The Whippet Jack Russel mix is a small dog that is between 12-18 inches tall and has a weight of around 15-25 pounds. It is a swift dog that inherits the accurate eyesight of the Jack Russel terrier and the lightning-fast speed of the Whippet.
This combination makes the Whippet Jack Russel Mix an excellent working dog that will stop at nothing to catch its prey.
Did you know that the Whippet Jack Russel mix can live up to 15 years providing the dog has around 1 hour of exercise per day? If you need a dog that is always ready to get to work, on high alert, and fast off the mark, this crossbreed may be the one for you.
A Whippet Jack Russel mix’s outstanding features include high speed, average intelligence, low to moderate shedding and strong natural instincts.
You will love this crossbreed if you’re into highly active dogs and if your personality matches with a dog that is always on high alert and ready to catch prey.
The Whippet Jack Russel mix brings a unique combination and variation of a whippet and a Jack Russel’s traits. It also means that you may not predict the way this crossbreed looks and will get a variety of coat colours and sizes.
Most people that go for the crossbreed’s looks or appearance want a unique-looking dog.
Since the crossbreed is rather sophisticated and unique, read on to get a comprehensive guide on the Whippet Jack Russel mix. You will learn about the crossbreed as a working dog, its particular traits, appearance, and more.
Are Whippet Jack Russel Mixes Good Working Dogs?
Whippet Jack Russel mixes are excellent working dogs, their high prey drive primarily comes from Jack Russel’s traits.
The Jack Russel has persistently served as a working dog for close to 2 centuries or 200 years. You can see that this is a very long legacy for this kind of breed, and passing it on to crossbreeds is commendable.
You may not expect any Whippet Jack Russel mix to possess all the skills needed to be a working dog, but in most cases, they have the exact recipe that is needed for working.
Training goes a long way to bring out the persistence in the crossbreed, starting at a young age you can develop this dog into a formidable hunter. You’ll also be glad to hear that these dogs aren’t particularly hard to train.
These dogs are best used for ratting and hunting small game as they are small and agile enough to chase small game down and make the catch.
The Whippet Jack Russel mix can help guard things too or monitor your environment for you if you train it in the desired way.
With training, the dog can learn to grab small tools, alert you when someone comes around, search and find lost items, and serve as an alert dog.
The feistiness of the Jack Russel means the dog will bark and be sure you warn you should an intruder come close to your home.
The kind of work that the dog performs should match its size and weight. As a small to medium-sized dog, the Whippet Jack Russel mix should mostly be taking tasks that involve detection, light-weight retrieval, and communicating change in the environment.
The Whippet Jack Russel mix performs better when you acquaint it with your working environment. Let the dog stay in your environment as often as possible and get used to the area and scent where the dog will be working.
Your Whippet Jack Russel mix can also work in noisy environments without any serious concerns, making them good dogs for beating and other field activities.
If you ever wondered how a Whippet Jack Russel mix would work around children, you may be glad to know that the crossbreed is somewhat affectionate with kids.
Since it has a lineage of terriers that have worked with families for centuries, the Whippet Jack Russel mix will fair well around children.
However, sometimes it may be too fast for them as they play, so always keep a close eye on your dog around children.
One of the best places for a Whippet Jack Russel mix to work is a farm. The dog has all the optimal qualities for working on farmlands, guarding animals, retrieving things, and providing affection to the families on these farms.
The farmland is also excellent for it to run around, and there will be plenty of room to use up its abundant energy.
Overall, the Whippet Jack Russel is best-suited for those looking for a working dog, alert dog or a great family pet. However, you can train it to acquire more sophisticated skills.
Training your Whippet Jack Russel and getting it used to your environment will make it more effective.
Traits Of The Whippet Jack Russel Mix
The Whippet Jack Russel is an alert dog that responds quickly to changes in its environment. The high level of alertness comes from the hunting abilities of the parent breeds.
Having excellent eyesight and sense of smell, which amplifies its detective skills.
In addition to being highly alert, the Whippet Jack Russel is exceptionally energetic. Many people get it specifically for this trait. If you love a dog that keeps you engaged and on the move, you will love the energy of the Whippet Jack Russel mix.
The Whippet Jack Russel mix tends to be very independent in performing its duties. If you only intend to keep it as a pet, you have to show it lots of affection and get it used to you. However, you will also enjoy working with this crossbreed if you need a dog that gets things done independently.
This breed loves digging and wandering around. You will notice that it pulls on the leash if not trained properly and will dash off to some random spot and start searching once it has a scent of something.
