Welcome to our complete pet owners guide to Jugs – so just what is a Jug dog or puppy?
What happens when you cross a Pug with a Jack Russell Terrier?
The answer is not the punchline to a joke, but the name of a new designer dog breed – the Jug.
Jug dogs are a hybrid of the Pug and Jack Russell breeds, blessed with the best traits of both parent breeds and a giant heart to boot.
These little dogs are full of love and energy which makes them a great breed for both singles and families. If you are considering buying a Jug dog, take the time to learn everything you can about them.
Within this website you will find valuable information about this wonderful breed covering topics including buying a Jug, caring for your Jug and preparing for potential health problems.
You will receive detailed information about the history of the breed as well as its appearance and temperament – you will also receive in-depth tips and instructions for training your Jug.
By the time you finish this book you will be equipped with the knowledge you need to buy and care for your new puppy.
Enjoy our many pictures and photos of Jugs and if you wish your own Jug puppy or adult dog to be featured, just email us a picture.
Jug dogs can be found all over the world, they are probably mostly in the United Kingdom, but we also know of them in the USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia and South Africa. We have detailed information here on buying a Jug.
Here is London from London, Ontario, Canada!!! (But she lives in Toronto!)
What Are Jugs and What Do They Look Like?
The first thing you will notice about the Jug dog is its unique appearance. Because the Pug and Jack Russell Terrier breeds are so different from each other in appearance, it stands to reason that a hybrid of the two will look very unique.
Jug dogs actually exhibit a fairly even blend of the two breeds – they have a small body frame with a lighter build than a Pug but a hefty conformation like that of a Jack Russell Terrier.
The most obvious evidence of its Pug parentage, however, is the squashed face and the curled tail, though not all Jugs possess these traits – it largely depends on breeding.
Some Jugs exhibit a more elongated facial structure like that of the Jack Russell Terrier.
In terms of coat and color, Jugs exhibit a great deal of variation depending on breeding.
Jack Russell Terriers alone can produce three different coat types (smooth, rough or broken) which, combined with the short smooth coat of the Pug, yields a variety of results.
Jugs that are bred from rough-coated Jack Russell Terriers typically have longer hair, particularly on the face.
If both parent dogs have smooth coats, the resulting litter of Jugs will likely have the short smooth coat of a Pug, possibly with the slightly longer fur of the Jack Russell Terrier.
Here are two adorable Jug dogs, Bumbles and Sooty, from Adelaide, Australia.
Temperament and Personality
In regard to temperament, the Jug maintains the intelligence of both parent breeds as well as their lively and outgoing natures. These little dogs are fairly energetic, requiring plenty of daily exercise and playtime to keep their minds and bodies actively engaged.
Jug dogs are generally affectionate with people but they can be a little stubborn – this breed is particularly prone to developing “small dog syndrome” so a firm and consistent hand in training is required, as well as proper socialization from a young age.
Because this breed is very intelligent, however, training is generally not a problem. Find out more about how to housetrain your Jug puppy.
This is Olive from San Diego,California in the USA.
Facts & Information About Jugs
Breeding: hybrid of Pug and Jack Russell Terrier
How much do Jug dogs weigh? – Weight: 12 to 16 lbs. (5 to 7 kg)
How big do Jug dogs get? – Height: 10 to 14 inches (25 to 36 cm)
How long do Jugs live? – Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
Coat: short and smooth or broken (depends on type of coat Jack Russell Terrier parent has)
What colors do Jugs come in? – Colors: varied; generally fawn, caramel, tan or black
Eyes: large and brown
Ears: thin and dropped
Face: typically short muzzle and wrinkled face, but may have a slightly elongated snout depending on Jack Russell lineage
Tail: typically curled and carried over the back
What type of personality does a Jug have? – Temperament: lively, outgoing, friendly, affectionate with family
Strangers: can be protective if not properly socialized
Other Dogs: can be aggressive if not properly socialized
Are Jugs easy to train? – Training: very intelligent, responds well to firm and consistent training (best if started early)
Do Jugs need lots of exercise? – Energy: fairly high energy, requires regular daily exercise. See more on our exercise your Jug page.
Care & Exercise Requirements
Energy Level: fairly high
Exercise Requirements: at least 30 minutes per day
Crate: highly recommended
Crate Size: just large enough for dog to lie down and turn around comfortably – find out more about crate training.
Crate Extras: lined with blanket or plush pet bed
Food/Water: stainless steel bowls, clean daily – Find out more about feeding your Jug.
Toys: start with an assortment, see what the dog likes
Exercise Ideas: play games to give your dog extra exercise during the day
Feeding Your Jug – Ideal Nutrition Guide
Nutritional Needs: water, protein, fats, carbohydrate, vitamins, and minerals
Ratio: max 50% carbohydrate, min 18% protein, min 5% healthy fat
Amount to Feed (puppy): 1/3 cup 3x daily under 6 months, 3/4 cup 3x daily 6-12 months
Amount to Feed (adult): 1/2 cup twice daily
Vitamins: Vitamins A, E, K and B12
Minerals: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese
Important Ingredients: whole protein (chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, eggs), digestible carbohydrates (rice, oats, barley)
Look For: AAFCO statement of nutritional adequacy
Breeding Jugs
Age of First Heat: around 5 to 6 months
Sexual Maturity (male): 6 to 12 months
Sexual Maturity (female): 6 to 9 months
Breeding Age (male): 9 to 10 months
Breeding Age (female): about 1 year
Physical Maturity: about 12 months
Heat (Estrus) Cycle: 14 to 21 days
Frequency: twice a year, every 6 months
Ovulation: 7 to 10 days into the cycle
Gestation Period: about 63 days (9 weeks)
Pregnancy Detection: after 3 weeks
Litter Size: 3 to 8
Videos of Jugs
Jug Dog – Owner Interviews
The interview below is with Rebecca, owner of 8 month old Jug Sophiie from Melbourne Australia.
