The rabbit has free run of the garden and comes into the house. iIhave been given different views by different people on whether to introduce them. One says introduce them when puppy is young and everything will be ok, others say it is a jack russells instinct to attack rabbits so keep them apart. What do I do?
how funny. i think that if the dog grows with the rabbit around it's ok. they'll become friends.
powered by Yahoo Answers
December 30th, 2008 at 6:53 am
keep them apart! poor little wabby!!
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 7:40 am
how funny. i think that if the dog grows with the rabbit around it's ok. they'll become friends.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Introduce them, he is young so it will work out well. Good luck.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 8:26 am
I think that instint will overcome in the end and you can not blame the dog it it does. Go very careful
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 9:08 am
You should introduce them a little bit at a time until the rabbit plud the puppy gets used to one another. If they are raised together it should not be a problem.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 9:23 am
let your rabbit roam free, keep you puppy on a leash and introduce them like that, let the puppy sniff and play with the rabbit. he should be totally fine, but keep him on the leash for a while so they can get used to each other and if the rabbit gets scared (bunches up, stays still) then pull him away a little bit.
i have a dog, rabbit and cat, they will be fine! good luck
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 9:47 am
No the rabbit has to die sooner or later
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 10:32 am
the jack russell is likely to attack the rabbit as it is inbuilt, however try to introduce them straight away whilst keeping the rabbit safe from harm and teach the dog to be friends. id say the rabbit could protect itself well while the dog is a pup as its gonna be tiny.if things dont go well, you ll have to cage your rabbit im afraid for its own safety.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am
you could introduce them………but the dog would just see it as dinner.keep them apart, it is the dogs natural instinct to kill it.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 11:22 am
No, the rabbit is an essential part of the dog's varied diet.
Alternatively, you could eat them both and get a proper dog.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Firstly, do not get a 6 weeks old puppy. Puppies should be with their miothers until they are 8 weeks old. Secondly, do not leave him with the rabbit. Terriers are bred to kill small animals. No matter how much training he gets he will still get the urge to chase and possibly kill the rabbit. Traits are bred into dogs, hence no matter how much of a pet a border collie is, even kept in a city home, he will still want to herd things, labradors retrieve things, greyhounds will run. I have had terriers here in the past, brought up from day one when I fostered rescue females with pups. They were introduced to my poultry from the start yet every one at some stage in its life, would chase and maul a chicken. Now, I refuse to have a terrier on my property. They are simply not safe with small animals. If you like excitable yappy dogs who love to dig holes, are always on the go and have a strong urge to kill small animals, then by all means, get a terrier. If not, consider a different breed. The rescue kennels in this country are full of unwanted jack russells of all ages which were got by people who thought that because they were small, they would be easy to look after, when in fact they need more excersize than a large lurcher or greyhound does and have a stronger urge to kill things.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 11:54 am
I'm an ex jack russell owner, and also had a free range guniea pig and cats. And my dog was a ratter.
At 6 weeks you are in the ideal position to teach your dog to have self control around other animals. Have supervised sessions every day. Don't let the dog hassle the rabbit, just firmly pick him up if he gets too rough. Gradually your dog should calm down and stop seeing the rabbit as an exiting thing as he gets used to having it around.
They'll probably end up playing together.
Between 6 - 12 weeks is the age at which pups learn who is in their family. At this age they leave the nest area and start to explore. If you keep them separate he'll never learn to accept the rabbit as family. After 12 weeks its too late.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
i think you'll find its the rabbit that will scratch the puppy to pieces!!
x
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
You MUST keep them apart! Jack Russells are one of the most active dogs around. If it sees your rabbit, it will definitely give chase!
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
If you want to keep the rabbit.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Try introducing them, but hold your bunny and not the dog, so you can pull the rabbit away quicker, than the dog. But air on caution as Jack Russells are very unpredictable and can be vicious too, I think its in their nature.
I was stuck up a climbing frame for about 2 hours when I was a kid, because their was a Jack Russell at the bottom of the frame wanting to bite the ankles of me. lol
All the best.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
How can it be a Jack Russells instinct when he is so young, they need to be trained like you teach a baby new tricks and they learn. I think cause the dog is so young its best to let them roam together, that way they can be treated the same, cause if you think about it if you treat the rabbit better than the dog he/she could get jealous and then decide it will have the rabbit. So I say let them get together, best thing to do is just keep an close eye on them for a few days to see how they adapt to the surroundings and being with each other. When I was younger I had an Border Collie and an Poodle ok calmer dogs but my rabbit was house trained and had free roam of the house and garden, its only cause the dogs were puppies when they were introduced to my rabbit. I hope this answer helps. Gary
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Jack Russells were bred for rabitting, so these could hardly be a less compatible pair of pets! However familiar and even friendly the puppy becomes with the rabbit, in the end the predatory instinct will out. The rabbit will know this and feel constant fear and an urge to escape. If you are committed to the dog, be kind to the rabbit and find it another home.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Alas poor rabbit, bye bye.
