Basic Appearance:
Dwarf Hotots are one of the cutest breeds of rabbits. They are white as snow, with a snowball shaped body. Dwarf Hotots’ most recognizable trait is their black or chocolate banded eyes. They are very small, only weighing a few pounds when full grown. Hotot is correctly pronounced Oh Toe.
History, Temperament, and Common Uses:
As the era of meat and fur rabbits started to wane, fanciers started showing and developing dwarf breeds. Two different breeders in Germany started working on a dwarf Hotot in the 1970’s. One breeder used a Netherland dwarf and the large blanc de Hotot to start his line. The other breeder’s foundation rabbits were a Netherland dwarf and a Dutch. The two lines were eventually crossed to produce the rabbit we have today.
Dwarf Hotots usually have a friendly personality, making them a good choice as a pet or show rabbit. Their small size also makes them ideal pets or show rabbits.
Grooming, Care, and Additional Notes:
Dwarf Hotots have rollback coats that need little grooming when not in a molt. A once a week grooming with a slicker or even damp hands is usually enough. During a molt more frequent grooming will be needed. As with all rabbits, avoid giving you dwarf Hotot a bath. Simply spot clean the coat as needed.
Dwarf Hotots sometimes have trouble with GI stasis, so a good diet with plenty of hay is needed.
Not all the babies in a litter of dwarf Hotots will be showable, some will have colored spots on their body or incomplete eyebands.
Dwarf Hotot At A Glance:
Recognized Varieties:
White with black eyebands and white with chocolate eyebands. The two varieties are judged together.
ARBA Body Type:
Compact
Approximate Size:
Not more than 3 pounds.
Important Things to Look for When Buying Show Stock:
A short, smooth, round body. Uniform width from shoulders to hindquarters. Slight, gradual rise in topline that starts at the ear base. Bold, wide head. Round, full muzzle. No visible neck. Short, slightly rounded ears. Ears should be thick and upright, less than 2 3/4 inches. Ears need not touch all the way up. Rollback fur. Pure white body. Eyebands should be narrow and sharply defined. They are to be about the thickness of two pennies on edge.
Things to Avoid:
Narrow body. Long or narrow head. Thin ears. Claws any color other than white or flesh are a disqualification. Thin fur. Spots of color in the white part of the coat, or eyes not of the color called for in the standard, are a disqualification. Very wide or uneven eyebands or feathery eyebands are a fault. Incomplete eyebands or heavily feathered eyebands are a disqualification.