Popularly known as Jackchi or Jackhuahua, this cross dog breed is popular in the United States. However, Jackchi is more common among the breeders and hence we will use Jackchi throughout this article. This Jack Russell Terrier and Chihuahua mix is like a miniature version of Jack Russel with a narrow muzzle of Chihuahua and erected ears sometimes.
Mix breed dogs are always better than purebred ones. You get the desired set of characteristics and they are generally healthier than purebreds. We have covered everything about Jackchis so that you can decide if this is the dog you’ve always wanted. Let’s first have a quick overview of this crossbreed.
Jack Russell Chihuahua Mix
Quick Summary of Jack Russell Chihuahua Mix
| Height | 10 to 15 inches |
| Weight | 8 and 18 lbs |
| Lifespan | 13-15 Years |
| Colors | Dark brown, gold, cream, or black |
| Intelligence | Pretty much clever |
| Breed Type | Mixes and more |
| AKC Breed Popularity | Not recognized by AKC |
| Temperament | Loving, highly energetic, and loyal |
| Daily Food Consumption | 40 calories per pound of bodyweight |
| Common Health Issues | Patella Luxation, Glaucoma, and Dental overcrowding |
Facts About Jack Russell Terrier And Chihuahua Mix:
A Jackchi pup will cost you from $200 to $750 depending on your desires of their looks and features. The dog lives about 13-15 years, which is quite longer than most dogs, especially large ones.
You should always go to a reputed breeder to get a healthy puppy. Irresponsible breeders don’t care to document medical conditions and other crucial information on their parents.
Jack Russell Terrier is not an AKC registered breed whereas Chihuahua is. So when you go to a breeder, you should inquire whether the chihuahua is registered with any kennel club or not and should at least meet a parent dog to see their temperament. Ask for parents’ documentation before you finally make a decision.
About Jackchi:
Being a highly energetic dog, you might see a Jackchi always being frenzy. They should get enough exercise including walks, agility games, and mental stimulation. As the saying goes, a tired dog is a happy dog, Jackchis not getting enough physical activity and mental stimulation can also make them destructive.
This small bundle of fun is also adorable and loving. Jackchis are a family dog and are highly friendly to children. Moreover, they can stay happy no matter if you live in a big house or a small apartment as long as they have a human company. The mix of a hunting breed and a toy breed makes it a combination of an adorable, cute, energetic, small, and a clever dog.
They shed very less and their grooming needs are also quite low. A regular brushing a week will do. Their drooling potential is less and they’re overall healthy. Jackchis are likely to have dental problems so you need to brush their teeth on a daily basis.
Having a hunting breed parent, a Jackchi has a prey drive and wanderlust. Their barking potential is low. Being a popular designer breed, many people are attracted to get one and most of them end up in shelters. So, it is always a good idea to check for a dog in nearby shelters.
Appearance of Jack Russel Terrier And Chihuahua Mix:
Jackchi is an offspring of a small terrier and toy dog chihuahua giving them a small size. But when it comes to their coat and color, they can be different in each puppy depending on what characteristics they inherit from their parents.
If the parent chihuahua is with long hair, the offspring may have a longer coat. In general, they have a short, shiny, and wiry coat. Their eyes are round like Jack Russell’s and their head will be of the triangular shape of a terrier with a narrowed muzzle of a chihuahua.
Their ears can be erected like a terrier or a floppy like chihuahuas. The shape of their ears will depend on what they inherit. All in all, both look fine and don’t have any impact on their health or their temperament.
Jackchis can be single-colored, bi-colored, or tri-colored. Ther coat is white, cream, golden, brown, or black with patched of different colors like their Terrier parents. They generally have a patch near their eyes.
An adult Jackchi is 10 to 15 inches tall and weighs about 8 to 18 pounds. Despite being small you will be surprised how high they can jump! They are so tiny that you might have difficulty handling and feeding them.
History And Origin of Jackchi:
The origin of Jack Russell Terrier and Chihuahua mix is the United States. However, there is no verified evidence when they were first seen. It was started becoming famous when some celebrities were attracted to designer breeds a couple of decades ago.
Most designer dog breeds were bred to fit a modern lifestyle with the desired characteristics of purebreds. Let’s now know a little bit about their parents’ origin to understand what can you anticipate in Jackhuahua.
