Help! My dog just found some teeny baby rabbits and got one from the

[Scout1071]

nest. I got him away just in time and doesn't appear to have done more than scare it, but how can I get it back in it's nest/hole with the rest? If I scoop with something, will mom reject it anyway? I definitely won't touch with my hands. Either way, those babies have to go.

What can I do?

[flvegan]

1. Mom won't reject the baby.

Return the little one to the nest, and cordon off the area from the dog.

Momma will find a new home if it's unsafe, or stay if the dog loses access.

The rejection is an old belief.

[Scout1071]

4. Fantastic to know this isn't true.

I've believed it my entire life.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. Hey Scout!

Flvegan is absolutely correct -- simply place the baby back in the nest, it will be just fine. My sister is a wild rabbit rehaber, so I know what I am talking about. ;) Mom will only show up at the nest at sunrise and sunset -- that is the two times a day she feeds the young'uns -- so don't freak out if you do not see her immediately. Something you can do to confirm that Mom is still around is to place a piece of string or dental floss across the nest/babies tonoght and then check to see if it has been disturbed tomorrow morning. If so, Mom has been by.

How big is the baby?? What kind of bun are you looking at? If it is still pretty small (fits in your palm), you may have a few weeks (or more) before the buns are out of the nest and ready to leave. If there is anyway you can keep your dog away from the nest during that time please do so. My sister gets a dozen calls a day from worried folks whose dog has removed a nesting baby bun. :)

Good luck!

[Scout1071]

3. Thanks for the advice. Sadly, I had to take off for dinner

with friends before I got any responses to this thread.

I left the little fella as is and went to dinner. He was very, very tiny for a bunny. Didn't even see a lot of fur. Hopefully momma put him back. Either way, I watched my dog closely and kept him away from that area of the yard when I got home.

The problem is that I have a small backyard (apartment) and it just won't be possible for me to keep him from them long term. He lives to chase rabbits. I've never seen him catch a real one because he's usually on leash, but I think he means to harm them. Badly.



PS - To give you an idea of the size of the yard, it looks like this (in the summer):



Babies are just behind the grill on the right hand side of the photo.

[Elidor]

5. Yes, he does mean to harm them

My SO used to think it was so cute the way her golden chases rabbits. Until she caught one. Ugh. At least the broken neck kills them without prolonged suffering.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. Yikes!

He was left where the dog left him? Was he anywhere near the nest? Mom would likely NOT put him back in the nest because she may not have been around to do so. They go into shock pretty quickly if left away from the nest for any length of time due to the lack of warmth. If you can, check today and see if you find the little nipper back in the nest (best case) or if he is in shock where he was left. If he is stil there, you will need to act ASAP if you are going to save him. Get him on a heting pad right away and then post here -- I can tell you what to do next. I'll check back often during the day.

[Scout1071]

7. Bad news HHNF........

Not only did he not survive, but I came out this morning with my dog to make sure he avoided that area of the yard when I discovered that there were actually 3 outside the nest. None of them made it through the night. I'm getting ready to do a little clean-up this afternoon and I've been grossed out thinking about it all day.

I have to say that this area is absolutely overrun with rabbits right now. While walking my dog thru the complex the other night I counted 15 rabbits that he scared out of one bush alone. Last year I locked down my yard because they eat my flowers. I put a heavy duty border at the bottom of my fence and tried to block off all entrances/exits into my yard. But each year they find a way in.

[ET Awful]

8. Poor little things. :(

Ah well, such is the circle of life :(.

Our dogs did that to some jackrabbits when I was a kid, we rescued one and tried really hard to keep the poor thing alive. We succeeded for 3 days or so, the it finally just gave up :cry:

Yes, they can wreak havok, but I still dig (no pun intended) bunnies.

[Scout1071]

9. I'm torn. They are cute to look at.....I just wish I was looking at them

in somebody else's yard!

It could be worse. The first year I was here there was an incident with the mowers that I really won't go into any further. I've tried to block that crime scene from my mind.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

10. Sorry to hear about that....

I can ask my sister about some exclusion tools you might be able to use for your yard so this doesn't happen again.

I have four in my yard right now (domestics) and I can relate to them eating anything green and growing! :)

[Scout1071]

13. I would greatly appreciate any advice on how to keep them out of

my yard. I think they are as cute as everyone else, but they are destructive and more often than not things end badly for them in my yard.

