Jack Russell Cavalier Cross

What is a Jack Russell Cavalier Cross? What can you expect from their appearance and temperament?

The smallest of the spaniel breeds, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The smallest of the spaniel breeds, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a popular choice of pet dog. Unlike their sporting cousins, the Springer and Cocker, that are bred to retrieve the Cavalier was developed and bred as a pet. It’s a job they do very well. They are happy, friendly and sociable.

The Jack Russell

The Jack Russell is also a popular choice of pet dog. They are loved for their cheeky, fun-loving nature and are definitely a terrier at heart. Jack Russell’s were developed to do down holes and flush out foxes and rabbits and despatch and control rats and mice.

Both breeds make excellent lap dogs, companions and love to spend time with their people. They are about the same size, with the Cavalier being a little bit bigger than most Jack Russell’s at around 30-35cm or 11.5-14″ compared to the Jack Russell size or around 20-30cm or 8-11.5”. Both are intelligent, although the Cavelier is much more biddable and many Jack Russell’s will do something only if they want to.

What to Expect from a Jack Russell Cavalier Cross

As with any crossbreed, there is no certainty about how the puppies will look and what their characteristics will be like. That said, with Jack Russells and Cavaliers being about the same size and having similar colourways and both being intelligent lap dogs, you can safely have a good idea of what to expect.

Temperaments

People who have this mix wax lyrical about their great, friendly temperaments, playful and sociable natures and ease of training. They are usually great with young children other dogs and are sociable. Because of the affable and biddable natures of their Cavalier parent, you can expect this cross to be quieter and more relaxed than their Jack Russell ancestors too.

Intelligence

Both breeds are intelligent. However, Cavaliers are easier to train, so you will hope your mix has that characteristic. They thrive on working things out and if they want to do something, they will find a way.

Appearance

Physically, they may resemble either of their parents or look like a combination of the two. Sometimes this mix is very easy to work out what the cross is, and some look like Jack Russell’s with bigger ears or a wider jawline, or they look like small Beagles. The cross frequently has the characteristic eyebrows and smiley face of the Cavalier.

Their colour tends to be predominately white with black, brown or a combination known as tricolour. The brown shade can vary from a pale lemon type colour through to the mahogany brown of the traditional tricolour Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Activity

Younger Cavalier Jack Russell crosses tend to require plenty of exercise, playtime and stimulation. As they mature, just like their parents, they are likely to mellow and be happy with less exercise as long as they can spend time with their humans. Of course, you may have a cross with a terrier mentality who wants to go off hunting all the time, but that is something that you can manage with toys and stimulation if it is undesirable for you.

The Jack Russell cross Cavalier

You can expect lovely, happy little dogs who will fit into your lifestyle happily as long as they have time with you, stimulation and regular exercise.

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