The Netherland Dwarf is a

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

domestic rabbit The domestic rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus'') is the domestication, domesticated form of the European rabbit, a member of the lagomorph order. A male rabbit is known as a ''buck,'' a female as a ''doe,'' and a young rabbit as a ''k ...

that originated in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. Weighing , the Netherland Dwarf is one of the smallest rabbit breeds. Its popularity as a

pet A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive/ cute appearances, inte ...

or show rabbit may stem from its

neotenic Neoteny (), also called juvenilization,Montagu, A. (1989). Growing Young. Bergin & Garvey: CT. is the delaying or slowing of the physiological, or somatic, development of an organism, typically an animal. Neoteny in modern humans is more signif ...

appearance. The Netherland Dwarf is recognised by both the

American Rabbit Breeders Association The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) is a national club for domestic rabbits and cavy breeders. The ARBA is headquartered in Knox, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Its membership is composed of rabbit and cavy exhibitors, commer ...

(ARBA) and the

British Rabbit Council The British Rabbit Council (BRC) is an organisation for rabbit enthusiasts in the United Kingdom. Rabbits are the UK's third most popular pet. History The British Rabbit Council was formed in 1934 when the British Rabbit Society and the National ...

(BRC). The Netherland Dwarf is often confused with the

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

breed of rabbit, but the latter has longer ears, a non-brachycephalic head and less cobbiness. There are also different groups within the breed, such as: true dwarfs, false dwarfs and a group with a nickname "Peanuts". True dwarfs have one

allele An allele is a variant of the sequence of nucleotides at a particular location, or Locus (genetics), locus, on a DNA molecule. Alleles can differ at a single position through Single-nucleotide polymorphism, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), ...

for dwarfism out of the two which makes it smaller than a false dwarf, true dwarfs are the ideal Netherland dwarf. False dwarfs have zero alleles for dwarfism out of the two which makes them larger than usual. Peanuts have two alleles for dwarfism ( which can only happen if you breed two true dwarfs together) this causes the rabbit to be abnormally small and will die as in nearly all cases they can not drink their mother's milk.

History

The Netherland Dwarf breed was first produced in the

in the early 20th century. Small Polish rabbits were bred with smaller wild

rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...

s; after several generations the resulting animal was a very small domestic rabbit available in a wide variety of colours and patterns. Netherland Dwarfs were first imported into the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in 1948. In the 1960s and 1970s the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

imported its first Netherland Dwarf rabbits. The breed was accepted by the

in 1969 using a modification of the British standard. Early dwarfs, even into the 1970s and 1980s, had fearful and sometimes aggressive temperaments. This was a result of

breeders A breeder is a person who selectively breeds carefully selected mates, normally of the same breed, to sexually reproduce offspring with specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics. This might be as a farmer, agriculturalist, ...

selecting wild breeding animals for their size. The first dwarf rabbits behaved more like these

wild Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildlife, an undomesticated organism * Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed Art, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Wild ...

rabbits than domestic animals and were not good

pets A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive/ cute appearances, int ...

. However, through generations of

selective breeding Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...

, the modern Netherland Dwarf has become a gentle, friendly pet rabbit, though it still can retain a more energetic disposition than larger breeds.

Appearance

The Netherland Dwarf's head and eyes are disproportionately large with respect to its short-coupled and stout ("cobby") body. Its ears are notably short and carried high on the head and its face is rounded and

brachycephalic Brachycephaly (derived from the Ancient Greek '' βραχύς'', 'short' and '' κεφαλή'', 'head') is the shape of a skull shorter than average in its species. It is perceived as a cosmetically desirable trait in some domesticated dog and ...

. These

features, a result of

dwarfism Dwarfism is a condition of people and animals marked by unusually small size or short stature. In humans, it is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than , regardless of sex; the average adult height among people with dwarfism is . '' ...

, cause the Netherland Dwarf to retain an infantile appearance even into adulthood. The Netherland Dwarf has been bred in a wide variety of colours including: Ruby Eyed White, Blue Eyed White, Black, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, Red, Siamese Sable, Siamese Smoke, Sealpoint, Sable Point, Blue Point, Chocolate Point, Tortoiseshell, Agouti, Red Agouti, Opal, Cinnamon, Lynx, Chinchilla, Squirrel, Tan, Marten Sable, Marten Smoke, Black Otter, Blue Otter, Chocolate Otter, Lilac Otter, Fox, Orange, Fawn, Hotot, Himalayan, Harlequin, Magpie, Broken, Butterfly and Mantle . Rabbit-with-flower

As pets

Due to their size and overall disposition, Netherlands Dwarfs often do not make good pets for children although suitability will vary between individual rabbits. Small children, who may play with or pick up the rabbit to cuddle it, are generally not suited to the animal; dwarf rabbits do not like to be picked up or held tightly, and may bite, scratch or struggle wildly if the child does so. This often leads to accidents if the child drops them out of fright, which can then lead to injuries due to the fragile nature of rabbit bones. Larger breeds of rabbits are instead recommended for children, because they have fewer issues with temperament. However, it's possible for dwarf rabbits to learn to enjoy being held and cuddled, if properly trained as a baby with patience and care. Dwarf rabbits can make excellent pets for adults. They thrive in a quiet, stable environment with plenty of human interaction. They are trainable, quiet and clean. Grooming needs are minimal, but rabbits will typically enjoy a daily brushing. Time is needed to bond with the rabbit and to build trust, because dwarf breeds are often more nervous and more aloof than larger breeds. However, when the rabbit has bonded with their owner, they make affectionate pets. The expected lifespan of domesticated Netherland Dwarfs is 7–10 years.

