Why doesn’t my bunny look like other Netherland Dwarfs?

[Estecca]

 I have a three month old Netherland Dwarf (female, as far as I know, she won’t let me flip her over) that I got from a really nice breeder, and both of her parents are purebred Netherland Dwarfs and were visible on the breeder’s website as such.

However, my bunny doesn’t look like the Netherland Dwarfs I see online, and although it’s not a problem, I’m confused as to why this is so. She’s much more ‘athletic’ looking than other Dwarfs…Obviously she’s not full grown, but is she going to grow out of it? I got her at 7 weeks and she looked very similar, she has never been a “ball of fluff” like other dwarfs. She is very small, and weighs between 1 pound and 1.5 pounds right now. Again, it’s not an issue, I love her to pieces, but she doesn’t look like a normal dwarf. Her ears seem too big and her head seems too small.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Below is a picture of her I took yesterday.

 

[SugarbearNPepper]

Estecca, I think she looks like a Nethie. I have two and they look similar, just different color (see profile pic). My boy is really small as well, less than 2 lbs and when he’s shedding he looks even smaller and skinnier!

[Jaguara]

she is probably a false dwarf. They are still in the same breed as other Netherlands but they are missing the gene that makes them actual dwarfs. True Netherlands have one recessive dwarf gene and one dominant, your bunny probably has two recessive genes. she is still a very pretty agouti though ^_^

[Estecca]

Does this mean she’ll grow over the 2.5 pound limit? Before I got her, I got a cage to accommodate a true dwarf rabbit, I can’t afford another one…should the breeder have specified that she is a false dwarf? It must have been obvious to her. I just feel like I was taken advantage of.

[LoveChaCha]

Yep it does mean she will be over 2.5 pounds, which shouldn’t be an issue, I hope

I have a false dwarf, as you can see in my signature pic. She is full grown and 4 pounds. False dwarfs weight may vary, but I love her to death, true or false dwarf.

What kind of cage do you have? Even small dwarf rabbits need A LOT of room.

[Beka27]

Even “purebred” rabbits may vary from the accepted “breed standard”. Rabbit breeding is not regulated like dog breeding is, so it’s possible that somewhere down her lineage there was another breed of rabbit.

As far as caging, bigger is always better. The minimum cage size for ANY breed is 2×4 feet and we recommend going larger if you can. Many people use dog exercise pens for housing which measure 4×4 feet. Or you could still keep your current cage and attach a pen for additional room.

[Estecca]

Her cage right now is 2.5 x 3.5, and I realized it was on the smaller side but it was affordable and I wasn’t too worried as she gets free roam around my sizable bedroom all day. However, if she gets bigger than 2.5 pounds, I doubt she’ll be comfortable in there for any amount of time. I have an X-pen but I can’t use it as 24-7 housing since I’m going to be living in a relatively small apartment with two roommates. I don’t know what to do…I wanted the smallest rabbit possible so I could afford to take good care of her.

[Sarita]

Can she just roam around in your room. Maybe put a baby gate up. Really the cost is the same for any size rabbit, small does not necessarily mean the cost will be less…don’t let that deter you in any way, just trying to point that out. There is also the possibility of doing a C x C cage and build up.

[Estecca]

I don’t know if she’ll be able to roam around free as much, as it is now my room is bunny proofed and I don’t need to attend her, but I’ll be renting an apartment so I need to be very careful that she doesn’t damage anything, at least in the beginning. What do you mean a C x C cage?

[Sarita]

Here’s a link with a photo:

http://www.guineapigcages.com/rabbits.htm

There is a good video out there somewhere, I’ll see if I can locate it.  It’s inexpensive to make and much better than any pet store cages which really are too small and not very practical.

[LoveChaCha]

Also, using neat idea cubes with zip ties to block off areas you do not want your bunny go get into is a great and cheap way to rabbit proof.

Good luck

[Elrohwen]

She looks like a false dwarf to me as well. I don’t think your breeder had any reason to mention that to you – she’s not the perfect “show” type, but you weren’t looking for a show rabbit so I’m sure she thought it didn’t matter. A 2.5lb bunny needs the same size housing as a 4lb bunny, so it shouldn’t change what you need to do for her. I have a holland who is also a false dwarf (dwarf breeds other than nethies can also be false dwarfs) and he is 4lbs, just like ChaCha. For reference, Otto was 1.5lbs at 8 weeks old, but was 4lbs by 6 months (they grow fast!). I would guess your bun will be 3-4lbs, but it’s really tough to say until they’re older.

The dwarf gene is dominant, so a correct show rabbit will usually have one dwarf gene to make it the correct size and body shape. Two dwarf genes create a peanut, which is not a viable kit and will pass away early. A rabbit without a dwarf gene at all will be a false dwarf and thus a little bigger. Pretty much every litter in the dwarf breeds will have true dwarfs, false dwarfs, and peanuts, unless one of the parents was already a false dwarf.

[Estecca]

Thank you. I do remember reading about dwarf genes when I was first investigating getting a rabbit but I didn’t pay any attention to false dwarfs.

Well I guess if I feel her cage is too small when she’s full grown in a few months I can look into an upgrade, maybe build an indoor hutch for her.

[MissPinUp]

Oh honey, I got a “dwarf” bunny too.

12 pounds later she’s harassing the cat AND the dog. AND in an x-pen. My husband continuously commented IS SHE EVER GOING TO STOP GROWING. To which I replied I HAVE NO IDEA GAAAAAAAH. But seriously, we love her and her big self

[Emmie]

D’awwwwww. I think Thane is a falsie too! I just had him weighed and he’s about 3lbs now. He’s done his growing and I think he’s just a fattie. I spoil him! I still love him to absolute bits!
I put a small extension onto his cage for night time and it has made the world of difference to him. You should certainly look into it!

[Deleted User]

Sorry for dragging up an old post, but I was going to ask this question of my ‘Netherland Dwarf’

Thanks for the info guys

[jerseygirl]

I fixed the images AxGizmo. They were only showing as URL code. When sharing from Photobucket on here, use the HTML code and you should be sorted.

Your rabbit definitely has some dwarf traits with those small ears, rounder face and eyes. But the rest of his body is exactly like my dwarf lop (called a mini lop in the US).

Maybe he’s a Netherland mix? Or a false dwarf, as discussed earlier in this thread. 

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