Dutch Rabbit 101: Part 2
Channel: Pets Life
Date: 2021-02-14

Part 1: https://youtu.be/-BF3Jtyk9AQ
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Aside from some information on our previous video, there are still some things you need to know about them.


Head.

The rabbit’s head should be rounded and full, not pear-shaped, with a short neck making the headset close to the shoulders.  Ideally not more than one and a half fingertip widths of the index and middle fingers should fit between the base of the head and the beginning of the shoulders on a senior animal, one over 6 months of age. The ears should be stocky, well furred, and carried erect.

The eyes should be bright and clear, free of spots or discoloration in the iris.  The color of the iris must be the same in both eyes and must match the color specified for the variety.  For example, a Black, Chocolate, Gray, Steel, or Tortoise Dutch must have dark brown eye color.  It is permissible for the Chocolate Dutch to have a ruby cast to the eyes.  A Blue Dutch must have blue-gray eye color.  Any other eye color or eyes that are too light in color would be a disqualification.

Markings.

It can be said that the Dutch rabbit is a white rabbit dressed in formal attire.  It is the classic markings of the Dutch breed that make it the aristocrat of all show rabbits distinguishing it apart from any other breed.  The proper placement, shape, colors, and balance of these markings in combination with excellence in General Type are the discriminating features that separate the Dutch Show Rabbit from the general population of its breed. Anywhere that colored markings meet the white the point of joining is always to be clean, straight, and crisp with no ragged or wavy lines and no drags where colored portions are drawn into or laid over what should be white.

Lines must always be straight and even unless naturally curved such as the line of the checks as it follows the jawbone, but even then the line must always be even and smooth and absent of irregularities or drags.  When they are not it is called a fault.  Straight lines are called biased when they fail to follow the contours of the body at 90 degrees to the centerline of the torso or appendage. In other words, a biased line is a line running diagonally across these body parts but is otherwise straight.

An offset is a line that fails to maintain straightness in its course from one side of the body or appendage to the other.  The offset line creates a jag where the line coming up from one side fails to meet the line coming from around the opposite side of the body or appendage.  Curved lines, like those forming the cheeks, must meet different standards of perfection that are usually specified by a specific part of the skeletal or other anatomical parts of the body they follow.   The shape of the curve these lines make is specific to the standards for perfection.  When they fail to follow these standards they are considered faults.  All faults count against a rabbit's total points score during judging.


Care Requirements.

Dutch rabbits are one of the oldest domestic breeds around, so you can be sure that they love to be outside their enclosure whenever possible. They will happily run and jump high into the air when they are out of their hut, especially if they are outside with some soft grass beneath their fuzzy little feet.

Like most rabbits, they will live a long, healthy life so long as they are given plenty of outdoor time and fed a diet of 70 percent hay and the rest is a mix of pellets, fruits, and vegetables. However, some fruits and vegetables can pose a danger to their health. Unless you’ve researched the fruit and vegetable and are sure it is safe to feed it to them, the rule of thumb is simply not to feed them if you are unsure. Some food that can be dangerous to your rabbit include seeds from fruits such as apples and pears, they contain tiny particles of cyanide and despite being harmless to humans, they can hurt your rabbit. Bark and cherry tree twigs should be avoided, as well as rhubarb, and mushrooms.

Their enclosure could be indoors or out, weather and temperature-permitting. Rabbits do not do well in extreme heat and most do not do well in the cold, so always be aware of outdoor conditions before letting your rabbit spend time outside. Their enclosure needs to be clean and dung-free. If there is hay bedding, always be sure to clean it at least once every other day. 


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