A Checkered Bunny's Tale

Calm and gentle, the Checkered Giant Rabbit is nature’s giant fluffy toy. Not only can these pleasant creatures be playful and energetic, they make excellent pets because of their easygoing demeanour.

When it comes to the origins of the Checkered Giant breed, the story behind their discovery is widely disputed. It is said that this gentle giant was first spotted around the 1800s either in Germany or France when Flemish Giants, French Lops and spotted rabbits bred together to create the “Land Kaninchen”. Due to this union, a new breed that would be the foundations of the modern day Checkered Giant was created and weighed about 10-12 lbs, however, it did not have the markings of the breed we know of today.

As this foundation breed continued to grow in size by mating with the Flemish Giants, the “Lorraine Rabbit”, or “Great German Spotted Rabbit” was born. In 1904, a man by the name of Otto Reinhardt of Germany bred the Great German Spotted rabbit with a black Flemish Giant, producing the Checkered Giant that we are familiar with today. They were soon brought into the United States a mere six years later, and not too long after, the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) accepted the Checkered Giant as a recognised breed.