Anyone got a spaniel/jack Russell cross?

[Wicker527]

There’s a farm which my Dad works on that has a litter of puppies. I’ve fallen in love with the little runt of the litter but I’m wondering what I’d be taking on. I’m going to do lots of research before making the decision but does anyone have any first hand experience?

[missbattenburg]

We've got a spaniel. And two JRTs.

Good luck.

[Hovverry]

I heard that in Jack Russell mixes the terrier part tends to dominate. Find out about terrier traits and spaniel ones as you can’t know which will show up in any mix breed puppy.
They’re sure to be very high energy and need masses of exercise as both the parent breeds have that in common.

[Wombleish]

I have a JRT and spaniels have a certain reputation for being 'lively'. Expect much bouncing off walls and ceilings if you take that little one on

[musicposy]

Yes! Our dog is exactly that. We've always told people she's a Jack Daniels . There were two pure white ones in the litter and the rest were marked in patches, like yours. We had a pure white bitch.

She's 9 years old now and I adore her more than any other dog I've ever had, by a long shot. We also have two shelties currently, and they are really lovely, but our JRTx, she's a league apart. I seriously worry about how I will ever cope without her. I'm ridiculously attached. She's SO bright, has excelled at obedience training and agility, has bags of character and absolutely loves every bit of her life with an enthusiasm which is infectious. She's very loyal and adores the whole family. She's the softest dog ever with us and even with my preschool nephew and baby niece I have not a moment's worry. Everything is an adventure to her. She loves walks, rain or shine, day or night. She travels well in the car. Everywhere I go, she's happy to go with me. If I sit and watch TV, she'll curl up by me endlessly. She's affectionate and fun and cute and I get stopped on walks a lot with people admiring her. She feels like a real one-of-kind dog. I can't imagine ever owning a dog who comes close to her.

Now for the warnings! Her character is definitely more terrier than spaniel. She's a bit yappy and has a high prey drive. She got all her obedience awards in a shot at dog training classes, mainly because she is so bright, but would disregard everything she'd learnt in an instant the second we got home if it suited her. She thinks out how to get one up on you constantly - she's learnt to open doors both ways, we have to have child locks on all our cupboards and if she wants something she WILL work out a way to get it. She has been to the vet for poisoning incidents more than once, the most notable of when she pushed furniture in graduated steps to enable her to climb to the top of a bookcase to get some chocolate. We've never found a dog crate she couldn't use her nose and paws simultaneously to get out of. We have to have dog gates on every doorway downstairs and on our bedroom because she sleeps in with us and who knows what she'd get up to if we didn't. We've never found a bin she couldn't get into, however dog proof it claimed to be. She's as soft as anything with people but can be feisty with other dogs, though she's pretty much all noise. Walks are often accompanied by the sight of a live small rodent disappearing down her throat.

In short, she's been hard, hard work and it's only now at age 9 that she's calmed down enough that we have a relatively easy dog. But I wouldn't change any of it for the world. I wouldn't have bred from her as I didn't think it was a responsible thing to do so we got her spayed, but my goodness, a small part of me wishes we'd kept a never ending stream of her descendants as I can't imagine I will ever get a dog as wonderful. I'll find some pics in a moment.

[MyNameIsJane]

@musicpony I’m here for the pictures. 😍

[musicposy]

Size and looks wise, she's a complete mix of the two breeds. She right on the border between a small and medium dog at 10kg. I'd say her height is pretty much halfway between the two breeds. She's inherited the long silky spaniel coat rather than the JRT coat, and it grows at a mad rate of knots. When it needs grooming, like the middle picture, she can look a right scruffbag and definitely looks more spaniel. It's definitely not our best pic of her but you get the sense of spaniel legginess from it. After a groom she looks pretty much like a big Jack Russell on stilts! She's quite a leggy dog. The final photo was her attempt to hide the other day when I got the dog clippers out. She can do that "reproachful look" just as easily as she does "cute head tilted look" when she wants some of your food!

[Aloe6]

I’ve got a rescue with spaniel and terrier mix, love her to bits and would never give her up, but tbh if I’d known how she would turn out I wouldn’t have adopted her

Extremely energetic even compared to my experience of Spaniels & Border Collies. Determined. Obstinate. Super intelligent which sometimes is a problem. No amount of exercise wears her out, she barely sleeps after a walk like most dogs do.

[Wicker527]

Thankyou for all the replies. They certainly sound like characters!

We’ve had a terrier before, she was 5ish when we got her and she was so calm, a dream of a dog.

The mum of the pups isn’t a JRT (as I originally thought) but a terrier of some sort (a mongrel I expect). She’s also got a very calm nature. Going to see them again today and I’ll ask a few more questions.

We’ve got 2 cats so that’s another concern. These pups are around the farm cats and they’re not interested in them.

[musicposy]

Ours came into a house with a cat and has always been fine with him. Other cats, she will chase, but ours she won't. She completely discounts him as a cat for some reason. If she sees him on walks she'll go over to him and sniff him with a mixture of disappointment and disdain, "It's you! You're not a real cat."

