Floppy ears, full heart.
Holland Lop
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Also called Hollandse Hangoor, Dwarf Lop (in some European usage)
From Netherlands. Developed from 1949 by breeder Adrian de Cock of Tilburg by crossing French Lops with Netherland Dwarfs, with English Lop blood added later to fix the lopped ears.123
At a glance the quick version
ARBA maximum 4 lb (about 1.8 kg). Typical range 2-4 lb (about 0.9-1.8 kg) per rabbitbreeders.us; Wikipedia gives 1-2 kg typical.
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
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
The very first cross between a French Lop and a Netherland Dwarf produced babies with upright ears; lopped ears only appeared after an English Lop was added in 1952.1
- 2
It took Adrian de Cock about 15 years from starting the project in 1949 to official Dutch recognition in 1964.1
- 3
Despite weighing no more than about 1.8 kg, the Holland Lop is built with heavy bone and a muscular, chunky frame.1
- 4
The ARBA recognises more than 30 colour and pattern variations of the breed.2
- 5
Its ears are described as almond- or horseshoe-shaped and usually measure roughly 10-12 cm.1
- 6
Holland Lop bucks are often said to be more outgoing and relaxed than does.2
- 7
It ranks among the most popular rabbit breeds in both the United States and the United Kingdom.1
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
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Holland Lop. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- BrushingDaily while moultingevery week
- Nail trimevery 6 weeks
- Teeth checkTeeth never stop growingevery week
- Fresh hayUnlimited hay every dayevery day
- Spot cleanevery day
- Full cleanevery week
- Bottom checkCheck the fur around the tail stays clean, especially in summerevery day
- Free roamAt least 4 hours of running space a dayevery day
- VaccinationsSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upevery year
You might also like
Mini Lop
French Lop
English Lop
Netherland DwarfLike what we are building? Buy us a coffee.
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Holland Lop - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for history, recognition dates, weight, colours, body type, ears, temperament, popularity
- Holland Lop Rabbit - PetMD petmd.comused for origin, ARBA recognition, weight, lifespan, colour count, temperament, care, diet
- Holland Lop Rabbits - RabbitBreeders.us rabbitbreeders.usused for history, weight range, lifespan, coat, colours, temperament, housing, diet
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.