If you are looking for a playful, affectionate dog, you might be considering both the Yorkshire Terrier and the Jack Russell Terrier. Can’t make up your mind? One idea is to think about getting a Yorkie Jack Russell Mix, also called a “Jorkie.” This hybrid brings together the traits of both of these lively breeds, making for an energetic, fun-loving companion.
Yorkie Jack Russell Traits
| Height | 9-13 inches |
| Weight | 10-8 pounds |
| Barking level | Medium |
| Energy level | High |
| Intelligence | High |
| Shedding | Low |
| Coat colors | Black, white, tan, and brown |
| Personality | Energetic, curious and affectionate |
| Easy to train | High |
| Lifespan | 10-15 years |
The best way to learn about the Yorkie Jack Russell Mix is to find out more about its parent breeds. The Jack Russell Terrier is a small, curious dog originally bred to hunt foxes. This breed sports a distinctive white coat featuring splotches in brown. The coat can be rough, broken, or smooth. The smoother coats require minimal maintenance, while a little more (not a lot) grooming is necessary for the broken and rough coats.
The Yorkshire Terrier, also called the "Yorkie," is a small, affectionate, energetic dog. Like the Jack Russell, the Yorkshire Terrier was bred to hunt. But rather than chasing foxes, its purpose was to hunt rats. Its coat can get to be quite long and requires more maintenance than that of the Jack Russell.
The Yorkie Jack Russell combines traits from both parent breeds, which may express differently from one individual to the next.
Fun Facts About the Yorkie Jack Russell Mix
Jorkie Appearance
As a hybrid of two small dog breeds, Jorkies are also small, averaging around 9-13 inches in height and generally weighing between 10 and 18 pounds.
Whether any given Jorkie looks more like a Yorkshire Terrier or more like a Jack Russell Terrier depends on which genes end up being dominant. In general though, their muzzles are moderately long, their ears flop, and their tails are bushy. Some Jorkies have mustaches and beards, while others do not.
The length of the coat, its texture, and its colors can all vary based on genetics. Possible coat colors include brown, black, tan, and white.
Jorkie Temperament
The Jorkie is a smart, loyal, affectionate dog that will want plenty of your attention. As an energetic crossbreed, the Yorkie Jack Russell Mix needs lots of daily play and mental stimulation.
While the Jorkie’s intelligence makes it a highly trainable dog, you need to watch out for Yorkie Jack Russells with a stubborn streak. You will have to be firm and consistent when training such dogs so that this trait does not become a problem.
Yorkie Jack Russell Mix Care Guide
It is easy to fall in love with the playful personalities of Jorkies. But is one of these sweet little dogs a fit for your household? Let’s go over what you need to know about Jorkie care.
Health Needs
Jorkies can be healthy animals when they receive proper, consistent care—but no dog is entirely immune to health problems.
MetLife writes, “With small dog breeds, health issues related to bone growth, deafness, and eye diseases are going to be the most common diagnosis. It's important to keep the Jack Russell active to help with joint conditions.”
As the Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog as well, these same health issues can be common with the Jorkie’s other parent. So, for the Yorkie Jack Russell Mix, these are also the same key health concerns you will need to keep an eye on.
We recommend that along with giving your pet lots of exercise; you also invest in a quality orthopedic dog bed for additional joint support.
Grooming Requirements
What do you need to know about grooming a Jorkie? Because the coats of these crossbred dogs can vary so much, it makes sense to talk about the care required for the parent breeds’ coats.
As we mentioned before, there are three different coats for a Jack Russell. With a smooth coat, weekly brushing is usually sufficient. But you will need to groom a rough or broken coat more often and hand-strip twice annually. Read up on Jack Russell grooming and allergy control here.
What about grooming the Yorkshire Terrier? The AKC writes, “The Yorkshire Terrier's coat is very similar to human hair and should be treated accordingly. If the coat is kept long, it needs to be brushed daily. To avoid eye irritation, the hair on the upper part of the head should be trimmed short or pulled up into a topknot.”
That means that the grooming needs of your hybrid dog could be relatively low or quite high. If your pet has a smooth Jack Russell-type coat, you might get away with minimal grooming. But if Yorkie traits are expressed more prominently, you might find yourself doing a lot of brushing to prevent tangles.
If you do not want to roll the dice on what type of coat your Jorkie will have, it is wise to adopt a pet rather than wait for someone to breed you a puppy.
Make sure that while you are grooming your dog's coat, you also remember to brush his teeth and clip his nails.
Exercise Needs
Russell Terriers have very high energy levels, and Yorkshire Terriers are not far behind. As a result, Jorkies also have abundant energy to burn each day.
You should plan on walking your Jorkie around twice a day. The walks do not need to be very long, but your pet certainly can enjoy longer outings. So, if you like to take extended walks to get more exercise yourself, you can bring your pal with you.
Regular short play sessions throughout the day also can give your pet the chance he needs to stay active and social. Because these dogs are intelligent and curious, you also may want to think about giving them puzzle games for mental stimulation.
Is the Jorkie a Loud Dog?
Both the Russell Terrier and the Yorkie can be noisy barkers. Naturally, that means that the Jorkie also can be quite vocal. Because this is the case, you should start training your pet as young as possible to prevent excessive barking.
Another tactic is to make sure that you are giving your dog plenty of opportunities throughout the day to burn off energy. If your pet is tired, he will probably bark less.
Cost of Owning a Yorkie Jack Russell Mix
It is pretty affordable to buy a Yorkie Jack Russell puppy. Your costs will probably be between $200 and $600. We have seen lifetime cost estimates for owning Jack Russell and Yorkshire terriers ranging from $15,000 to $25,000.
The exact cost will depend on your pet’s health and lifespan, as well as the decisions you make when choosing products and managing wellness. Just remember that paying extra for quality food and enrichment can result in a healthier and happier dog.
Do Yorkie Jack Russell Mixes Make Good Family Dogs?
Both the Yorkshire Terrier and the Russell Terrier are playful and social. Yorkshire Terriers are considered to be very good with kids, while Russell Terriers are regarded as moderately good with children.
Overall, that does mean that a mix of these two breeds can get along well with your entire family. But because these dogs are small, you should monitor young children with them. Toddlers can sometimes unintentionally injure little dogs.
Have other pets in your household? Yorkshire Terriers do okay with other dogs, while Jack Russells can do very well with them. That means your Jorkie will probably get along with the rest of your dogs, especially if you are careful with introductions and proactive with training.
Both of these parent breeds are territorial and watchful enough to make good guard dogs for your family. With their small statures, they will not be able to fend off an intruder. But their loud barks can serve as an effective deterrent and alert.
Is a Yorkie Jack Russell Mix Right for You?
A Yorkie Jack Russell Mix may be the ideal pet for you if you have an active lifestyle and are looking for an energetic, inquisitive dog to share in your activities. It is also a great choice if you have a relatively small living space. This dog may need plenty of exercise, but not a huge amount of room.
Pros and Cons of Yorkie Jack Russells
To wrap up, let’s review the advantages and disadvantages of Yorkie Jack Russell Mix dogs.
Pros:
Cons:
The Bottom Line
The Yorkshire Terrier and the Jack Russell Terrier are two equally adorable energetic little dogs that can be hard to choose between.
But when you pick a Yorkie Jack Russell Mix, you do not have to. You will be bringing home a dog that perfectly blends the appearance and personality of these two lovable breeds.
If you are ready to get your own Jorkie now, think about contacting your local animal shelters to see if any of these mixed breed dogs are looking for their forever home.
More on Jorkies
Want to learn more about Jorkies? Dogwish has you covered on topics about their parent breeds!
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