What is your next combination, a cat and a canary or a kestrel and a mouse?
Nasty, yappy aggressive little dogs, Jack Russells. They are best grilled and eaten in a baggette.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
a jack russell is a terrier and is bred to hunt rabbits and other small animals, you might have a chance with a golden retriever or that type of breed
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
If you don't the dog will soon have your rabbit APART!!!!!
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Wow you might have your work cut out. In New Zealand Jack Russell's love Rabbits. However the attention they give to Rabbits is not reciprocated. Jack Russells are phenomenal Rabbit hunters. Given the predator/prey relationship you may actually find your rabbit may be the one that causes the most problems. It may well decide to attack the puppy ( attack being the best part of defence). Suggest you introduce them slowly and always under supervision, especially if your rabbit is an adult male. May be feed them at the same time, next to each other. With patience you may see a good relationship developing. I have a large Curly Coat retriever who believes cats only exist for chasing………… all cats except our Maine coon. They grew up together and the Maine Coon, if he gets into a fight with another cat, brings his opponent home for the dog to deal with.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Put them together and sit down beside them, let them get to know each other.
If they start fighting, gently pull them apart and and tell them they are supposed to be friends, and not enemies. This time, holding them together with each of your hands, put them together and talk to them slowly. Hold them closer to each other every second.
If they do not fight, leave them and hide somewhere so you can get a good view of them, if they are playing happily, fetch a toy and some water for them, then leave them alone.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
A 6wk.old is TOO YOUNG to be away from it's LITTER!!!
But it's also too young to kill a rabbit.
When it gets older,it CAN & WILL!
Btw,for the easily confused…jrt were NOT bred to hunt rabbit! They were bred to take FOX IN-GROUND!!!
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I have owned a Jack Russell. The safest thing for the rabbit is to keep it AWAY from the JR. Jr's were bred to hunt small fury creatures, like the rabbit. It is instinct to hunt and chase them. Ours went after our 4 week old pup, which was about the size of a rabbit. If you do have them near each other close supervision is a must.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I would say keep them apart, you can introduce them to each other and supervise them to see how they do together, but a Jack Russell will kill that rabbit if he doesn't know it's a friend
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Do you want the rabbit? Keep them apart. I had a dog and from when he was small, he was always around my cats, Right around 6 months he turned on the cats, wanted to kill them. I had to get rid of him.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Keep them apart because dogs can get really savage toward rabbits…trust me i saw a dog attacking a rabbit savagely.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
For the saftey of the rabbit, keep them seperated.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
I have a 6 month old jack russell and he is such a softy.
If you introduce them now they should get along just fine. But any sign of the pups tail not wagging get him away from the rabbit or you will be having a certain soup for dinner if you get my drift!!!
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Absolutely keep them apart. Jack Russells are bred for hunting small, burrow dwelling animals like rabbits. They reccomend keeping them away from small cats & kittens, too. They can be mean little bastards, my moms attacks both of my dobermans. They cant help their instincts, though, so just dont give it the opportunity to get your bunny. Even well trained J.R.'s will get ahold of and shake a small animal to death on occasion.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
A Jack Russell is a Terrier and they were bred to hunt down and kill animals even though dogs have been domesticated they will still have there deep natural intincts so my advice is to keep them apart ….. you could try introducing them and see how they get along but never leave them alone together…..
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
well it could save you money if you put them together cause you wont need to feed him for a couple of days
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
ok..i know for a fact they should be introduced asap. If not your jack will be running rings around the poor bunny. Just be sure never to leave them aone and praise a the jack for ignoring the bunny. If you do this, the pup will leave the bunny well alone when older. Its the same as with cats and babies…expose them now to save problems in the future..
References :
training canine behaviourist
December 30th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
If you raise the pup WITH the rabbit and correct him for any aggressive actions (nipping, pouncing, etc), then the JR may be ok with the rabbit when he grows up. There is no 100% guarantee, but the odds are that he will see that particular rabbit as a packmate and brother.
If you keep them separate now, you will have to separate them forever or the JR will see the rabbit as prey and kill it at his first opportunity.
References :
28 years terrier training experience
My terriers kill everything they can catch - mice, rabbits, squirrels, etc.
December 30th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
keep them apart! it is natural instinct to chase and it may scare the rabbit to death.
References :
December 30th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
People who say that it is a Jack Russel's instinct to attack rabbits are absolutely right! my 9 week old puppy chased our rabbit, even after we spent a lot of time trying to introduce them. She is till not used to the rabbits, even after a few years.
References :
December 31st, 2008 at 12:17 am
are you out of your mind?
References :
December 31st, 2008 at 12:24 am
i should think so
References :
December 31st, 2008 at 12:48 am
Jack Russels will chase anything that moves. Pen up the Rabbit or Kennel the Dog. That's pretty much yyour choice!
References :