Holland Lop

Coat and looks how to spot one

medium-length rollback coat on a short, thickset dwarf body with lopped ears

A small but solid rabbit: wide shoulders, deep rounded hindquarters, short legs and surprisingly heavy bone for its size. The large head has a short, blunt nose, and the thick, well-furred ears hang down beside the face in a horseshoe outline, each around 10-12 cm long. The fur is of medium length with a slightly coarse feel.123

Personality what they are like

Usually calm and sweet-natured, though often a little reserved or jumpy with new people until it learns to trust them. With daily gentle handling most become friendly, curious and playful, and many enjoy a cuddle. Several guides note that bucks tend to be the more outgoing and easygoing sex.123

Daily activity how busy a day looks

An energetic little rabbit that needs supervised free-roaming time outside its enclosure every day to run, explore and keep its muscles in shape.23

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Low-maintenance coat: brush once or twice a week and daily during heavy spring moults. Trim nails every one to two months and check and gently clean the ears weekly, since lop ears hang close to the head.23

Home where they are happiest

Its small size suits homes with limited space, but it still needs a roomy enclosure with a solid or covered floor and soft bedding, plus a safe area to roam daily.32

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Unlimited grass hay should make up most of the diet (around 70 percent), with fresh leafy greens, a small measured portion of pellets (about 1/4 cup per 4-5 lb of body weight daily), occasional fruit as a treat, and constant fresh water. Rabbit teeth grow continuously, so plenty of hay keeps them worn down.23

Company who they like around

A sociable rabbit that does best with plenty of daily interaction and time spent with its people.23

The story where it all began

Dutch breeder Adrian de Cock of Tilburg set out in 1949 to create a lop-eared rabbit as small as a Netherland Dwarf. His first matings of a French Lop buck with a Netherland Dwarf doe in 1951 gave only upright-eared young. By crossing one of those offspring with an English Lop buck in 1952 he began producing lop-eared babies, and further years of selection shrank the size and fixed the type. The breed was accepted in the Netherlands in 1964. George Scott helped bring it to Britain between 1965 and 1975, and after it reached North America the ARBA accepted it in 1979 (some sources say 1976). It has since become one of the most popular pet and show breeds in both the US and the UK.123

Recognised by the official bits

Dutch national recognition

Breed standard adopted in the Netherlands / Europe in 1964.1

ARBA

Accepted as a breed in 1979 per Wikipedia and PetMD (rabbitbreeders.us gives 1976). Senior maximum weight 4 lb (about 1.8 kg). PetMD notes over 30 recognised colour and pattern variations.2

ARBA

Recognition year given as 1976 by rabbitbreeders.us.3

United Kingdom

Introduced to the UK between 1965 and 1975 through breeder George Scott; listed by Wikipedia among the most popular breeds in the UK.1