The behaviour comes from the Jack Russel that is also a frequent digger.
When it comes to the tendency to wander away, the Whippet Jack Russel mix may continue to dash off until you train the dog. The training that it requires includes commands and conditioning with treats and using a leash.
You will realise that this dog has a commendable level of intelligence that improves with training and care.
The average intelligence level is great for teaching the dog to follow commands and introduce routines to its life. Don’t hesitate to attempt to learn the dog new skills and you won’t be disappointed.
Some Whippet Jack Russel crossbreeds will display very different traits, including calmness and very high levels of obedience or intelligence.
You may find one that portrays the Whippet’s demeanour and does not show the kind of energy that occurs in most Whippet Jack Russel mixes.
In all cases of different traits of the Whippet Jack Russel mix, make an effort to socialise the dog as much as possible. Showing affection to the dog will improve its behavioural traits that you may not like and make it easier to train the crossbreed.
The Whippet Jack Russle mix is known to be a feisty dog that can be a handful when not trained, so start basic training at a young age to make the most of this dog.
Whippet Jack Russel Appearance
The Whippet Jack Russel mix’s common colours include the combination of white and brownish patches, but you may also find black ones.
Many of them have a brown head and a dark muzzle. The tail could be white or brown too, but may also find white and black ones are common.
As a small dog, the crossbreed’s size is between 12 and 18 inches and its weight ranges from 15 to 25 pounds. You will find it easy to carry around in your arms if required, which is great for bonding with the dog. It can also sneak around easily due to its small size.
The pointed face and large eyes are some of the features that make this dog cute. Some of them may have longer fur that hangs over the body while others may have a shorter coat with more elaborate features.
The Whippet Jack Russel mix is likely to have a lean body with a fair amount of muscle. Most of them do not become overweight due to their energetic temperament and love for exercise.
You will notice that the dog stays muscular and active even with very little exercise.
How To Spot A Whippet Jack Russel Mix
You can spot this dog easily in the following steps
- Look at the body size and colour. A lean and small body with a white and brown coat will indicate that you may be looking at a Whippet Jack Russel mix.
- You can also observe its energy and tendency to scurry around. A highly energetic dog with the features I mentioned earlier is likely to be a Whippet Jack Russel mix.
- The Whippet’s ears on a pointed face with white, brownish, or darker patches will make you confident that it is this particular crossbreed.
You now understand the way to distinguish a Whippet Jack Russel mix, but you should also understand that this crossbreed can vary a lot more in terms of behaviour.
Whippet Jack Russel Health
Since the dog likes to maintain an active lifestyle, you are unlikely to deal with most of the health issues in sedentary dogs. The crossbreed survives well in warm conditions.
It would be best if you found a sweater or dog jacket for the winter months to keep your pet warm.
Regular grooming is essential to keep the dog healthy and clean. It would be best if you also cleaned the Whippet Jack Russel’s teeth every two weeks or at least every month. Keeping the dog’s bedding clean will also help prevent health issues.
Regular health checkups are also great for this dog, especially for the feet, heart, and hips. If your dog no longer appears active, it may be time for a trip to the vets for a diagnosis and these are highly active pets.
Other Considerations
Whippet Jack Russel mixes are not commonplace, and you may need to look at pictures online to grasp what they look like. They’re often found on farmlands where the farm owners use these dogs for ‘ratting’.
These dogs are excellent ratting dogs as they are small and agile enough to scurry around and catch the rats, they also have the prey drive of the whippet and jack russel which makes them excellent for hunting small game.
You will be surprised by the uniqueness of this dog. In some cases, it will take on more features of the Whippet by being taller or having elevated ears and a short coat.
If you find it difficult to spot them, try to learn more about Whippets and Jack Russel’s independently, and then combine the traits to get a better understanding of the crossbreed.
The ears will always tell you something, and the behaviour will make you guess that a Jack Russel was involved.
Final Thoughts
Getting a Whippet Jack Russel mix is a great idea. The crossbreed can be a good pet or working dog. It shouldn’t be hard to care for this breed.
They are excellent family pets that are perfect for apartments or living with children, however, they much prefer to have lots of wide-open space to roam around and put their skills to use.
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Hello. I’m Luke- the founder of WhippetCentral. I’m somewhat of a whippet nut and have been for most of my life. In that time, I’ve owned and raised numerous whippets. Bonnie is my latest girl; she is currently eight years old and keeps me very busy! Understanding the need for whippet-specific content, I decided to create this blog to share what I have learned and to share my expertise regarding owning and raising whippets – the right way!
