The Netherland Dwarf rabbit

The Netherland Dwarf has a small compact body, short neck and a compact broad head with curved profile and a rounded face.

The coat is short and soft and the ears are small, erect, rounded at the tips and just under a quarter of an inch (5cm) in length.

A really cute looking rabbit, they look infantile even in full adulthood.

They are the smallest of the dwarf breeds with a fully grown weight that can range from 1.5lb to 2.6lb (700 to 1.2 kilos ).

In temperament they are timid in nature but lively, and can be highly strung and become stressed easily.

This particular breed is one of the most popular pet rabbit breeds.

The modern day Netherland Dwarf is a gentle, curious, pet and if handled correctly and often, they will enjoy human companionship.

They should be purchased from a reputable breeder and handled with care and attention. If so, they will make a good pet for a child but any child should be at least 7 or 8 years old and have constant adult supervision.

You should not purchase a netherland dwarf under 8 weeks old since they need their mother during this early period to develop a healthy immune system.

If the rabbit is well bred and handled with care, they will make an excellent pet.

Pure bred colours for this rabbit are many and varied. They include Agouti, Black, Black otter, Blue, Blue tan, Brown, chestnut, Chinchilla, chocolate otter, Chocolate tan, fawn, Fox, Himalayan, Lilac, lynx, Opal, squirrel, tan, sable point, sable marten, opal, otter, Orange, Siamese sable, Siamese smoke pearl, steel, Tortoise shell, White.

The life span on average is 7 to 10 years, but the age of any rabbit is dependent on care and, just as importantly, diet.

This is not a rabbit that requires as much feeding as other breeds, but the amount of feeding is really down to each individual owner using judgement and common sense.

Initially breed from the white polish rabbit and wild rabbits to produce a small rabbit in early 20th century in a variety of colours.

Introduced to the UK in 1948 and the US in the late 1960s.

Early breeds had an aggressive temperament and developed a reputation as such, but through generations of selective breeding this rabbit is now a gentle, friendly and charming rabbit.

When purchasing, and where possible, it may be a good idea to view the parents and note their temperament, but this cannot always be done. Just keep it in mind if you get the chance to do so, but do not let it be the overriding factor in your decision to buy if you do not see the parents.

Rabbit breeds derived from breeding larger rabbits with the Netherland dwarf are known as dwarf breeds. Usually dwarf breeds are slightly larger than the typical Netherland Dwarf, 4 to 5 lb (1.8 to 2.3kg). They do however display similar features.

As mentioned elsewhere on this site, the Mini Lop is not a dwarf breed.

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