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Overview
Compatibility with kids | Fair, if socialized from an early age |
Compatibility with other animals | Fair, if socialized from an early age |
Trainability | Moderate |
Energy level | High |
Exercise requirements | High |
Ideal family type | Moderately experienced and having the time and willingness to train and spend time with the dog |
Ideal living conditions | Larger apartments or a house with a yard |
Tendency to bark | High |
Intelligence | High |
Wanderlust potential | High |
Prey drive | High |
Potential to demand attention | Moderate to high |
Shedding level | Moderate to high |
Coat type | Thick, medium length, double coat |
Coat color | Cream, red, wheaten, black and tan, or white with markings in various shades |
Drooling potential | Low |
Height | 8 – 23 inches |
Weight | 16 to 28 lbs |
Possible health concerns | Cushing’s disease, eye and ear infections, intervertebral disc disease, Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease, epilepsy, patellar luxation |
Lifespan | 12 – 15 years |
Affectionately known as Jackweenies, these designer dogs are a delightful blend of the sass of the Dachshund and the fierceness of a Jack Russell and would totally run away with the Circus some day! To learn more on what to expect from this charming breed, read on…
Before we get into the nitty gritty of this jaunty breed, let’s look at Jackshund in a nutshell.
History and Origin
The Jackshund is a fairly recent breed with an origin that dates back to only about 30 years. They are believed to have originated in USA. Although their history is a mystery, it is believed that this breed was created to achieve a delightful blend of the hunting ability of the ‘down to earth’ Dachshund and the courageous personality of the Jack Russell Terrier. While there is no set breed standard set for the Jackshund, they could take after any one of their parent breeds and are most likely to inherit the best of both worlds.
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Table of Contents Show
Quick Comparison: Dachshund vs Jack Russell Terrier vs Jackshund
Dachshunds have complex personalities. They were originally bred to hunt and chase animals in dark underground tunnels and borrows. Their teeny tiny legs and long bodies enable them to dig and maneuver through tunnels and even fight badgers and other animals. Dachshunds are brave and courageous. They are born with an independent spirit and a hunter’s heart.
Jack Russell Terriers, on the other hand, were bred to flush out fox with their steady barking but never to kill their prey. They are the embodiment of the quote “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” The Jack Russell is an athletic dog who has won hearts all over the world with their quickness, cleverness, determination, and an innate desire to hunt.
The Jackshund is a charming mix of the Jack Russell’s tenacity and the Dachshund’s cleverness, making them delightfully lively, playful and full of life. Several behaviors of the Jack Russell and Dachshunds overlap with each other, thus making it difficult to precisely determine which parent the pup takes after. However, being a product of two fierce hunting breeds, the Jackshund is born with the boon (or bane, depending on the environment they are living in) of excellent and unbeatable hunting skills.
Temperament and Personality
Being a pet parent to a Jackshund means never having a single dull moment. It means signing up for constant entertainment, clownish antics and happy energy bouncing around the house. These adorable canines are full of life and are loyal to their last bone. They are quick on their feet and have a tendency to take off after anything that moves. They are goofy, inquisitive and have boundless energies that surpass their little size.
Owners of Jackshunds, also known as Dach Russells, often call them forever puppies, due to their unrelenting energy that spills over well into their adult life. They are sassy little canines who know how to keep their humans on their toes at all times. They are a delightful blend of the fierce liveliness of a Jack Russell and the cleverness of a Dachshund, making them a delightful and an entertaining family dog.
For a small size dog, they have a larger-than-life size bark. These vocal dogs will rarely fail to alert their owners to any kind of suspicious activity. Their bark is known to travel far and wide and is definitely something to bear in mind if you have neighbors close by! While this trait makes them incredible watch dogs, it’s a better to let them harness this trait in larger spaces.
Ideal Family Type
Jackshunds do well in families that can devote time and energy to stimulate this breed. They absolutely resent being alone and can get distressed, hence may not do well in single, working households. They thrive under human companionship and their life philosophy would totally be “more the merrier.”
They may do well with kids if socialized and trained from an early age. However, their interaction with kids must always be supervised because while they may display boisterous behavior, they themselves resent it when displayed by kids.
