Meet my latest project (because I do not have enough to do, apparently). This is Riddle.
Riddle was an unclaimed stray from work. Once her stray hold was up, we got her spayed and I brought her home with me to foster. We’ve named her Riddle because her mix is a mystery (even though I think I’m right and everyone else is wrong.)
I have decided she is a Border Terrier X Jack Russell Terrier – AKA “The Other Borderjack.”
She maybe 13″ at the shoulder, weighs about 15lbs soaking wet. She has the colouring of the Border Terrier, but the body style and head shape of a Jack. Here’s a photo of her size compared to Springaling (who is 15″ and 19lbs).
She’s a very mild mannered little thing so far, who is happiest when being cuddled. So far she finds my crew kind of terrifying, but potentially interesting as well. She doesn’t much care for being trampled when they thunder past en masse, but is learning to dodge and duck at opportune moments. She’s just finding her sea legs ;-)
I tried for a group shot, but since Riddle has no sit-stay yet, she kept getting up and Woo decided *every time* that if she was going to get up and get a liver cookie, he was going to beat her to it. This was the best I could get.
Riddle is between 1&2 years old, she is housebroken as near as I can tell, sleeps quietly in her crate and is very sweet and very athletic. Nice sport dog potential? And she is available for adoption through the District of North Vancouver Animal Shelter. You should adopt her!
You brought home ANOTHER terrier?!?!
Aren’t I enough terrier for you? *blink* *blink*
Terrier Schmerrier, I could take ‘er.
Mr. Orange. Hah. I love and hate this cat all at the same time. I love him because he came with us on our morning constitutional (as usual) and at one point he decided he didn’t feel like going any further, and therefore neither could anyone else, so he sat down in the middle of the path and glared. Unfortunately, the only individual who was on the wrong side of Mr. Orange was TWooie, who was afeared to pass him.
I’m afeared!
I hate him because last night he opened one of my kitchen cupboards and emptied it of all its contents, which were strewn across the floor. Mr. Orange, for some reason, thinks that food is hidden in plastic bags, so he also took Every. Single. Bag out of the plastic bag bag and inspected its (non existent) treasure.
I also hate him because he is a greedy pig and is making my other cats fat. I realize that sounds nonsensical, but it goes like this: I put out only raw food, and Mr. Orange eats both bowls in one sitting, and leaves the other cats starving. So I started putting out kibble as well, so that all cats could snack at their leisure. Alas, Donut and Carl eat all the kibble in one sitting, since they know they are not going to get any raw with Orange around. And kibble makes cats fat. And then Mr. Orange is hungry because he at all the raw food a while back, and his fat sisters ate all the kibble, so he empties my cupboards of their contents looking for food. Now I have 3 fat cats, and a messy house.
Want me to take him out for you?
Ack! He looked at us! Run away, run away!
That cat’s going to drive both of us to drink.
Does anyone else feel like it’s a “bit(s)” cold?
Poor Tweedles. Now that he is going on 12 years, he has a case of “old man weiner” – you know, how senior male dogs’ bits start to sag? Gravity gets the best of them? His weiner is low-ridin’ these days.
Otherwise, he is in great muscly shape.
But he lacks my taut, lithe physique. I am whipjack, admire me.
The dogs are happy that it’s my ‘weekend’ as they get to see me in daylight. Now that the time has changed, it’s dark when we go out in the morning, and dark when I get home and we go out in the evening. They were starting to forget what I looked like.
Zomg. Did Tweed just call me fat?
Ha ha ha! I’m not fat.
Alas, I am going to use some of today’s daylight to go run some errands before class tonight, so I’m wrapping this up. But before I go, what do you think Riddle is? And when can I expect to see your application to adopt her? ;-)
Yeah, cuz this town ain’t big enough for the two of us.
Katharine Swan says
Oh, I definitely agree with you on the Border Terrier part! And I suspect you’re right about the rest, too, but I don’t know as much about Jack Russell. But when I saw her, my first thought was “Border.”
BTW, I love TWoo’s expression in the group pic. Hysterical.
As for fat cats, you will probably have to supervise feedings. I also have a cat who will run off the other in order to eat her food. I know it’s annoying to have to do, but it’ll help control the cat-to-fat ratio. ;-)
Lise says
Riddle is… ADORABLE. Or aborderable.