Behaviour

Netherland Dwarf rabbits can be litter-trained, as they have a natural tendency to choose the same spot for their droppings, and a much higher intelligence than most rabbits, making it easier to litter train them. Netherland Dwarfs can be skittish, wild and/or of a disagreeable nature. This is a leftover stereotype from the beginnings of the breed. This has changed through selective breeding; however, they are skittish and aloof. They are extremely active and energetic, requiring the same amount of exercise as other breeds of rabbit. They also have a higher tendency towards nervousness and stress. As with any species, disposition will vary from individual to individual.

Diet

The diet of a Netherlands Dwarf consists of an unlimited supply of hay, vegetables and good quality pellets. Root vegetables and fruit, which are high in sugar, are not considered suitable for forming a major part of the rabbit's diet, and should be given sparingly in small quantities. Pellets should be fed in proportion to the adult rabbit's body weight, with 1/8 cup per pound of body weight recommended; juvenile rabbits, in contrast, are recommended to be fed an unlimited quantity of pellets. Vegetables, in particular dark, leafy greens, are also recommended in proportion to the rabbit's body weight, at 2 cups or more per 6 pounds of body weight.Proper Rabbit Maintenance Diet
Retrieved 21 November 2022. Alfalfa pellets are recommended for juvenile animals, with pellets gradually replaced with other hays and pellets as the rabbit ages, and food curtailed in proportion to the rabbit's weight.

Dwarf breeds

Rabbit breeds derived from breeding larger rabbits with the Netherland Dwarf (or any rabbit with a dwarf gene) are known as ''dwarf breeds''. Most smaller breeds, like the Mini Rex, the

Jersey Wooly The Jersey Wooly is a breed of domestic rabbit weighing about 3 pounds with a bold head and wool fur on their body.

Breeding

The dwarf gene (symbol Dw) was discovered in the United States during the beginning of the 20th century. When two "true dwarfs" (both buck and doe) are bred, the genetic pattern which makes them "true dwarfs" (Dwdw) ensures that 25 percentage of their offspring will inherit the lethal genetic combination dwdw. These offspring, often called "peanuts" by rabbit breeders, fail to thrive and most die within 1–3 days of birth. The reasons behind the lethal nature of the dwdw combination is unknown, but it is believed to cause underdeveloped digestive tracts in rabbits. The condition is 100% fatal, although if fed by hand every hour and kept warm, it is possible for a peanut to survive for up to three weeks, even though it will be handicapped for its entire short life. Many ethical breeders humanely euthanise peanuts upon finding them soon after birth. Peanuts are easily distinguished from non-peanuts; they have extremely pinched hindquarters, a bulbous head and their ears are often set further back than normal (sometimes almost onto the neck). If two true dwarfs are bred, the statistical result will be 25% fatal 25% false, and 50% true. The actual numbers of true/false/peanuts in a real litter varies. "False Dwarfs" tend to have longer bodies, longer/larger ears, longer faces, and are mostly heavier than the maximum weight for showing. While false dwarfs (referred to as BUDs by breeders, meaning "big ugly doe") do not make good show rabbits, does from a good background are vital to a breeder's programme. They have the same "good genes" as a true dwarf and are capable mothers, possibly even having larger and more successful litters than true dwarfs. False Dwarfs are also unable to produce peanuts. Their litters will be 50% false dwarfs and 50% true dwarfs if they are bred to a true dwarf buck. False dwarfs are easily judged for quality as the traits are generally the same, only bigger. Ear thickness/shape, fullness of hindquarter, topline and other traits are the same. It is common practice among Netherland Dwarf breeders to breed a proven show quality true dwarf buck to a quality false dwarf doe. This eliminates the chance of peanuts and yields quality offspring. The chances of false dwarfs is higher, but those offspring generally go toward breeding (some false dwarf bucks have proven themselves valuable to a breeding programme) or are sold as pets. Usually false dwarf bucks are not kept by breeders.

References

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External links

American Netherland Dwarf Rabbit ClubDwarf Rabbits ArticlesNetherland Dwarf Rabbit Breed HistoryBreeds of Rabbits Chart
Rabbit breeds Rabbits as pets Rabbit breeds originating in the Netherlands fi:Hermeliinikani