They may be a little too sassy for first time dog owners as Jackshunds tend to have a mind of their own. This could be misconstrued as ‘stubbornness’ by many. Don’t underestimate their size as they are generally up for a wide variety of outdoor excursions and will hold their own really well.
Trainability
This breed is a tenacious combination of a scent hound and a Terrier. It is safe to say that they would choose to follow their nose over directions from their humans on any given day. They are clever and self thinkers, which can be misconstrued as “stubbornness” by many.
Though they can be a little obstinate at times, they respond well to positive reinforcement. They are sensitive dogs who can become quite high strung if aversive training techniques are at play.
While training them, it is advisable to work with their natural instinct and inherent nature, rather than trying to train them out of it. Find out what motivates them and use it to reinforce desirable behaviors.
Affinity Towards Other Animals
Both Dachshunds and Jack Russells are known to get along well with other animals if socialized from an early age, a trait that they have passed on to Jackshunds. Jackshunds are quite welcoming of other animals and do well in multi pet households. In some cases, they may get territorial and possessive about their resources.
However, they must be closely supervised around smaller animals such as squirrels, chipmunks, bunnies, hamsters, etc as their hunting instincts may kick in.
Affinity Towards Kids
Jackshunds excellently get along well with kids. While some of them don’t mind a little bit of boisterous play, kids must be taught to respect their boundaries and interact gently with them.
If the Jackshund takes after the Jack Russell parent, they may tend to be a little more assertive and may come across as intimidating to little kids. It is imperative to socialize them from puppyhood and train them the right way to interact with little kids.
Respectful play and interactions from both parties is the key to raising a Jackshund and kids together in the same household.
Ideal Living Conditions
While they may have tiny feet and little bodies, they are definitely built for longer strides and an active lifestyle. Their ideal home type would either be bigger apartments or a house with a backyard with an outlet to harness their digging and chasing instincts.
Having said that, as long as they get their daily quota of physical and mental exercise, they do well even in smaller apartments too. Some Jackshunds may have a tendency to be vocal. This may cause disturbance to the neighbors.
Further more, if left bored, alone and unsupervised, they may tear the house down with destructive behavior, regardless of the size of the house. It is easy for this breed to get overstimulated and wreck havoc in the household. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that they get ample downtimes to help them calm down.
Tendency to Bark
Both Dachshunds and Jack Russells were bred to be hunting dogs. Hunting dogs typically have a propensity to bark. They are also quite sensitive to their environment and may bark or whine to express their displeasure or discomfort.
They don’t do very well when left alone and get specifically get vocal when left alone for more than several hours. Apart from that, they may also bark to express excitement, playfulness, territorial behavior, nervous behavior and anxiety.
Exercise Requirement
Jackshunds need a minimum of an hour of exercise on a daily basis. Their exercise must be a combination of walks, ample sniffing opportunities, playtime with humans, training sessions and some mental stimulation activities that may include interactive toys, puzzle games and frozen feeders.
They are avid hunters and are total pros on the field. Activities that allow them to harness their natural instincts are best suited to this breed.
Jackshunds also have a tendency to dig and chase. If your Jack weenie is big on these behaviors, it is advisable to provide your dog with an outlet to harness these instincts rather than trying to train them out of it.
They enjoy frequent outdoor excursions such as hikes, trails and long walks where they may, once in a while, get a chance to chase a rodent. If you are tempted to give your Jackshund some off leash liberty, make sure to build a reliable recall with them.
3 Little Known Facts
- Despite their size, Jackshunds have the ability to jump up high. Make sure to have a high fence in your backyard
- They make fantastic watchdogs as they are naturally suspicious of strangers and will gladly bark to alert you
- While they are quite loving and intelligent, they are more suited to experienced dog owners rather than first timers
Appearance & Grooming
Quick Stats – Height, Weight and Size
Depending on which parent breed they take after, these hybrid little dogs stand anywhere between 8 – 23 inches tall. These small to medium sized dogs weigh approximately between 16 to 28 pounds.
The size range is primarily decided by which pure bred parent the pup takes after. It has been observed that he smaller members of the breed usually take up after the Dachshund parent, whereas the medium-sized mixes resemble Jack Russell Terrier more.
There is no significant difference in the size between males and females. They are often known to inherit the elongated spine of the Dachshund.
