Dwarf Hotot

The Dwarf Hotot is one of the most recent breeds to be recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders' Association (ARBA) in 1983. The breed has always had enthusiasts but never achieved exceptional popularity. The development of this breed has an unusual history. The Blanc de Hotot, much larger, was produced in the early 1900s with the aim of creating a black-eyed white rabbit for meat and fur. At that time, large rabbits were valued for their commercial value. But in the following years, large rabbits lost popularity and the public turned to buying dwarf breeds. In the 1970s, two breeders, one from East Germany and one from West Germany, began working on the Dwarf Hotot, independently of each other. One of them crosses a Dwarf Dutch (Rex coat) rabbit with a Blanc de Hotot. The other does not use the Blanc de Hotot as the base breed, but crosses a Dwarf Dutch rabbit with a Dutch rabbit and has them reproduce until their only markings are circles around their eyes. These two strains were eventually united to produce the breed we know today.

The coat of the Dwarf Hotot, which English speakers call Eye of the Fancy, is compact type with a short and soft-to-the-touch coat, somewhat like velvet. Unlike the Polish rabbit, which has a similar size, its shoulders are supposed to be as wide as its hips, and not show a cone. Its head is not placed as high on its shoulders as the Dwarf Dutch, but it does not rest on its chest either. Its head is domed and squat. Its ears form a vertical V above its head and measure no more than 7 cm long. Its eyes are surrounded by narrow bands of colored fur. The ideal width of the eye bands is equal to the thickness of 2 pennies, about 4 mm. The bands must be solid in color and evenly distributed around the eye. Unequal or striped eye bands are considered a defect for the breed. For many years, the only variety of Dwarf Hotot accepted was the rabbit with white fur and black eye bands. In 2006, Dwarf Hotots with white fur and chocolate eye bands were also accepted by ARBA. These two types of rabbits are considered varieties of Dwarf Hotot by ARBA and sold under the same designation, but the color of the bands must be specified on declaration forms. Other Dwarf Hotots with blue eye bands are also in development. The Dwarf Hotot is a breed strictly as a pet. Its maximum weight is 1.36 kg, which is too low to have any commercial value. The various characters of the Dwarf Hotot can range from sociable to moody, but as a general rule, they are friendly rabbits well suited to a life as a pet.