Jack Russel Terrier is not among 193 AKC registered breeds. It was bred strictly for hunting purposes back in the early 1800s by Reverend John Russell. Jack Russell Terriers are one of the finest strain of terriers derived for working fox in England.
Jack Russell is a baying terrier dog. It means that the dog works out the fox with his prolonged and steady barking but never to kill the prey. It is surprising to know how Reverend developed this breed!
Due to vast genetic makeup, Jack Russell Terriers are seen in variance with different lengths of their legs. A Jack Russell Terrier with longer legs are known as Parson Jack Russell Terriers and with the shorter legs are simply known as Jack Russell Terriers.
Whereas in the United States, despite the popularity of dogs with shorter legs, the Jack Russell Terrier with longer legs is officially recognized as Jack Russell Terrier. Some of the celebrity Terriers who are shooting the popularity of this breed are ‘Eddie’ on the tv show ‘Frasier’, and ‘Soccer’ in a children’s show ‘Wishbone’.
Whereas Chihuahua’s history is little coiled and twisted. Evidence suggests that they originated from Mexico. Chihuahua descended from Tecchichi, a companion dog from a Mexican civilization called Toltec. Their remains have been found from the 19th century’s Western Mexico shaft tomb tradition.
This dog then was found in remote villages in the mid-1800s in America surviving two ancient civilizations. There were more such dogs found in the state Chihuahua and so gained the popular name. Chihuahua is an AKC recognized breed. The minor league Baseball team in Texas is famous and named after Chihuahuas and other shows and movies that catapulted their popularity are ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’, ‘Legally Blonde’, and ‘Sex and the City’.
Considering both these parent dogs, Jackchis are a combination of brilliantly crafted Terriers and ancient Chihuahuas that survived two civilizations. That said, a Jackchi dog is not a meager crossbreed of fashion status but a well-behaved dog that will fit your modern lifestyle and a great companion!
Is This Dog Good with Children?
Absolutely yes. Jackchi is a family dog and loves human company. They are friendly with children and they will love to play with them. However, due to their small size, they are not ok with quite young or newborn children unsupervised. In a nutshell, these dogs are perfectly fine with older kids.
How To Take Care of Jack Russel Terrier And Chihuahua Mix:
Before you decide to bring a Jackchi puppy or adopt one, you should know how to take care of one. This will help you to understand more about how your life will be with a Jackchi. Read on to see how to keep a Jackchi happy and healthy.
Food and Nutrition Requirements:
Jackchis are small dogs and do not require too much food. They are also prone to weight gain if fed uncontrollably. So be extra careful while you can’t deny those puppy eyes to feed them table scraps.
Jackchis are a little stubborn so you will need more treats for encouraging the desired behavior using positive reinforcement. Those treats shouldn’t be equivalent to a significant part of their meals. That said, choose healthy treats and see what human food alternatives can work.
Moreover, keep a close eye on their weight and never miss a scheduled visit to your vet. When you lift your dog, make sure you can feel his ribs and can see the waistline. A Jackchi is supposed to have 40 calories per pound of bodyweight. For example, if he weighs 13 pounds, his daily intake should be 520 calories.
When you choose their dry food and wet food, check the label for calories and nutritional value to determine the serving size. Also, look for other ingredients. The first ingredient on the list should be meat as it will have the highest nutritional value in the product.
A Jackchi requires 18% protein and 5% dietary fibers from their food. Moreover, consult your vet or talk to a canine nutritional expert if you want to feed him homemade dog food.
Exercise Requirements:
This frenzy and an enthusiastic dog has a hunting terrier parent and requires a lot of physical exercises. A long walk every day for 30 minutes to 60 minutes accompanied with a jog, run, sprints will do.
A Jackchi’s wandering behavior and their preying instincts make them inquisitive while you walk them. They can just run away chasing a squirrel or a bolt when motivation takes them. That said, do not just go off-leash on your walks until you think he is trained to listen to your commands.
A Jackchi can live happily in the village side areas as they will naturally spend their energy in an enclosed big yard. Whereas if you live in an apartment, you will have to make sure your dog is getting enough physical exercise. You can take him to the park every day and can play fetch and other games. Or if you have a backyard, you can make an agility setup for your pooch.
