This stunning rare breed is a joy to watch on the show table

The Rhinelanders we house are very family-oriented, most keep a close eye on other rabbit’s kits and I have even seen some trying to make a nest for other mothers. A Rhinelander’s mother is one of the best in my opinion. After a long day of activity, Rhinelanders look to people and other rabbits for comfort and support. Without daily handling, Rhinelanders can easily be a hard breed to work with The running breeds are still wild at heart. 

  As a requirement, Rhinelander rabbits must be run across the show table in order to judge the rabbit properly. They must have a good length of body along with a somewhat stocky bone stretcher. Rhinelanders must run with balance and form, with front and back legs straight and even with the ground. Rhinelanders must have a butterfly, eye circles, cheek markings, a spine marking along the back and at least 3 spots on each side of the body that consist of the two main colors (black and orange or blue and tan) in order to show.   

  Breeding the “perfect” Rhinelander can be a rocky road. Rhinelanders are based on the Broken (E) gen. Just like Checkered Giants and Rex. Meaning there are three different varieties of Rhinelanders. 

Charlie – A Charlie Rhinelander is 90% white with very little color, mostly on the butterfly, ears and spine. Charlies must be bred to a solid (Sport) in order to have any “show quality” offspring. 

Marked – This is what you are looking for if you want a show quality rabbit. There is a large difference between a “Marked” Rhinelander and a “Show Quality” Rhinelander. A rabbit that has spots on its sides is not always show quality. A Marked Rhinelander can be bred to both Charlie and Sport Rhinelanders.

Sport – A Sport is a fancy word for a solid. Along with Charlies, Sports are not accepted on the show table but they are very important if you are looking to continue raising Rhinelanders. Sport Rhinelanders can be bred with both Charlie and Marked Rhinelanders.

The Recognized Varieties are:

Black

Blue  

Looking for a rare pet that loves to run, be active and go for walks. Look no further, the Rhinelander might just be the companion for you. We have many young Rhinelanders available for adoption. Check out the “For Sale” tab if you’re looking for a Rhinelander friend.   

 The Rhinelander first appeared at shows in 1902 in Germany, after initially being bred in North Rhine-Westphalia. They were developed from a cross between a Harlequin buck and a gray Checkered Giant doe. 

Rhienlanders are known for their distinctive facial "butterfly markings", generally of black and orange, on a white background.  The Rhinelander is an arched breed of rabbit, meaning that light shows between the body and ground when the rabbit is sitting or moving.