Jack Russell Terrier vs Chihuahua – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Jack Russell Terrier vs Chihuahua" Compare Jack Russell Terrier and Chihuahua. Which is better: Jack Russell Terrier or Chihuahua?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Jack Russell Terrier	Chihuahua
Origins	England	Mexico
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Hunting Dogs	Companion Dogs
Popularity Rank	78	32
Reviews	0	1
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Other Names	Russell Terrier, JRT, Jack	Chihuahueño, Csivava
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2012 as a Terrier breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1904 as a Toy breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Terriers group, in the Small sized Terriers section.	Recognized by FCI in the Companion and Toy Dogs group, in the Chihuahueno section.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Irish Kennel Club Club Espanol De Terriers Jack Russell Terrier Club Of America	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club
Price	$700-$1000	$600-$800

General Appearance - Jack Russell Terrier vs Chihuahua

Size	Small	Small
Weight	11-18 pounds (5-8 kg)	2-6 pounds (1-3 kg)
Avg. Weight	14.5 pounds (6.5 kg)	4 pounds (2 kg)
Height	8-15 inches (20-38 cm)	6-9 inches (15-23 cm)
Avg. Height	11.5 inches (29 cm)	7.5 inches (19 cm)

Hair & Care - Jack Russell Terrier vs Chihuahua

Coat	Rough	Fine
Colors	Tan White Black	Chocolate Fawn Tan Cream Red Black
Grooming	Easy to groom: The Jack Russell Terrier doesn't require a lot of grooming.	Effortless: The Chihuahua requires minimal grooming.
Shedding Level	Jack Russell Terriers are heavy shedders.	Chihuahuas shed none to minimal.

Characteristics - Jack Russell Terrier vs Chihuahua

Temperament	Alert Courageous Independent Cheerful Energetic	Alert Devoted Intelligent Courageous Lively Quick
Intelligent Rank	Average: Jack Russell Terrier's has average obedience intelligence.	Low to average: This canine intelligence is not the brightest one.
Trainability	Jack Russell Terriers are easy to train.	Chihuahuas are quite easy to train.
Playfulness	The Jack Russell Terrier is a highly playful breed.	Chihuahuas, like any other dog breed, like playing.
Sensitivity Level	Jack Russell Terriers have an average emotional level and are not the most sensitive dog breed.	Chihuahuas don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.
Affection Level	Jack Russell Terriers are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Chihuahuas are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Jack Russell Terriers need for social interaction is average.	Chihuahuas need a lot of social interaction.
Barking	High: The Jack Russell Terrier is a very vocal breed.	High: The Chihuahua is a very vocal breed.
Watchdog Ability	Jack Russell Terriers are good watchdogs.	Chihuahuas are average watchdogs.
Territorial	Jack Russell Terriers are extremely protective guard dogs.	Chihuahuas strongly protect their territory.
Biting Potential	Low The Jack Russell Terrier has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Chihuahua has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Jack Russell Terriers have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Chihuahuas have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Wanderlust potential of the Jack Russell Terrier is strong enough to escape from home.	Chihuahuas tend to escape less than other breeds.
Prey Drive	Jack Russell Terriers have a high impulse to chase and catch something.	Chihuahuas have an average prey drive, which means that they don't have a high impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals, but it might happen.
Apartment Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are not apartment-friendly dogs.	Chihuahuas are very apartment-friendly dogs.
Adaptability	Jack Russell Terriers adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Chihuahuas adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Chihuahuas tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - Jack Russell Terrier vs Chihuahua

Stranger Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are average friendly towards strangers.	Chihuahuas are average friendly towards strangers.
Child Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are kid-friendly dogs.	Chihuahuas are not kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are not the most cat-friendly dogs.	Chihuahuas are very cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are not the most dog-friendly dogs.	Chihuahuas are average friendly towards other dogs.
Office Friendly	No Jack Russell Terrier is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Chihuahua is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers are usually recommended for elderly people.	Chihuahuas are not recommended for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Jack Russell Terriers usually don’t get on well with other pets.	Chihuahuas are one of the friendliest dog breeds.
Good For First Time Owners	Yes Jack Russell Terriers are good for novice owners, due to their easy-going personality.	No Chihuahuas are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Jack Russell Terrier breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Chihuahua breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Jack Russell Terrier vs Chihuahua

Health Issues	The Jack Russell Terrier is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	Chihuahuas are commonly healthy dogs.
Health Problems	Deafness Glaucoma Legg-perthes Disease Lens Luxation Patellar Luxation	Collapsed Trachea Heart Murmurs Hydrocephalus Hypoglycemia Open Fontanel Patellar Luxation Pulmonic Stenosis Shivering
Life Expectancy	13-16 years	14-18 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Jack Russell Terriers are high energy dogs.	Chihuahuas have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.
Exercise Need	Jack Russell Terriers need a lot of exercises.	Chihuahuas exercise need is very minimal.
Sleeping Need	Jack Russell Terriers don't need too much sleep.	Chihuahuas sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.
Avg. daily food consumption	1/4 to 1 cup of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	Recommended daily amount: 1/4 to 1/2 cups of high-quality dry food a day.
Weight Gain Potential	Average to High.	Average.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Jack Russell Terrier can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.	Prefers warm weather
Stinkiness	Medium The Jack Russell Terrier has an average chance of bad smell.	High The Chihuahua has a high chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Jack Russell Terrier is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Chihuahua is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Jack Russell Terrier vs Chihuahua

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	4-8 puppies	2-4 puppies
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