Breeds

Breed Information

The following information is provided as a guide to help you choose your perfect breed.

Mini Lop

The Mini Lop is the smallest breed of Lop rabbit. The adult mini lop weighs in at approx. 3 1/2 Lbs. They are very laid back rabbits, have excellent temperaments and do make wonderful house rabbits and companions. They love attention and love to be picked up, cuddled and handled. They are also very easy to house train. They have short hair which is very easy to maintain. In America the Mini Lop is known as the Holland Lop. Although lop rabbits ears are drooped to the side of the head, this in no way impairs their hearing compared to breeds with ears 'sticking up'.

Dwarf lop

The Dwarf Lop is slightly larger and heavier than a Mini Lop. Nevertheless, they are adorable, loving bunnies, although not ideal for a very young child when it comes to handling purposes. An adult dwarf lop weighs, on average 4 1/2 - 5lbs. The Dwarf Lop is very laid back, and loves cuddles. They are extremely loving and provide plenty of unconditional love if given the interaction they so deserve on a daily basis. They are happy to be handled and picked up. They are just as easy as a smaller breed to house-train so do make wonderful house rabbits. In America, the Dwarf Lop is called the Mini Lop, which can cause confusion if you purchase an Americanised book about rabbits.

Mini Lionheads

Lionheads are, contrary to belief, small rabbits, equivalent to the size of a mini lop. They are referred to purely as the Lionhead, most people automatically assume that this breed is quite large, as they did once used to be when first introduced into the UK years ago.
The average adult Mini Lionhead weight is approx. 3 1/4 lbs, which is less than the mini lop which is 3 1/2 lbs so they are an ideal sized rabbit for a child. Overall their fur is short so quite easy to maintain and look after (again, contrary to belief) although it is a little thicker than the coat of a lop rabbit. The mane around the face is longer obviously, hence the name Lionhead, but again, it is very easy to maintain and does not require daily grooming, although an occasional comb through once a week/fortnight with a metal comb will keep any stray shavings or hay from causing tangles or knots, the rabbit will love this also, grooming is a good way to bond with your rabbit, even with short haired rabbits such as lops. Lionheads have lovely temperaments and their ears stand up rather than lop.

Lionhead Lop / LionLop

Lionhead Lops (Lionlops) are a lop rabbit, with a mane around their head/neck and ears. The fur is not as thick as the straight eared Lionhead, and is only around the head, and does tend to thin out further as the rabbit grows and undergoes the moult. Again, these breeds are low maintenance, apart from a metal comb through once a week/fortnight to keep stray shavings and tangles at bay. They are very laid back rabbits, have excellent temperaments and do make wonderful house rabbits and companions also. They love attention and love to be picked up, cuddled and handled. They are also very easy to house train. Lionhead Lops are slightly larger than Lionlops. They are a relatively new breed to the UK therefore the size/weight does depend a lot on the parentage/pedigree.

Netherland Dwarf

The Netherland Dwarf is the smallest 'pet' breed of rabbit. There is a smaller breed known as the Polish, which looks very similar to a Netherland dwarf, however is more lean, and very similar in looks to a hare in miniature, however the temperament of a Polish rabbit is perhaps not the best temperament for a 'pet' rabbit. Adult Netherland Dwarfs weigh in at approx. 2 1/2 Lbs. They have very short fur which is easy to maintain. They can be a little more timid and shy compared to the lop and lionhead breeds, but if you have patience and lots of one to one tlc to offer this breed, there is no reason why they cannot be just as loving as the lops and lionheads.