Well known breeder Adriann de Cock thought if he bred the doe of the smaller two to the buck, which was bigger he would get the result he wanted. This first breeding did not did not work as planned. All babies died while being delivered. They were so big and the mother was so small. She died also. He then bred a Netherland Dwarf Buck to a French Lop doe. This breeding resulted in six babies but still not the ear carriage he was seeking, all of them had normal erect ear carriage. He then took a doe from the second litter and bred to an English Lop buck. This litter produced mixed ear carriage. There was one doe that was fully lopped but he did not like her temperament so he would not breed her. A half lopped doe was chosen to breed with a buck from the first litter; the does from the first litter were bred with the bucks from the second litter. He continued this practice until he reached the desired traits he was seeking. By 1964 he was ready to present to the Netherlands Governing Rabbit Council and the Holland Lop became recognized as a new breed.
In 1976 Aleck Brooks brought the Hollands to the United States; and that year they were recognized by the ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association).