Ruth says
Can’t help with the dogs, but for the piggy kitties try a bowl like this: http://www.petco.com/product/113464/SmartCat-Tiger-Diner-Portion-Control-Cat-Bowl-And-Placemat.aspx for the kibble. Note, the placemat is a waste of money, I put mine on a cheap cookie sheet. But its great for keeping my piggy kitty from eating all the kibble, and my grazer kitty can graze as much as she wants.
Candace Battles says
I also agree… you pretty much nailed Riddle’s ancestry…she is adorable…If I were not so far away and did not already have a evil JRT I would seriously consider her…
Thank you for your posts they always brighten my day…
Candace Battles says
Oop’s just saw the picture of Riddle with her tail curled over her back…not so much a JRT or BT trait that I know of…so might need to throw another milkman in that pile…Pug perhaps?
Shasta says
I have the exact. same. dog as Riddle, only the male, perky-eared version, and he’s got a fair bit of miniature Schnauzer in him, I’m certain. Not so much how he looks — although his coat has some of that salt & pepper worked into the tan — but how he moves. His gait and hind end is exactly like every miniature Schnauzer’s I’ve ever seen. Would be curious to see what Riddle looks like on the move. Although I will need to consider if the other side of my mutt is Border Jack.
She’s a cutie, though! All the pups you bring ’round are cute.
Patty says
What a fun game — guessing the breed. Ya just never can tell. I have 4 border collie-mix puppies that are litter mates. We absolutely know they are part border collie coz we saw them with Mom. Plus some of their other littermates have a really strong resemblance to border collies (mine don’t really look the breed). Dad(s) was/were a traveling salesman I guess. The funny part is that I had some extra money one day (oh how I long for those days!) and decided to get their DNA tested to see what other breeds were in there. And guess what? Border collie was NOT one of the breeds! Huh?? I just don’t get it.
Jen says
Jack russell for sure! I second the likelihood of schnauzer. I googled it out of curiosity and found some lookalikes (known mixes… people make profit off of anything I guess).
http://edmonton.olx.ca/4-jack-russel-schnauzer-mixed-puppies-for-sale-400-750-iid-15988210
I only put schnauzer in as my guess because we have WAY more schnauzers than border terriers around me. But I’m nowhere near you, so who knows! I love guess-the-breed.
Kelsey says
Oooo, if she turns out to be a mini Schnauzer/Jack Russell mix, you could call her a Schnack!
Catherine says
Hate hate hate them backyard breeders!
Miriam says
CAn Riddle be moved to North Carolina – we’d take her and she would have three brothers who would adore her ( all dogs)
RachelB says
I love the little accessory in Riddle’s hair in the first photo! And I laughed out loud for real at Tweed’s horrified look (just below the group photo).
lou says
The fun is that there’s no Jack Russell terrier breed – just a ‘type’ which is kind of a movable feast. So JRTs can be big chunky hoofers with little stumpy legs, long-legged wiry or boggly-eyed teacup types. Riddle looks mostly Border Terrier with a good dose of Random, i.e.100% awesome (I’m a terrier owner).
BTW, that pic of Spring running away is hilarious – cartoon legs! I’m a little in love with her I think, but in the UK so can’t add her to my terrier tribe. Fingers crossed she’ll soon be settled permanently (either with you or elsewhere).
Susan says
We also have a cat who goes on rounds with the border collies. As they are both black & white & so is her, he fits right in.
Adrienne says
I have to separate the cat so she can eat her dinner without the pi– er — dogs, eating it for her. I have a 5′ high cat tree that was safe for her food (at the top) for oh, about two months. Now the dogs climb it and I have to actually close the room door so she stays fat and the dogs stay skinny!
Laura says
We have a pup that we adopted from the shelter in Aug 2011. He looks very similar to your Riddle, but all tan with a little white on his face and ears with white “socks”. We havent pinned him bread down his breed, but agree with your conclusion. There is a pure bred jack russell that we see at our dog park every so often. This dog carried a lot of the characteristics and body build as our Thorinsky (aka Thor). Yet theres a lot from the Jack that didnt fit our pup. Border Terrier seemed to be the missing link.
Our Thor loves to cuddle. When he gets right up to us, he acts as though he cant get close enough. At first I thought this was because he was living on the streets until the shelter picked him up and was grateful we took him in. However, Im starting to believe a lot of his mannerisms could be due to his breed.
Im always curious to find out the breed of mixed dogs. It helps us better understand the reason behind some of their actions, possible medical issues, and so much more. The more you know, the better you can understand and love them :)