Dwarf Rabbit

Dwarf Rabbit

Dwarf rabbits weigh between two pounds (0.907 kg) to two-and-a-half pounds (1.134 kg). Their ears are short, perky but substantial. They measure between two inches long (50 mm) to two-and-a-half inches in length (75 mm). They are the descendants of seventeen Netherland dwarf rabbits that survived World War II that were bred before the war from all-white Hermelins (Polish rabbits) with wild local rabbits native to the Netherlands, as well as with various other domestic breeds.

The general type is short, round, and compact. Shoulders and hindquarters are of the same width, with height balanced with width.

Most of the rabbits sold as dwarves in pet stores are not true dwarfs, but crosses between a dwarf and a standard rabbit. These "mongrels" are hardier, but grow to a larger size and lack the characteristic small head and low carriage of the true dwarf.