Appearance and Color
Their frontal part is likely be stocky like the Jack Russell parent with the elongated spine of the Dachshund. The Jackshund’s paws are large and paddle-like, and they will almost certainly point outwards too.
Their body and ears will most likely be long and similar to that of the Dachshund parent, with a face and other characteristics resembling a Jack Russell Terrier.
Jackshund coat colors are typically white, black, brown, and cream. Noses are always black, and eyes mostly brown. The texture of the coat can have four different variations. They could inherit the short, medium or long coat from the Dachshund or the wiry short coat from the Jack Russell. It may be straight and fine or curled and wiry.
Their tolerance to hot and cold weather may vary based on which coat they have. Evidently, Jack Russells are more resilient in extreme weathers as compared to Dachshunds.
Grooming a Jackshund
Jackshunds are easy keep dogs with minimal grooming requirements. Their grooming needs also depend on the kind of coat they sport. The type of fur may range from straight and fine or curled and wiry. Longer coats need to be brushed and trimmed more often to prevent matting and tangling. The short-coated Jackshunds’ coats must be brushed a couple times as week to get rid of loose hairs.
If their fur is wiry, regular stripping may be necessary from a professional. Do not completely shave a Jackshund. They tend to have floppy ears that need extra TLC. Make sure to clean the insides of the ear with a vet recommended ear wash with gentle PH and follow it up with a thorough drying routine. Like many other smaller breeds, this breed is specially prone to dental health issues. Brush them frequently with a good quality tooth paste and provide them with organic chews to keep dental diseases at bay.
Wipe down their eyes and trim their nails as needed to prevent clicking while walking.
Shedding Level
The level of shedding depends on the type of coat they inherit. If they have a smooth and fine coat like the Dachshunds, they may be moderate shedders. If they take after their Jack Russell parent, they may shed a little more.
No matter which pet parent they take after, they aren’t hypoallergenic. Hence, they don’t make a good choice for allergy sufferers.
Health, Nutrition and Life Expectancy
Potential Health Concerns
Being a hybrid, the Jackshunds have a wider gene pool as compared to their pure-bred parents. Having said that, they are still predisposed to the health conditions that both Dachshunds and Jack Russells may be prone to.
The inheritance of the long spine from the Dachshunds especially makes them prone to intervertebral, disk and joint diseases such as Hip Dysplasia and Intervertebral disc disease.
Cushing’s disease, a serious health condition in dogs that occurs when the adrenal glands overproduce cortisol in the body has been reported in several Jackshunds.
They don’t do very well with even the slightest weigh gain as their little bodies and elongated spine are not equipped to carry the extra pounds. It may lead to severe health issues like Obesity and Diabetes.
They are also susceptible to Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease and Patellar luxation, two conditions common in smaller breeds. In this condition, the head of the femur (the ‘ball’ in the ball-and-socket joint that forms the hip) begins to degenerate spontaneously. Over time, this degeneration may lead to the collapse of the hip and eventually, arthritis.
Although more common in larger, deep chested dogs, a condition called Gastric Dilatation Volvulus is a common occurrence in Jackshunds. It is more commonly known as ‘bloat.’ It is a life-threatening disorder that causes abnormal twisting of the stomach on its mesenteric axis with subsequent gastric gas accumulation and distention.
Jack Weenies are also susceptible to infections in the ears, eyes and mouth. These infections are commonly known to ail smaller breeds and Jackshund is no exception.
Life Expectancy
With pure bred parents as resilient as the Jack Russell Terrier and Dachshund and despite the number of potential health concerns they are prone to, the Jackshund is definitely a promising and a hardy breed with considerably long life span. The Jackshunds are blessed with a relatively long life span of about 12 to 15 years.
With a high quality diet and good lifestyle with ample physical and mental stimulation, several Jackshunds may even live over 16 years.
Nutritional Requirement
A species-specific diet would help fuel a Jackshund’s overall health and happiness. It is safe to say that we are spoilt for options when it comes to choosing a brand of dog food.
The nutritional requirement of the Jackshund depends on several factors like:
- Life stage
The quantity of food required and the nutritional requirement of your dog will be different at different life stages. Your Jackshund puppy may require more calories and protein as compared to an adult Jackshund. Similarly a senior dog will have their own set of nutritional requirement and health issues that need to be catered to.
