# Cockapoo and Rabbit



## DexterMorgan (Nov 17, 2011)

Hello all! First post here. My girlfriend and I are picking up our 10month male cockapoo tonight! We are very excited. We also have a mini lop bunny that is a "house rabbit.". From what i've read, these two should learn to get a long with some patience and work. My plan is to put a doggie gate up to seperate the two rooms that they will be in, and let them meet eachother at the gate. Should i wait a few days until my cockapoo is comfy in his new home? Or should i let them see eachother tonight, before the puppy feels any sense of territory? 

Thanks very much! -Mike


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Hi & welcome 
Souds interesting! I don't have experience of rabbits, but when we introduced our new puppy to our older dog we let them meet straight away, some other people may have better advice though (maybe those who have cats).
A 10 month old cockapoo? Lovely, what colour & *** is the pup? & what cocker x poodle mix?


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

I have a bunny, a mini lop too....my bunny is allowed out of her cage just not all the time, and My puppy at 1 year is a little too playfull to have them fully meet. A meeting will take time...and with your cockapoo being 10 months already it may take a little longer, you will have to gage their personalities, and for a long while after they meet you will want to keep your dog on lead when around the bunny...just in-case...remember a dog is a natural predator of a rabbit. Good luck I am sure that they will be friends...but take your time with it


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

Hello,
We have similar situation here - except free range garden rabbit and an 8 week old pup arriving on Sunday.
I'm not expecting any problems as the rabbit's bigger than the pup and he's so young. It might be more difficult with an older dog (have only got experience of cats and rabbits here).
But, if it helps, I know of a Shar Pei and a rabbit which were best of friends. The dog went into a deep depression when the rabbit was put to sleep. Again though it was a young puppy rather than an older dog.
Sounds like you've got the right approach though (we will be doing similar introducing the pup to our 2 year old cat).
Hope all goes well and keep us posted!


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

PS : just had a thought........... have read that when introducing new with established - hold the puppy back and let the established animal have 'free reign' as it were. The puppy has to learn that the other animal is not for chasing!


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## rockyrutherford (May 11, 2011)

*Freddie the Bunny*

Hi,
Mum and Dad have a bunny called Freddie. He comes into the house but goes upstairs to Rachel's room. I think its because I have a reputation of being on springs - which is probably true. I think bunnies should be able to take a bit of rough and tumble play and some nipping and don't see the problem. I think we are, however, destined not to meet.
FlynnXXX


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Green Fairy said:


> PS : just had a thought........... have read that when introducing new with established - hold the puppy back and let the established animal have 'free reign' as it were. The puppy has to learn that the other animal is not for chasing!


Good luck with that You are right tho - this IS the theory. Betty
is 6 1/2 Months and still my 9 year old cat gets no peace!! I've tried everything..Ggrr.


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Ah how exciting. I would definitely introduce your new cockapoo to the rabbit straight away and agree with Green Fairy. Make sure you keep the dog tightly on a lead and let the dog know that that this is the bunnies home too. The rabbit should b allowed to roam freely whilst the dog is on the lead. Be warned, although perhaps not aggressive (although that could b a possibility) , cockapoos are bouncy and always want to play so he/she maybe a bit rough with ur bunny at first - hence the lead is definitely a good idea until u can trust ur new addition! x


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Hope it goes well, don't forget being spaniel and poodle both are hunting dogs and will naturally pick things up. We have two mini rexs and weller is quite good with them and they have no fear of him, he leaves them alone until they run and then they just become too tempting, not nastiness I am pretty sure but still not brave enough to have him off lead around them. 
Good luck!!


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## rockyrutherford (May 11, 2011)

*Flynn and Brooke*

Hi everyone,
Just thought I'd post two photos. The first is how close I actually get to Brooke one of our bunnies and the second photo is what the bunny sees of me.
Puppy power!
Flynn XXX


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Aw how cute! I spoke to my dad about this situation and he told me that when his cocker was a puppy (Scooby) used to get into the hutch with my dad's girlfriends rabbit and sleep in there with her!!! I will try and get a picture to upload on here. I had no idea but he is adament he has photographic evidence. Scooby is a gun dog too - trained not to get rabbits though - otherwise he wouldn't be very good at his job!!  x


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

Izzy jumps into our bunny's hutch at every opportunity, but just to eat her food!


