Curious about one side of a crossbreed.

[CloudNine]

I found myself with a Chihuahua/terrier crossbreed - and while it isn't critical and has nothing to do with how much I've grown to love him (I was a cat person until this one captured my heart) - curiosity is killing me:

Is there any way from observing physical or behavioral traits to tell whether his non-Chihuahua side is a Rat Terrier or Jack Russell Terrier?

Is there a difference in coat, size, ears, coloring, how bouncy or affectionate, that might distinguish that . . . admittedly nitpicky curiosity of mine?

=)

If photos are requested, I'll post a couple to Photobucket and get them into the thread.

PS - been reading the forum for a couple days now and already mad in love with your community!

[JennSLK]

Im not a terrier person so I will let the terrier people answer your questions. BUT, of course we need pictures. Its a forum staple.

[chanda]

i really dont know... maybe you will be the one who can tell us more since you are always with your dog... Observe him more and you will surely notice something that is evident whether your dog is more of Rat Terrier or Jack Russell Terrier...

[CloudNine]

I think the problem is that, as he is the first dog I've owned, I don't know enough about the finer points of differences between JRT's and Rat Terriers. =P

Pictures upcoming!

Here they are:

Of his face:


And of his body - from the top, his legs are not so stumpy as they seem here:


He gets moods where he very much desires to be a lap dog - won't NOT sit under a chair or as close to your feet as possible unless he believes he's in trouble - HATES WATER - and bounces up and down when excited, trots like a high horse. He's about 14" high at the shoulder and weighs 13 lbs, just over two years old.

Any brilliant ideas from those that know Rat and Jack Russell Terriers well?

(PS - I can't believe the previous owner wanted to dock that feathering white tail just for looks!)

[Dekka]

I wouild say Rat... I don't see much Jack in there.

[bnwalker2]

I'd say Rat Terrier

[MissMutt]

I say Rat, too.

[~Jessie~]

I'd say rat as well.

He's a cutie

[CloudNine]

Thanks for the help, guys. =)

Was told by the two people that picked him out (from a pet store) that he is a JRT/Chihuahua (is there a shortened term for that breed?) mix - but he continues to be "mistaken" for a rat terrier mix, and after a little research and finding out that he really does have the appearance of a chihuahua-ized rat terrier . . . curiosity only blooms further.

So, one last question for you guys -
Chances between:
A) He's a "jack mix" that just looks like a "rat mix" or
B) The original owners were told some wacky jazz and passed it on?

Edit: I lied - one other question. As a terrier/chihuahua mix, any particular severe issues I should be watching for with his health?

[~Tucker&Me~]

Well it is possible the JRT parent was very off-standard. I don't know where you live but around here there are tons of JRT's that are so far off the standard you would barely recognize them. He's also from a pet store which means he is from either a BYB or a puppymill, neither of which bother enough to actually breed to standard and produce structurally correct offspring. And another possibility is that the 'breeder' could very well have not known any better and mislabeled what they were breeding. I think the average Joe would have a hard time telling the difference between a Rat Terrier and a JRT. Heck, when I was little, I thought they were the same thing!

Personally though, I would agree that I see more Rat Terrier than JRT.

Health-wise, I am not very familiar with rat terriers, but from what I have gathered from a quick google search is that the most common health problems include:

Hip Dysphasia- CHD
Leg Calves Perthes- LCP
Cardiac
Luxating Patella

And from a quick search on Chi's (chi folks, if I am wrong feel free to chip in):

Patella Luxation
Teeth Issues
Hypoglycemia
Hydrocephalus

Any of those and more can show up, unfortunately. Of course we also don't know the exact breeds so really, anything is possible.

The other thing to remember is that he came from a breeder who didn't care (pet store puppy... Poor guy) so it is very possible the parents were unhealthy. Let's hope for the best though

Hah I refer to Chihuahuas as Chi's