Dwarf Hotot – Everything You Need to Know

The Dwarf Hotot is not a miniature of the Blanc de Hotot breed which is a large rabbit breed. It was bred by the crossing of several different rabbit breeds with a normal sized Hotot breed. The Dwarf Hotot was developed in Germany with the original Hotot breed being developed in France.
These little bunnies are quite delightful and make really good indoor pets, companions and exhibition rabbits.

BREED PROFILE OVERVIEW
Breed Name:	Dwarf Hotot
Other Names:	None
Country of Origin:	Germany
Breed Purpose:	Pets and exhibition
Breed Size:	Dwarf / small
Breed Weight:	Female/Doe: 2.5 to 3 lbs. Male/Buck: 2.5 to 3 lbs.
Breed Color(s):	White with black eye-bands (black banded) and White with chocolate eye-bands (chocolate banded)
Physical Appearance:	They are dwarf sized rabbits with a small compact-type body structure. They have a gentle roll-back coat of soft fur. Their shoulders and hips are usually the same widths with a broad bold head that is of a stump nosed shape. They have small upright ears in a V-shape from their head and are not longer than about 2 ¾ inches.
Temperament:	They are usually quite friendly and outgoing. But they can also be a bit moody and will shy away when they do not feel like being handled or playing.
Breed Characteristics:	They have an average life span of 7 to 10 years in captivity. They have a fair-sized litter with the mothers being quite maternal. The little rabbits are good strong growers and reach maturity fairly quickly.
Good Pets?	They do make good pets for the elderly, families with older children, singles and they are best suited to the indoors. They make good first-time rabbits.
Child Friendly?	Children should be supervised around animals and properly taught how to look after them and handle them. Rabbits can bite and scratch
Ideal Climate:	All climates – rabbits should never be left outside without proper shelter and housing that must be raised off the ground and predator safe.
Conservation Status:	Not Listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: Not at risk
Recognized by the ARBA?	Yes, the black banded variety was accepted first in 1983 and the chocolate banded variety in 2006. The blue banded variety has not as yet been accepted by the American Rabbit Breeders Association.
Rabbit Associations/Clubs:	American Dwarf Hotot Rabbit club
Where to buy them?	For information on breeders in or around your area, it is best to check with the American Dwarf Hotot Rabbit club or you can also check the Rabbit Breeders Directory which is another useful site to find information on the Dwarf Hotot rabbit breed.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Dwarf Hotot is a small little bunny that looks like it is wearing eye-liner. They also weigh no more than 3 pounds making them excellent pets for people who have apartments.

They do have a strong following but have never been an overly popular rabbit breed.
Their larger counterparts the Bland de Hotot were bred in the early 1900s. An era where rabbits were very much in demand for both their meat and pelts. But as with any kind of trend demand for larger rabbits were taken over by fanciers who were looking for smaller rabbits to breed as a hobbyist, for exhibition and or pets. With the fur market dwindling the call for larger rabbits started to fall by the wayside.

They are not an outdoor rabbit but more for the indoors and make a perfect pet for apartments.

All rabbits need room to get some exercise, so they should have a run in which they can play and hop about in to stretch their strong legs.
They do love toys and various obstacle courses as rabbits love to play, hop and burrow through tunnels.

They need fresh hay on a regular basis in order to get the growth of their teeth under control and ensure that they do not grow into their jaw. As a rabbit’s teeth never stop growing it is very important to ensure that they have something to help control this. If their teeth grown into their jaw it can cause various health issues and severe discomfort for the rabbit.

It is important to know that you should never give a rabbit a bath. They do not really like water and the stress of being put into the water alone could cause them to have a heart attack.

Regular health checks for the rabbit is a must in order to ensure the rabbit is health, pest free and their teeth are of a good length.

HISTORY

The Dwarf Hotot has kind of a mixed history really as the breed was developed by two separate breeders in Germany totally independent of the other. One breeder was from East Germany and the other breeder was from West Germany.

The development of the Dwarf Hotot started for both breeders in the 1970s when there was a bigger call for dwarf sized rabbits.
One breeder in Germany started working on the Dwarf Hotot by breeding a REW Netherland Dwarf breed to that of a Blanc de Hotot breed. Whilst the other German breeder did not use any strains of the Blanc de Hotot in his cross. Rather he crossed a Dutch breed with a black Netherlands Dwarf breed. He crossed the breeds until he completely bred out any marking on his new breed except for the eye bands.

The East and West German strands of the Dwarf Hotot were eventually crossed to produce the Dwarf Hotot breed that we know today.

They were eventually accepted into the America Rabbit Breeders Association in the 1980s after which the breeders club was established.
They do have some health issues that need to be watched such as GI Stasis. GI Status or rather gut stasis is a potentially fatal disease. This is where the digestive system slows down or can even stop altogether. This causes a build up of bacteria in the intestines with releases gas into the system. This causes severe bloating and can be very painful to the rabbit. As they are bloated, in pain their desire to either eat or drink decreases and eventually stops if left untreated.
If you notice any signs or symptoms of the rabbit not being its usual active self or see their belly looking abnormally swollen it is best to take the animal to the vet immediately.

Video

USEFUL LINKS