I thought I'd put up a couple more pics (you can see I adore her!). Two are from when we first had her as a puppy. She spent a lot of time chasing and chewing the tail of our now dearly departed and very patient old sheltie, so was quite a handful from the get go!

The other photo is with our current sheltie. They were told to sit. Sheltie: "ok, I'm sitting, and sitting, I'll just wait here calmly and hope for a treat."
JRTX, "Ok, im sat! I'm sat! In fact, I'm DOWN! What next? Where's the treat? Shall I roll over? Shall I spin around? I'll play dead! I can do it all! The treat, where's the treat? Now? I'm ready!"

She really is a whole different ball game but bags and bags of fun. I've had her camping with DD and I for weeks in the summer before because she's so up for any adventure.

OP, if the mother is calm that might help a little.

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

As the owner of a JRT x something less mental than a spaniel, that mix sounds like hard work. Have you had your own dog as an adult before? Do you have excessive amounts of time to dedicate to walking? 2-3 hours is a fairly standard amount of time for mine, though finally (aged 3) he's learned to cope if one day is a shorter walk.

I love my dog to bits, but I'm not sure I'd sign up for another JRT x in future. In my mind I'll get something cute, fluffy and easy, but knowing me I'll get a neurotic three legged deaf staffy 😂

[Warmhandscoldheart]

I've got a Cocker spaniel/ Patterdale terrier cross. He's high energy so needs 2 walks daily. He's excitable, loveable, intelligent and he can change from an absolute treasure to a disobedient teenager in a matter of minutes.

[Warmhandscoldheart]

@musicposy 😍

[TeacupRex]

Good god, that sounds like one little whirlwind of a mix 😂 I would be a little concerned about the cats - some terriers and spaniels will live and let live but there's a very strong desire to chase fleeing animals in both the spaniel and the JRT - they are both traditional working breeds after all, with the terrier especially being bred to catch and quickly dispatch vermin.

My youngest spaniel (who we also think was the runt) was brilliant with small animals up until she was around 1-2 years old, something clicked inside her brain and now she just HAS to chase them. It's not something that can be trained out of them unfortunately, it's the genetics. It's important to remember that certain breed traits may not fully develop until the dog reaches adolescence/adulthood.

[musicposy]

Warmhandscoldheart yours is adorable and the photo with his head in the sand made me laugh!

[Geometric628]

I’m really enjoying all the stories and pics.

I think we’ll be in for a shock but we’re up for a challenge. The exercise isn’t an issue. DH misses his early morning (5am) and evening walks with a dog and we’ve got a big field next to us so I’ll be doing some mid day training/ball fetching etc. We have a uk holiday at least once a year that would be ideal for a dog.

I’m hoping this one will be able to settle at some points during the day though. I often work from home so need some quiet time and once or twice a week I need a mid day nap due to a medical condition. Our other dog used to curl up on the bed with me so hopefully this one will too.

[JollyInfidel]

I have a 4 y/o Springer cross jack Russel.
He's got the feist and chase of a terrier with the affection and smarts of a springer.
Learns very quickly once you can catch his attention.
Very very active and needs lots of exercise might i stress...
By far the most charismatic, playful, smart and oftenly naughty dog i have owned.
The best dog i have ever had.!

[Ocre373]

I’m the op of this thread. Our terrier x spaniel is now 7 months old. He’s just fantastic. Yes to being feisty and energetic. He’s great at home though, he will settle and he’s good at being left (was brilliant before the lockdown). He’s very affectionate, loves a lap to lie on. He greets everyone he meets by wagging so hard he turns himself sideways then curls up submissively at their feet. He’s very naughty-loves digging and stealing washing out of the laundry basket. He’s great:

[Goldenhedgehogs]

Lovely update thanks

[JollyInfidel]

Totally agree with the good house dog part.!
Might be a rampaging squirrel enemy when he's outside but inside he has no faults.
Very easily house trained and does nothing bad indoors at all to my house apart from casting like a chinchilla in heat for 365 days of the year.!
Myself, my hoover bags are always being emptied.!

[bloodywhitecat]

I have a English Springer/Kerry Blue terrier cross, his most dominant traits are his terrier ones (and it is the same for his 11 brothers and sisters). So glad things are working out for you too, ours is a great guardian of the house and a bit older than yours at 11 months old.

[CollieDug]

I know this is not an AIBU but YBVVVVU to update without a photo!

I demand one now!

(But that’s for update )

[MyNameIsJane]

Oh yes a picture please!

[StarSpangled372]

I’m the OP (name changed since I last updated).

He’s 11 months now, in full teenager mode so we’re struggling with recall and he’s gone through a second fear stage however..... he’s such a fantastic pup, we all love him.

He’s so chilled at home, a good walk in the morning and a trot around the block before bed and that’s him done for the day. Zero separation anxiety, easy to house train, loves a fuss, great with the cats, doesn’t bark much.

[MyNameIsJane]

He sounds great!

[tabulahrasa]

I fostered one once, he was basically a Jack Russell in a small spaniel suit...