8-18 lbs
10-15"
United States
Your Jack Chi is a hybrid canine resulting from the breeding of the Jack Russell Terrier and the Chihuahua and is a fairly new hybrid on the scene so there isn’t much historical information available on it. We know that a renewed interest in cross breeding purebred dogs has been resurrected over the past two to three decades. It is believed that this hybrid was developed during this two to three decade period, estimated to have begun in the 1980’s or 1990’s. The Jack Chi hybrid is a small to medium sized canine who appears to have been bred for companionship purposes. The hybrid has been described as being sweet, affectionate, friendly, playful, alert and energetic. The Jack Chi is considered to be low maintenance in the grooming and care category, requiring only weekly brushing, unless the Chihuahua breed parent was a long-haired version. In this case, if the long-haired Chihuahua breed parent has a dominant role in the coat of your pet, and the coat is longer, brushing may be required several times a week. Bathing is generally done only as needed to keep the coat clean and sweet smelling.
Your Jack Chi hybrid family member is the product of the breeding of a Chihuahua and a Jack Russell Terrier for what appears to be the sole purpose of family and individual companionship. This is a fairly new hybrid and, as such, there is little history about it beyond the fact that it was developed in the United States. One can only assume that its approximate date of origin falls into the past two to three decades, a time of regeneration of crossing and mixing a variety of purebreds to create these “designer” or hybrid canine breeds. While there is little historical information about the Jack Chi hybrid itself, there is plenty of information available on the parent breeds, the Chihuahua and the Jack Russell Terrier. The Chihuahua breed hails from Mexico and can be traced back to the 9th century where images of a dog resembling the Chihuahua have been found in artwork, written works and other artifacts. Though the history of the origination of the Chihuahua remains shrouded in folklore, it is most commonly believed to have been developed in ancient Mexico as a dwarf pet canine. This parent breed made its appearance in the United States in about 1850 and has been firmly implanted ever since. The Jack Russell Terrier originated in the United Kingdom in the early 1800’s for hunting and tracking purposes. The small size and compact build of the Jack Russell made him perfect as he was large enough to keep up with the foxhounds but small enough to “go to ground” and rout the foxes from their dens. Today, while their noses remain ever vigilant for those unusual and interesting scents, they are primarily utilized as family pets and companion dogs. The Jack Chi hybrid is recognized by these organizations: American Canine Hybrid Club, Designer Dogs Kennel Club, Dog Registry of America, Inc. and the International Designer Canine Registry.
Your Jack Chi hybrid family member can take on the appearance characteristics of either or both of the parent breeds, the Chihuahua and the Jack Russell Terrier. His coat will likely be short and dense and the colors of the coat can be black, white, brown, chocolate, cream, golden, fawn, black and brown, black and white, black and tan, brown and white, dark brown, light brown and tricolor. He is described as being a small to medium sized dog, being a maximum of 15 inches tall and weighing between 8 and 18 pounds. His has a dense coat, short of neck, elongated but muscular body and large eyes on a triangular head. The ear set can be either erect like the Chihuahua parent or folded or curled over like the Jack Russell parent. The snout, body build and coloring generally show the contributions from the Jack Russell parent while the coat and the length of the legs are more like the Chihuahua side. It is quite possible that your Jack Chi could actually be under 10 inches at the shoulder! His muzzle could also take on the thinner size from the Chihuahua side. The facial expression will likely be alert and intelligent with large dark eyes and a black nose. The hindquarters will likely be strong and muscular to provide the strong, springy gait and jumping ability from the Jack Russell side with feet that can be round and thickly padded or small and dainty with good padding, the padding likely being pink or multicolored. Your Jack Chi will have a tail that resembles the Chihuahua side, being long and a little fluffy.
Your Jack Chi is considered to be hypoallergenic but that doesn’t mean he won’t shed because he is also in the moderate category of shedding. Brushing once or twice a week should help to remove loose, dead hair, parasites and debris from his coat. He needs bathing only as necessary. Your furry family friend will need to have his ears checked and cleaned regularly to avoid infections and keeping up with dental examinations and teeth cleaning will help to reduce the potential for periodontal disease development, which is common among canines. Eye examinations should be done to assess and monitor any of the variety of eye problems, both internal as well as external, which are known to afflict the parent breeds.
Your Jack Chi will definitely be a delight to have underfoot! He will be full of energy and love but not easily trainable as this little guy naturally tries to be the leader of the pack. You will need to be very patient and firm as you train him, using positive encouragements and reinforcements to establish who’s in charge. Don’t be afraid to request professional help if training him seems overwhelming for you and your daily life schedule. Your Jack Chi will get along great with children and other pets, though smaller ones could be looked upon as prey (from the Jack Russell side no doubt) and some aggression and stalking might be experienced. Early socialization should reduce any aggressiveness toward small children and pets. Your Jack Chi is generally friendly with everyone but strangers may produce some wariness or caution in your furry family friend. Early socialization should help to modify this as well. Be prepared for providing lots of exercise and play for this energetic, frisky family member. Both breed parents contribute the potential for large amounts of energy which will need to released on a daily basis. Not following through with appropriate exercise periods and activities could lead to some inappropriate and unappreciated destructive behavior -- remember that your Jack Chi is a chewer of any part of anything that will fit into its mouth.
Your Jack Chi hybrid is an energetic bundle of love and playfulness. This energy will need to be spent daily to keep him (and his human family) healthy and happy, the need to avoid boredom being great. Taking your Jack Chi for long walks a couple of times a day, letting him play in the dog park, run loose in your high-walled, well-fenced yard, games of fetch, frisbee and hide and seek with his toys will help achieve this. It should be said, here, that you should always keep your Jack Chi on leash when outside as his tracking and hunting nose never stops seeking those oh so interesting scents which he will happily try to investigate. Also, because your Jack Chi is so intelligent, the hide and seek games will keep your furry family member from becoming bored and avoid the development of those annoying chewing, digging and destructive behaviors that all dog owners resent. Because of his small size, he is perfectly suited for apartment or condo living, but remember that his exercise needs must be met on a daily basis. He is friendly with everyone, his human family, other pets and even strangers, so a family home with or without the fenced yard is also good for him. It is important to note that, because of the traits inherited from the Jack Russell side, he will need to be well-fenced in with a high-walled fence that will be difficult for him to jump. Care must also be taken to prevent digging for an escape route. It is also noted that the typical electric fence may not be suited for this frisky little escape artist. He can live in urban or rural settings and can tolerate most climates, provided he is given additional protection from extremes of heat and cold weather.