Last summer my dog did manage to get a chipmunk. All I could do was say a prayer for the little fella as I watched him take his last breath. My dog had only been toying with it, but that's all it took.

Before that, I had an enormous, old yellow lab. Every once in a while he would engage in a gratuitous chase, but he usually just laid on the patio and let the bunnies get within a few feet of him.

[Hobarticus]

16. Now that it's going to warm up, and your dog will be out more

More than likely mama bunnies will steer clear if they know a predator will be around.

[Scout1071]

19. You'd be surprised.

They aren't the smartest of animals. Every time I open the back door, he tears out the door as fast as possible. Kind of like the gate opening at the dog track.

They never seem to go away. And since I reinforced all the fencing they have very few exits/entrances. Really they are down to one way in and out (that I'm aware of.) And yet the still dare to enter.

[CarpeDiebold]

11. awesome backyard!

and that's a fierce lookin fella. yikes!

[Scout1071]

12. Thanks! It's my Midwestern "tiki lounge." nt

[NMDemDist2]

14. my dog is so funny, we had a baby jack rabbit get in the fence

the other dog kept running in the house and barking so when we finally went outside to see what was up my 85 pound male border collie had the bunny between his paws and had been licking it so long it's head was soaked!

my bubba is such a softy!

he was glad when we took over "mothering" the little guy and bubba followed us when we walked the baby back out to the field where I had seen the family of babies hanging out. my boy just stood there and wagged his tail as the baby hopped back out to the wild

[Hobarticus]

15. That's a handsome border collie!

Great dogs!

[NMDemDist2]

18. that's a fat, happy and spoiled rotten Border Collie

he's my boy! :loveya:

[Hobarticus]

20. That's exactly what they're there for...

My bc mix is the most loyal and loving dog I've ever known. Must be in the breed.

[NMDemDist2]

22. he went to the new groomer today and got his annual "shave"

and she just GUSHED how sweet he was, and what a lover he was and how good he was and what a handsome boy he was

:rofl:

she has groomed my two girls too, the best they ever got was "They did fine and were good girls"

but this guy, she was just giddy! he's never met a stranger that guy, he loves everything and everybody. one day the cat had killed a bird in the back yard and he cried and gave DH the Big Sad Eyes and gently pushed the bird with his nose then looked at DH like "DAD! Fix IT!"

he's such a love. and as usual laying at my feet as I type

when you get a good BC they are the BEST

[Hobarticus]

25. My mix is about due for his shave, too...

Poor little guy's up half the night, panting.

Guinness will sit under my feet, too. Even if I just sit down for a minute, he's right there. That's his job, to stick close, and by George he's going to do it.

You take care of that boy. He looks and sounds like a sweetheart.

[Scout1071]

21. So sweet.

Those dogs are widely known to be among the smartest of breeds.

It looked like my boxer had pulled them out of their hole, but I didn't see any bite marks or anything. They were new babies. No fur.

[NMDemDist2]

23. my mom raises Salukis and so I know about the "chase" gene

poor bunnies, but your guy was just doing his job, but it sucks when you have to remove the little guys

and BTW, your yard is very nice! looks like a great spot to just hang :yourock:

[Scout1071]

24. Thank you. I'm getting ready to tackle it for the first time.

It's on the agenda this weekend. Unfortunately, I have to do the weekend of clean-up - raking, bagging, weeding, blah, blah, blah. Least favorite part of it all. I've put it off a little this year because I've been thinking of buying my first house and moving to a bigger yard! I think I'm ready to be a home owner.

[NMDemDist2]

26. woohoo! big step!

best luck in a house hunt, I'm doing the same right now, getting mine ready to sell and watching realtor.com for listings

[ET Awful]

28. That is one sweet doggie :)

:loveya:

That's the kind of dog I want! Just a total lover that wouldn't hurt a fly.

I just wish I had space for a dog, but living in an apartment, it's just not fair to the pup.

[skygazer]

17. Sorry about the bunnies

But you have a beautiful boxer!!!! :loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

[salin]

27. Once had a "nest" go up in the front garden... drove the dog nuts.

we put a small fence up around the garden (chicken wire - not too high, but a defense against the dog who was old enough to know it was an intentional barrier, and to respect it) - Mom rabbit kept babies their for several more days (til babies were bigger) then at night moved them to a safer area (don't know where - but it was out of the dog's territory.)