Animal-World > Small Animals > Pet Rabbits > Netherland Dwarf Rabbits

Netherland Dwarf Rabbit

Family: Leporidae

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Oryctolagus cuniculus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   These are the cutest rabbits one could imagine! They come in about 36 different varieties (more than any other breed!) all of which stay very small!

   This extremely cute bunny is easily one of the most popular show rabbits in the United States. It is also very popular in Europe where it is known as the 'European Pole'.

   Most of the time Netherland Dwarfs are happy, friendly little pets, but once in a while there will be one that becomes less agreeable as it approaches breeding age. During this time it may be more protective of its body and its cage.

  Usually the bunny will settle down and become friendly again if it is bred. However if you aren't planning on breeding, getting your bunny sterilized can often help avoid behavioral problems. There are also definite health benefits for the rabbit as well. Neutering or spaying can be done when your rabbit is over 4 months of age.

For more information about Rabbits and their care:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Rabbit

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like omg i have a brown dwarf bunny too! STEPHII<3333333 2008-09-20
Hi, it's me Kirsten again. My N. Dwarf is a cross. I have a sister who also got a rabbit although she got a black Dwarf Lop. Her name is Rosie and she is very sweet although needs extra care as she kicks when you pick her up and gets a bit too enthusiastic when you put her down and tries to jump out of your hands. Cotton-Tail my N. dwarf is adorable and she never kicks. She is quiet and loves getting cuddles. Today both of them munched a whole clump of Bak Choy. They really like it. Earlier today Cotton-Tail weed on me! It was gross. I had to take off my jumper and put it in the wash. It was so funny. By the way if you get a baby rabbit you must take lots of photos of them as they grow quickly! I got a very cute picture of Rosie scratching her ear with her foot. Kirsten 2008-09-13
Hi! I'm getting 2 dwarfs, both black (but I haven't yet seen them so I don't know whether they're lops or not). I decided to get 2 because its nicer when they are together, so when I don't have time to play with them, they can play with each other! I have never had dwarfs before so I am doing all the research I can, and getting lots of advice from friends. It all started when I was playing with my cats in my house and someone knocked at the door, it was my mum's friend. She wanted to talk to my mum about this club thing that they've joined. My mum was across our field, so while she was coming back my mum's friend asked if I liked rabbits, and I said that I loved rabbits! Then she said that she new a lady who had baby dwarf rabbits and if somebody didn't take them she'd put them down! I begged my mum, and in the end she agreed that we could get 2! yay! If you have any advice for me please tell me on the blog. p.s. I am not one of those people who gets a pet, plays with it for a week or so, and then gets bored with it. I am willing to put a lot of effort into the's bunnys. Prudence 2008-09-11
Hi, my name is Kirsten. I am getting a N. dwarf rabbit this Saturday. I was kind of worried because I had read that N. dwarfs can be aggressive. Thanks to everyone's advice, I am no longer worried. Kirsten 2008-09-10
I have a netherland dwarf and she's never tried to bite me. She is black and she has the sweetest personality. She loves to explore and loves to be petted and picked up. If you are not picking them up carefully they may become aggresive when you put your hand in the cage, but otherwise I recommend a netherland dwarf to everybody! They're very affordable and love attention! Anonymous 2008-09-09
Some of the coolest comments:
My grandad has 20 adult netherland dwarf rabbits, 13 girls and 7 boys. They are all soooo cute and have their own. The reason there are lots of mixed reviews is because there are lots of different rabbits, humans aren't all the same so why should rabbits have to be. The majority of ours love being held and stroked but some like to be held up and some along. You just have to get to know your rabbit. Some will love the company of all animals but some will hate it, and some are very territorial and some love you to stroke them in their cage. There are very rarely vicious rabbits, but if you have one, the key thing is trust. The rabbit must know you respect that it is their hutch and must come to you in their own time. We find the boys tend to be a little more territorial than the girls, but it really just depends on the rabbit. To anybody looking into have a netherland dwarf i am sure you have been told they are a lot of work. But they don't always have to be. You can have cared for your rabbit in 10 minutes each day, altough they do like lots of fuss and attention. By having an organised way of cleaning them, most rabbits will choose one corner as their "litter tray" and you can simply clean that corner each day, and your rabbit won't smell much at all. We do, however, have one rabbit with head tilt who almost died and all of the vets said her chances were slim, but she survived. We had to syringe feed her for almost a month and we made a special cushion. Well, good luck to everybody who wants a rabbit, I hope you get your furry little friend soon! ellie 2008-08-10
We have 2 N. Dwarf rabbits - both male. Litter box training was a bit trying but it's done now and well worth the patience. I feed the bows ONLY OXBOW pellets and OXBOW grass / hay. Once they turn 6 months old, the hay will become 70% of their diet and the pellets will be cut way back. Vegetables will be introduced at 6 months and fruits there after. I love these rabbits the way some people love their dog. N.Dwarfs can be extremely playful and express themselves very well. We get kisses from the rabbits every day. One of my rabbits only weighed in at 0.6 lbs and the other at 1 lb. These are not the type of rabbits to have around very small children - unless the children are taught to be careful and GENTLE. Jlarsen143 2008-07-25
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
Hi, very soon I'll be getting a netherland dwarf, they are just so cute! I'll have to be careful when it's out of it's cage because I have four other animals (2 dogs, 2 cats) and the two cats and one of the dogs are very teritorial. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has posted comments about there bunnies, it has helped me alot! Thanks, Jacki Jacki 2007-06-14
this is the cutest little bunny on animal-World! Sami 2006-08-18
This site has been really helpful for me, I decided I would really like a rabbit. I convinced my parents over and over- they didn't think I would cope with the "effort required to the up-keep of them" Now I am getting one as long as it is small, so this site helped me pick a Netherland or possibly a mini lop-ear though they can grow big Amy xxAmyxx 2006-04-09