Starting with Rabbits...Lionheads. First show this weekend!

[debilorrah]

I don't want this to sounds like an ignorant statement, so I will make it a question. Is assuming certain rabbit breeds are vicious and mean the same thing as saying all pit bulls are killers? Like branding a breed with no concrete evidence?

I know pits get that rap because they have the ability to lock their jaws where other breeds do not. And being new to rabbits I was just wondering.....

thanks!

PS - I don't like pits. I think they are ugly, as well as weenie dogs.

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

Last weekend someone on Nashville craigslist had some beautiful Red New Zealands for sale. Pedigreed stock. It was the first for sure red new zealand I have seen and they were goregous! That might make a great show breed. They are diffinently flahy and attention getters.
I bought apair of checkers a couple of years ago .they were babys and I raised them. The buck was as sweet as could be and the doe as mean as could be. Both raised the same! I finally had to get rid of them ,I was afraid she would hurt the grandkids!

 

[Akane]

I'm sure just like with dogs it comes down to what you can handle. All the dog breeds I like would not be good in the hands of a new pet owner or in most cases even a well meaning new dog owner. If you know how to handle them and their specifics you can do fine and amazing things with them but if you don't you can get yourself or someone else bit and the dog labelled as dangerous. I find the same with horses. I have a mare who is out of some cutting lines that are very well known locally. Part of why they are well known is that they are reported to be hard to handle and all colts from this stallion killed themselves while acting out or were PTS for violence. I have no issues handling my mare and using her in a few demonstration actually got me lots of requests to do groundwork for people. 3 farriers and 2 vets have walked off my property because of this horse but with my bad knee and weak back I can trim her hooves just fine. The farrier we just had out last week trimmed her with no issues. We've been through 10 farriers to find someone who understands that horses are individuals. We talked about how getting in to an argument with these type of horses was just plain stupid. You don't order them around. You discuss it with them and most of the time so long as you ask nicely they are willing to walk through fire for you. Shove them around and you have 1200lbs of belligerent quarter horse fully willing to hold it's ground until blood comes from one or both of you. Now my barrel line is the opposite. If they start getting twitchy you just hold on tight and in short order they decide fighting with you is not worth it and will then stand there on 3 legs until the end of time if you never let go. It's just the different lines or breeds and some are better for beginners than others while some just require you to have a certain mindset to handle them right.

 

[RabbitMage]

Quote:
Actually no dog breed can lock it's jaws, fyi.

But a lot of it is stereotyping, or people not understanding how rabbits work. Some of it is true. It's just picking out the wheat from the chaff.

A lot of supposedly aggressive breeds are actually just very active and curious. When we got into Tans a decade ago we were warned how mean they are. I've been bitten by a Tan I'd say...half a dozen times in the last three years, and most of those weren't out of aggression. But they are active, not too keen on being held, and really have a mind of their own, so they get a bad rap.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
Aww I knew I shouldn't have said what I did, even though it was used as a comparison to attitudes of the animals, not necessarily the actual behaviors. Sorry to anyone I offended with the pit bull comment. Anyone here who has read much of what I talk about here knows how I feel about dogs and breed biases. I know the facts about Pitties.

Which is why said in my first post:

I know this is anecdotal commentary....

I guess I've had the checkered giant of the dog world too, in my working bred GSD's I have had. Not every one's cup of tea, and they were much more high maintinance than your regular pet bred Shepherd. That being said, I am sure some CG's have good temperaments, but if their temperaments make them that much more difficult to take care of, I wouldn't want them as a breed of rabbit. I don't want a high maintinance rabbit, but I am sure some do, and that's great for them.

 

[NellaBean]

Having worked with dogs for years myself, I understand what people are saying. and that is the kind of info I'm looking for. I just read between the lines

I would prefer a more mellow and quiet breed of rabbit over an active and somewhat high strung breed. So while there may be some nice checkereds out there, I think for giants, I will stick with flemish.

Honestly a lot may depend on what I see in person.....but I'll have all of this info in the back of my mind too.

I'm not completely ruling anything out. Some breeds may not catch my eye in pictures but in person may be stunning.

Therefore, I reserve the right to change my mind at will! Ha.

 

[CranberryCreekFarm]

Quote:
I personally breed my mini rexs ( the velveteen rabbit) haven't had a problem with them being high strung. But, I have a salt and pepper colored Felmish giant named bob whom I absolutley adore! Such a sweetie. I bring him in the house or let him run around the barn for some extra excercise. Great with my toddlers and other rabbits. Very laid back. He will just lay down next to the dogs while I cook dinner when he is inside.

 

[mandelyn]

I'm in LOVE with my two Flemish girls. They're the best rabbits I've ever had. if I have them out in the yard, they'll actually follow me or chase me down instead of minding their own business and trying to hide in the wood pile. They actually look excited to see me.

In the past I've had a dwarf that hated me, a giant dutch who was cool but a little stand offish, a big strawberry something-err-other who was lazy and indifferent to life in general. Had a mix and matched trio, a Californian (high strung) Holland Lop (cool rabbit, played with the dog), and a cross of some kind that also hated me and would flip out when I approached the hutch.

But these Flemish girls are sweet, social, active, just really great rabbits, more pet like than any I've had besides the Holland Lop that jumped circles around the dog. They've inspired me to build the mother of all hutches, designed for their future size, and also to keep them active.

They've been great house bunnies. I let them out quite often because they're out growing their cage and we don't start the hutch build until this weekend. They're mastering the art of litter box training.

It got really warm here, took them all of 5 seconds to figure out how great a frozen 2 liter of water is. I don't think I'll own another rabbit breed.

 

[dewey]

To meet your dual purpose requirements, I'd vote for the Champagne's, too, if it had to be a breed on your list. If after testing the waters you end up enjoying it, another breed can always be added.

 

[BCBunnies]

I might be new to raising chickens but I've been raising rabbits for years now and as it would happen my first doe was a Checkered Giant which I named Spottiemadottie. I was 4 years old when my Dad bought her from a man she was snappy at first but me being stubborn I was determined to have her be a sweet rabbit I could pet as well as breed to the herd buck. It took me a little longer since I had started school but by Christmas she was as friendly as any of our other does and in fact she was a bit easier on letting us into her nest box to check kits than the New Zealand we had.

What it comes down to is getting a rabbit you are willing to work with. I've run the gamut from having a Mini-rex that growled and spit when someone would even enter the barn to a Tan that laid around like a lap cat. You can do all the research you want on breeds and they can give a general guideline to temperment but check out the actual stock you are getting very thoroughly. And actually if you have such a nice time with your little Lionhead they are showable check out the American Rabbit Breeders Ass. website and purchase a Standard of Perfection book. This is a must for showing it will give you the specifics on every breed recognized for show by the ARBA. Good luck on your rabbit hunt.