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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Latest Comments
Hello everyone! My name is Ally and I just purchased my Netherland Dwarf yesterday. I was a bit worried about getting a dwarf because I have heard that they are mean, but she is the absolute sweetest bunny ever! Her name is Ebody (eby for short). She loves cuddling, and her favorite way to be held is in baby position! Whenever she is in baby position and you put your chin over her, she licks your neck! It is sooo cute. I strongly suggest a netherland dwarf if you are looking for a pet rabbit. Ally 2008-08-22
As alot of you guys said Netherland Dwarfs are not mean. you are very right! They are very very nice. And if any one would know it's me. I raise, show, and beed them. We have around 100 rabbits! And most times they are sweet, sometimes they are mean. But usually it's a stage they take. Just remember if you are planning to get one, give it lots of love and respect, and you both will be very happy! Amanda 2008-08-17
o.k. if you are going to get a netherland ddwarf rabbit here is some advive for you. A lot of people think that netherland dwarfs are really agressive and mean but they real;y aren't viscious. They are so cute and adorable and so nice too. Infact, I'm about to get one on wednesday and I know about everything that you should know about a n. dwarf. I read this one message and this girl let her rabbit eat TWIZZLERS right out of the bag, and everybody should know that if you give your rabbit sugar it could either get super super sick or it could die. o.k. that was such horrible advice. Please don't think I'm stupid. I'm going into the 4th grade and I get a's and b's. Alyssa 2008-08-13
I disagree with the people that say they are aggressive. If you are having 'mixed thoughts' GO WITH THAT THEY ARE GENTLE TINY RABBITS! My friend has a netherland dwarf and she is breeding them and i will get a baby! But i asked her if she ever bit her and she said 'shes never even tried to.' It was only the second time i ever SAW the rabbit and i held it for the first time...she dident even swerm around or scratch!!!! These are the BEST rabbits in the WORLD!! They are VERY cute!! They come in MANY colors and only the red-eyed whites have red eyes!!! (bc personally i think red-eyes are scary and ugly) But i am getting one for myself and i am having NO DOUBTS about this breed!! hellokittyy46 2008-08-10
I have a netherland dwarf doe and she can be aggressive a lot, so I would not suggest getting her for a kid. Netherland dwarfs, along with any other rabbit are very territorial. They do not like people putting their hands in their cage. If you want to get a rabbit for a child I HIGHLY suggest getting an american fuzzy lop. I had one and he was the best rabbit I could ever ask for. Unfortunatly he died about two months ago and the house just isn't the same without him. trix 2008-08-01
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