to remember that these things are very common or people wouldn't warn you of it.

I realize the "risk" and have read a great deal of horror stories, which is why I'm looking for any kind of success stories that could possibly be helpful. I do not need anymore "don't even try" advice. I'm going to try to introduce them slowly based on both of their cues. I'm not dumb enough to just let the bunny run free while Ezio is out and think that everything will be OK.

No one is calling you dumb, but I think you are failing to acknowledge just how powerful those jaws are. Let's be realistic here -

When a dog find a high priority treat or item, they are more likely to be possessive of it and ignore you. A bunny, to a dog with prey drive (huskies) is a very very high priority item. Even if you have him on a leash, he could snap it, or slip out of it or, before you pull him back, already have broken the bunnies neck. OR worse, you could get in the middle and you get bit. When it comes to prey drive, things can get out of control quickly.

No one is calling you stupid, we are implying that you have high hopes that very possibly could be shattered by your dogs natural instincts.

We have BOTH of your animals best interests in mind even if you think we are being offensive.

itsjosieb wrote:

Ezio would clearly be leashed under my husband's control and I would be holding Gimli for their first encounter (which is months away). I just don't like the idea of people telling me "if you care about your rabbit you won't try". I want to try because I care about Gimli. The notion of me trying to shove them together without safety in mind is a little insulting.

Why are you waiting so long for them to meet? Sibes are less likely to attack/want to eat a small animal they've been raised with than a stange one they've never seen before.

Like I've previously said, these things are done in steps over an incredibly long period of time with a lot of caution and watching the dog's body language/cues. He would not be able to reach Gimli for quite a few "encounters" and it would not go further than that unless Ezio was completely calm or totally uninterested in Gimli. Gimli would never be in any danger. I would not allow it. I merely asked if anyone had experience in introducing different species to each other and had tips. I have done my own reading on both dwarf rabbits and Siberian Huskies. I have purposefully exposed myself to negative outcomes of introducing them, but I have also read about positives. Perhaps it was my mistake in posting this question in this sort of forum.

I have cats, but they are different than other small creatures. They are fst, can jump very high and have claws to defend themselves.

Perhaps I am still failing to see why you are taking such offense to all of us? You asked our opinion. Just because you disagree with it, doesn't mean we are a bunch of jerks. We just don't want your bunny to get hurt.

SaraB wrote:

itsjosieb wrote:

Ezio would clearly be leashed under my husband's control and I would be holding Gimli for their first encounter (which is months away). I just don't like the idea of people telling me "if you care about your rabbit you won't try". I want to try because I care about Gimli. The notion of me trying to shove them together without safety in mind is a little insulting.

Why are you waiting so long for them to meet? Sibes are less likely to attack/want to eat a small animal they've been raised with than a stange one they've never seen before.

They share living space in our living room. Ezio's kennel is beside Gimli's. They used to be across the room from each other, but I wanted to take it a step further after some time for Ezio to settle. At this point they both seem to be comfortable. Ezio doesn't bark or try to pounce/play (most of the time he just ignores him now) and Gimli doesn't thump even when Ezio lies beside his cage. By "introducing" them I meant having them outside of their cages together. They share space and are exposed to each other every day as it stands.

Do you ever hold the bunny in front of him? To let him know the bunny is a member of the fmaily?

mheath0429 wrote:

I have cats, but they are different than other small creatures. They are fst, can jump very high and have claws to defend themselves.

Perhaps I am still failing to see why you are taking such offense to all of us? You asked our opinion. Just because you disagree with it, doesn't mean we are a bunch of jerks. We just don't want your bunny to get hurt.

Perhaps I should have named the thread something different. I asked for tips on how to introduce different species to each other, not whether or not I should even try. I felt insulted by the notion I was putting Gimli in any danger, as I would never do that. Ezio would not be in touching distance until I felt secure enough, and that would take a lot of time.