Are full grown border collies good with bunnies?

Answer 1

They only hurt them if it's anal, i mean, I'm a retired maths teacher and I've been breeding border rabbits for a while now, it's hard work trying to separate them, they seem to want to shagg for hours.. hehe.

Stefan x

Answer 2

Really, it depends on the Border Collie's behavior. If he is high on the pecking order in his litter, then no he would not. If the rabbit doesn't move around a lot and can stay in one place, the well mannered Border Collie will be kind and in some cases, protective. My Border Collie used to lay down with our Netherland Dwarf rabbit. The rabbit was scared but Milo loved him. Remember that Border Collies need plenty of room to run to let go of their undying energy. without plenty of excercise your nice dog could take it out on your rabbit. If you train your dog well and if you have a calm rabbit, your home will work in harmony.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

This is a difficult question to answer because it actually depends on the personality of the dog and the way it was raised by the owners.

Most dogs are natural hunters and, before they were domesticated by man, mostly spent their lives hunting small animals, such as birds, cats and rabbits.

However, nowadays because they're domesticated, they don't use their hunting instincts as much, because we humans do the feeding for them.

Generally, border collies are loving dogs that can get on well with other animals, which is why they are used by farmers, particularly for herding sheep and cattle.

However, sometimes they may still like a little hunt, they're dogs and it's only natural for them to hunt, so you can't blame them really.

Sometimes they can also be jealous with the introduction of a new animal to the home, stealing all the attention that you would normally be giving the dog.

Your best bet is to buy a safe cage for your bunny that cannot be knocked over by a dog (ie - is heavy or can be fastened into the ground). Let your dog around the cage as much as you can and let him/her sniff the bunny through the cage.

Every time your dog barks at the bunny, remove him/her from the area for 5 minutes, then let him/her back into the area again. Repeat this until the dog can be around the cage without barking at it.

The next step would be physical interaction. Put your dog on a leash and hold him/her tightly.

Let the bunny into the room (or out the cage). Let your dog approach the bunny, but not too close that s/he can bite or scratch it (and so the bunny cant do the same to the dog in self defence).

Again, remove the dog from the area for 5 minutes if s/he barks or attempts to bite/scratch the bunny.

It can be frustrating, but training a dog comes with responsible dog ownership. If done correctly, your border collie should accept your bunny as part of the family.

Ideally, the best time to introduce a dog to another animal is while the dog is a puppy. They won't attack their furry friends that they grew up with. However when older they can be trained to accept other animals.

Oh - and you may want to avoid feeding your dog rabbit-flavoured dog food. For obvious reasons.