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## maddy (Dec 27, 2011)

Hj just wondered how the rabbit and cockerpoo getting on as i am hoping to get puppy in april and i also have a house rabbit


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

maddy said:


> Hj just wondered how the rabbit and cockerpoo getting on as i am hoping to get puppy in april and i also have a house rabbit


Yes! Update please. Not been going too well with Ryley and our rabbit (semi wild and has the run of the garden). As Ryley's been getting bigger and quicker it's got to the point now where he's dangerously close to catching Jinx. 
Plus as Jinx isn't that tame it's very difficult to catch him and put him away in the hutch! 
All making toilet time pretty difficult ggggrrrrr!!


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## maddy (Dec 27, 2011)

*rabbit*

Hi sorry to hear not going to well. Our rabbit is indoors always ,so hope they will get on well,and he is very friendly. How are you getting on with puppy otherwise, we used to have a bearded collie, but she passed away 3 years ago and our looking forward to having another dog in the house. Bye


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

maddy said:


> Hi sorry to hear not going to well. Our rabbit is indoors always ,so hope they will get on well,and he is very friendly. How are you getting on with puppy otherwise, we used to have a bearded collie, but she passed away 3 years ago and our looking forward to having another dog in the house. Bye


Hello! Ryley's my first dog and I've got to admit the first 4 weeks were hard work as everything was so new to me and I wasn't sure what to do for the best (like having a new baby!). Got through it with help/advice from experienced dog owning mates. But I've found the difference between an 8 w.o pup and a 12/13 w.o. is vast. He's now going through the night, waking later and not peeing every 5 seconds which is great. I love him to bits (apart from the rabbit situation!).


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## francesjl (Mar 24, 2011)

We have a garden rabbit who has a chicken coop off ground and a run attached, he's always been outside tho.
When we bought our puppies home he was there as normal but obviously behind mesh, they all sniffed each other and that was that, never had any issues.
Don't really know about house rabbits but I would be cautious, particularly as your new pup is older, you need to suss out his character a bit first and make sure he knows where he is in the pack ! Good luck !


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi Frances,
I'm guessing as you've got the chicken coop your rabbit's not on the loose?
Ryley's ok until the rabbit moves then all hell breaks loose, even though we introduced them the first day I brought him home.
Very disappointed as only solutions seem to be never to let the dog in the garden, or keep the rabbit permanently shut away when he's had free run all his life.
I have a friend who had a Shar Pei from a pup (aggressive breed?) and he absolutely adored the rabbit they had so I was fairly sure everything would be ok for us.


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi Frances,
I'm guessing as you've got the chicken coop your rabbit's not on the loose?
Ryley's ok until the rabbit moves then all hell breaks loose, even though we introduced them the first day I brought him home.
Very disappointed as only solutions seem to be never to let the dog in the garden, or keep the rabbit permanently shut away when he's had free run all his life.
I have a friend who had a Shar Pei from a pup (aggressive breed?) and he absolutely adored the rabbit they had so I was fairly sure everything would be ok for us.


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

Sorry - don't know why that posted twice. Didn't have anything more interesting to say 2nd time around!!


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## francesjl (Mar 24, 2011)

You're right - Peter rabbit is not loose - when we first had Rascal and Scamp they were 7 wks old ( but a year apart ) they went up to the run and Peter came over and they sniffed but thats all.
Different story when my brother in law visited with his patterjack - blood would have been spilled if we hadn't got him back in the house but then that's more in their nature.
My sister in laws labradoodle just ran round and kept barking like he wanted to play.
Don't really know what to suggest - except more supervise meetings maybe with a tasty treat at the same time so bunny is associated with good things !


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