08/19/2026
Last but not least... what a year this has been for Gwen! 1st place Sr. Buck and Sr. Doe at Convention, Best of Group at PaSRBA, then a full sweep at Dwarf Hotot Nationals!
This breed has been by far the most frustrating and difficult breed Hare Hotel has ever raised (although the English Lops gave me a run for my money back in the day 😂). And through all of it, Gwen has shown so much perseverance and determination. Aunt Meemes couldn’t be more proud of her!
People often ask what breed of rabbit they should get for their kids, and if they really want their kids to take on a breeding project, my advice is to let them choose a breed they love and show genuine interest in. That love for the breed is what keeps them going when things get frustrating and nothing seems to be going right.
And Gwen has definitely had those stretches. She went an entire YEAR without a single live kit born. Then, when she finally started getting kits, she had china eyes, pinched hindquarters, and several that their body type looked like mini meatloaves that melted in the oven. 😂
But she kept breeding and kept trying. More importantly, she really put the time into learning what makes a good Dwarf Hotot. She studied the SOP, worked on developing her eye, and started making her own decisions about what she wanted to keep and where she wanted to go with her breeding program.
She’s still learning and working hard at it, but I think that’s what made this year feel so special. After all those hours in the barn, all the breedings that didn’t work out, and all those little melted meatloaves 😂, it was pretty sweet to see things finally start coming together for her.
So proud of you, Gwen! ❤️