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Their small, compact stature means that they need less room to run and exercise - though you should always be mindful of giving them the freedom to roam while you’re home. If you are limited in the space you have to care for a rabbit, the Netherland Dwarf makes a fantastic option to keep as a pet. By providing them with plenty of timothy hay and fresh water as well as moderate amounts of leafy greens and other vegetables, Netherland Dwarfs will enjoy good health well into old age. Partly as a result of their complex genetic heritage, all miniaturized rabbits enjoy a significantly longer lifespan than larger rabbits - and generally experience fewer health problems, as well. Image Credit By: Preediwat, Shutterstock Nutrition and Health No doubt this incredible variety of colors and patterns has contributed to their popularity as a pet and show rabbit. With over 20 recognized colors, ranging from chestnut to blue-eyed white, to Silver Marten or Himalayan patterning, they come in a veritable painter’s palette of fur styles. No other rabbit breed can quite match the variation in coat colors seen in the Netherland Dwarf. Were it not for their particularly tiny stature, their slightly aggressive natures might make them less popular as it stands, they are hardly big enough to do any damage. Their sturdy, compact bodies and tiny, protruding ears make a fantastic complement to their perky and energetic personalities. Whitman’s Domestic Rabbits and Their Histories, from which we have sourced much of the information in this section.Īs the smallest of all miniaturized rabbits, the Netherland Dwarf is almost impossible to mistake for any other breed. For more information on the precise origins of this breed and its plight during World War 2, see Bob D. Today, they are known as one of the leading show rabbits by breeders and judges across the world. shores in the late 1960s, a huge boom in imports and exports was necessary to meet the demand for these heart-winning bunnies. Within just a few years of the breed reaching U.S. Thankfully, through a combined effort by Dutch and English breeders, the Netherland Dwarf was brought back from the brink of extinction - and into a flourishing spotlight all its own. Because the breed had just been established only weeks before war broke out, by the time fighting ended some 7 years later there were only 17 Netherland Dwarfs left. If it weren’t for the combination of their adorable appearance and hardy, adaptable natures though, the Netherland Dwarf may never have survived through World War 2. By breeding this diminutive ancestor with only the smallest of wild rabbits, Jan Meyering of Holland ended up producing the first stable breeds of the many-colored miniature that we know and love today. History and Origin of the Netherland Dwarf RabbitĪ post shared by ✨Bubs & Rory✨ result of painstaking decades of selective breeding, the Netherland Dwarf originally descended from a small, white, German breed known as the Hermelin. Read on to find out more about the breed’s history and common characteristics, as well as what you’ll need to do to welcome one into your home! If you’ve ever been curious about this most feisty of miniaturized rabbits, this article intends to inform you of everything you might want to know before deciding to keep one as a pet.
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A relative newcomer as a recognized breed, they have taken the rabbit breeding world by storm in the past 50 years through a combination of their roguishly good looks and endearing personalities. Owners with space constraints, those interested in rabbit shows, and people desiring a highly energetic rabbiĮverybody’s favorite pint-sized powerhouse of a rabbit, the Netherland Dwarf has earned a reputation as both one of the most popular breeds to keep as a pet as well as perhaps the liveliest and most dynamic breeds available.
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