- Size
The size of your Jackshund pup will essentially depend on which parent they take after. Furthermore, some Jackshunds may be a product of a Jack Russell and a miniature Dachshund, thereby resulting in a much smaller sized Jack Weenie. Invest in a dog food that suits your furbaby’s size.
- Activity level
How active is your Jackshund? Is he a hunting dog busting his behind on the field the whole day? Or is he a home body who gets his daily quota of 2 walks a day? Active and working dogs have to be fed a diet that is high in protein and fats in order to be able to sustain. A regular family Jackshund’s food intake and needs may not be as intense.
- Weight
It is crucial to keep your Jackshund at an optimal weight, especially of they have an elongated spine like the Dachshund. An overweight Dachshund’s diet must contain more lean protein and less fat.
- Any existing medical conditions
The pet industry today boasts of food options tailored for dogs with almost all kinds of health conditions, including but not limited to UTIs, kidney disease, gastrointestinal problem, skin conditions, obesity, etc. Make sure to pick up a bag that is best suited to your pup’s health needs.
- Coat type
While most Jack Russells sport medium, thick coats, some Jackshunds may also have longer coat like the long-haired Dachshund. These dogs may need additional supplements of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids for superior coat quality.
- Allergies
Allergies is a common occurrence in this breed. These allergies could be induced by an element in the environment or their food. An allergy-specific blood test would help narrow down your Jackshund’s allergens.
- Taste preferences
Some dogs may live to eat whereas some couldn’t care less. Taste preferences are something that your Jackshund will gladly communicate with you through obvious signs. Make sure to take that into account while picking out their food.
There are numerous varieties of food available in market today to match your Jackshund’s nutritional needs, such as:
- Store bought dry food
- Store bought wet food
- Raw food (whole and uncut organ meat, patties and minced options)
- Freeze dried food
- Home cooked meals
Make sure to not over feed your Jackshund pup as their little bodies can only hold so much weight. It is best to consult a dog nutritionist or the vet to know more about your pup’s nutritional requirements. Further more, some dogs may do well on raw food than traditional kibbles. A general blood test and an appointment with the vet will help in narrowing down on the appropriate food.
Getting a Jackshund
Price
A Jackshund puppy from a reputable breeder will cost between 800$ – 1200$. Their price varies depending on the breed standards of the parents, coat quality, location and several other factors.
Where to Buy a Jackshund From
There are a few places where you may come across a Jackshund:
- Animal shelter – Animal shelters are full of variety of dog breeds. If you’re lucky, you may come across a Jackshund pup that is in dire need of a home. However, make sure to do ample research and know the dog’s past before adopting, as that will equip you to deal with the dog’s behavioral issues if any.
- Ethical breeder – An ethical breeder is the one whose priority is the dogs’ welfare over anything else. An ethical breeder will not shy away from showing you the required breed standards, health certificates and the facility in which the breeding and raising of the pups takes place. The facility must have enough space for the whole litter and the mother to thrive and ample resources to keep them healthy and happy. If the breeder is unable to provide you with any of the above, run from them like the plague.
- Rescue organizations and breed clubs – There are breed specific clubs and organizations that focus on the welfare of specific dog breeds, such as Beagle Freedom Project, The Bulldog club of America, Mixed breed dog club of America (MBDCA), etc. These clubs and organizations are not only great communities to be a part of, but also credible sources to acquire a pup.
Recommended Tests
Running breed specific tests is one one of the sure shot ways to ensure that you are acquiring a superior quality Jackshund. It is advisable to either perform or acquire health certificates from the breeder to ensure that the puppies as well as the parents are in good health. Some of the recommended tests are:
- Patella Luxation
- Eye examination by a Board Certified Opthalmologists
- Cardiac examination
- Neurological tests to ensure optimal spine health
Pros & Cons
PROS
- Great size for apartments
- Playful, lively, active
- Make great hunting dogs
- Adaptable and versatile
- Wider gene pool and less health issues as compared to the pure bred parents
CONS
- Tendency to bark excessively
- Highly sensitive
- Challenging to train
- Tendency to dig
- The elongated spine may lead to a few health issues in future
Final Thoughts
Jackshunds are small dogs with big personalities. While they can be demanding in terms of attention, care and exercise, when in right hands, these enthusiastic little dogs may actually end up spoiling you for any other dog breed for life!