However, if you are too busy, it is okay to take the professional help of a dog sitting and walking service. Mental stimulation is equally important to exercises. Use a kong-type dog toy and dog puzzles to keep their mind active.
Training Requirements:
A Jackchi should be taught socializing in the early stage of life. When they are out of the house they will get to meet new people and other dogs and they will get enough chances to mingle with them.
Despite their high trainability, they are stubborn and it will take a lot of effort from your side to rectify the behavior. Fortunately, these dogs are food lovers and considering that, simply, dog treats will do the thing in reward-based positive reinforcement training. Your dog might not respond well to the verbal praise as much as treats will do.
Jackchis are explorers! They make great escape dogs. For curbing this behavior, you should get them out of the house regularly. The first thing you do in the morning should take your dog out for a quick potty walk.
The same should be done after they have their meal and before you go to sleep at night. A few more things you need to keep in mind are never to punish them or employ any punitive methods. A Chihuahua is a stubborn dog and their stubbornness is prevalent in many crossbreeds of it including Jackchis. And stick to their mealtimes and outings every day at the same time.
Grooming Requirements:
Jackchis have less grooming requirements compared to other dogs. They have a short, wired, and dense coat. However, if they have long hair due to their long-haired Chihuahua parent, they might require more grooming.
They should be brushed twice a week. Their shedding is low but if their hair is long, there will be some extra shedding but it won’t be too much. A bath a week is fine with dog shampoo. Jack Russel Terriers love water and to swim. That being said, a Jackchi doesn’t abhor water.
A Jackchi is prone to dental diseases and that’s why they require the daily brushing of teeth. Also, while you brush their hair, look for any external parasites. You will be able to see flea dirt (small black tiny particles) on the floor and at the spot where they sleep if so. Don’t hesitate to visit your vet if this is the case.
Common Health Issues:
Generally, mix-breed dogs have lesser health problems as they have genes of two or more dogs that help prevent some prevalent disease in their purebred parents. However, a designer breed dog may have health issues common in their purebred parents.
Dental Overcrowding:
This is a common issue in small crossbreed dogs. Due to their small mouth, they can’t just fit all their teeth causing overcrowding. The closely packed teeth will rub with each other and wear out the enamel layers on teeth causing sensitivity and tooth decay problems.
Keep a close eye on their dental health and tell your vet to check for this health issue on your scheduled vet visits.
Glaucoma:
Glaucoma is a condition where a dog develops eye fluid. If there is too much fluid, also known as, aqueous humor fluid, or a little drain of this fluid, this substance starts causing extreme pressure on the retina and optic nerves. This can also result in blindness if not treated immediately.
Patella Luxation:
This medical condition is prevalent in small dog breeds and hence it is also common in Jackchis. A patella of a dog, in the simple term kneecap, gets dislocated from its original position. This can be observed in your Jackchi during the age of four to six months. Surgery is the only way to fix this medical condition.
Apart from these issues, being exposed to long grass can cause skin irritation and can cause other allergies. Moreover, hypoglycemia is common in small breeds of dogs. If your dog has a seizure, hypoglycemia might be the culprit. You should immediately contact your veterinary in this case.
Summary:
Commonly known as Jackchi, this crossbreed is popular in the United States for two decades. They inherit Chihuahuas, great dogs who survived two Mexican civilizations and Jack Russell Terriers, one of the finest terriers from England.
With a mix of a clever hunting breed and a toy breed, Jackchis fit the modern lifestyle perfectly and make good family dogs. They are also nice with older children.
Fortunately, their less grooming requirements will save you a lot of time and effort in grooming them and taking them to professional groomers. And also apart from, some prevalent common medical conditions in small dogs, they’re overall healthy.
Jackchis can easily stay happy in a fun, friendly, and loving environment and can live quite longer about 13-15 years! They also make a good pet for an apartment, the only thing they need is your love and happy company.
Dr. Aram Baker has been with Santa Clarita Animal Hospital since 1995 and his special interests include behaviour medicine and dermatology. He graduated from the Cleveland Humanities Magnet Program in Reseda, CA and attended California State University at Northridge where he received a Bachelor’s degree in biology. He went on to pursue his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis. He also spent time in the zoological medicine department at U.C. Davis during his Junior and Senior years. He is dedicated to caring for all pets big or small, young or old with compassion, patience, kindness, and love.