Rebecca says “She’s just gorgeous. Shes 1/4 Pug. Mum was full Jack Russell and dad was 1/2 Pug 1/2 Jack Russell.”
Rebecca, perhaps we could start by you telling us how long you have been a Jug owner?
How much did Sophiie cost to buy?
Where did you buy her from?
Do you have any advice to potential new buyers/owners?
Has Sophiie had any health issues?
Why do you think people should choose the Jug over another breed of dog?
What would you say are common mistakes that you have seen Jug owners make?
What are your routines such as how often and what types of food do you feed Sophiie?
Can you offer any tips, advice, and perhaps some accessories that you wouldn’t be without?
Thanks so much, Rebecca for sharing your experiences as a Jug owner.
The interview below is with Virpi, owner of Jacko – a Jug from Australia.
How much did Jacko cost to buy and where did you buy him from?
We paid $700 for Jacko in 2013.
We got him in early August 2013 when he was 8 weeks old.
He was advertised in the ‘trading post’ and came from a family whose female Jack Russell Terrier was bred with a friends Pug.
Jacko loves people and all other dogs but can be a bit overwhelming as he is always very excitable!
Has Jacko had any health issues?
He is very healthy but does suffer from contact dermatitis, probably from grass- being treated with a cream and rmb diet(raw meaty bones)
Why do you think people should choose the Jug over another breed of dog?
Jugs are great dogs as they are quite active if you want to take them for a walk/run or just out and about.
They are also happy to snuggle and rest when you want some down time.
Jacko just wants to be around the family all the time and is vocal if he is being ignored. Doesn’t bark much unless something is out of the ordinary. Once he barked a lot as there was a slug near his kennel.
What are your routines such as how often and what types of food do you feed Jacko?
Jacko is fed exclusively fed raw meaty bones and some table scraps, with dried liver treats as training treats.
He is fed once a day but not at a set time. If he does not eat all the food he hides it in the garden and comes back to it when he is hungry or on really hot days I put any remaining food in the fridge and give it to him later.
Can you offer any tips, advice, and perhaps some accessories that you wouldn’t be without?
Jacko loves chewing so ‘Kong’ toys are good as they seem to be tougher. Anything with stuffing does not last long.
He is quite smart but stubborn. I would recommend puppy preschool, obedience training and/or agility.
Thanks so much, Virpi for sharing your experiences as a Jug owner.
We have the most perfect little jug, perfect for any family. Sweetest kindest dog I’ve ever had.
We love our little Jug, Jeff, and we bought that book and it helped us quite a lot 🙂
My jug Boris is amazing. Such an affectionate good boy, so playful and he has been very easy to train.
My daughter bought a jug in her first year at college(against our wishes) and this year because she is moving into residence, the dog is now mine and my husbands (much to our disbelief) she did a great job teaching her pup to do tricks to get a treat, however lacked in the potty training department. As a result, this dog will poop in the house even though she has just been put outside. I need some advice and help on how to train an older (she is about 11 months old now) jug the ways of the potty! Please help!
They are great at learning.. just take her out often, she will pick it up in no time!
We crate trained ours. When you are not paying attention to her put her in her crate. She will not go to the bathroom in there. She will let you know when she has to go. After about a few weeks, she will get the idea to go outside to do her business. We kept the crate for about a year and put her in that at night. We did this after she was housebroken. Hope this helps.
Take her outside every half hour to start with, Laury, and after every meal. It is a pain doing this, but she will soon learn that she toilets outside.Give lots of praise when she ‘goes’ outside. Make sure she goes on a walk twice every day – half an hour to start, building up to an hour.
My Tessa girl is amazing, she really trained herself. Stubborn..yes but very smart and attentive. I also have a border collie lab mix and she trained her as well. Best dog ever!!
we have a jug pug jack Russell mix she is very smart tied a bell on the door rang it and took her outside to potty now she rings bell to go outside to potty
We currently have four dogs….mostly rescues. Three, through past years were Pugs and, a year ago we adopted an 8-week old Pug Cross from a rescue org. – accidentally bred, sire unknown but was thought to be a Chug (though I was…and am…certain Poppy is a Jug 🙂 ). We house trained her as we’ve done all our dogs, past and present. Tied a strap with bells on to the back door and, of course, from the day we brought her home and began taking and training her to back yard, the bells would ring. Within a week or so housebreaking was complete. Of course she’s also smart enough to fool me by ringing the bells whenever she has a mind to go out, needing to or not 🙂 But this is the best and quickest way to a happy pup and home.
We were unsure at first of what breed our rescue pup Shiloh could be. As the months passed this pug like creature’s snout elongated and and sprouted whiskers and it’s tail maintained a nice curl. I would best describe Shiloh as a badly drawn dog with his small round head, long legs, big feet, and an underbite that looks like ill fitting doggy dentures and now with a permanent wave of fur running down his back. When Shiloh runs around in the backyard it is best described as a “pig trot”. He is a very sweet natured and shares our home with several cats and a Sheba Inu named Aiko. The two of them are of opposite natures where as the Sheba is a bit stand offish but their differences actually works out as they will play together as the Sheba will pull out toys and intiate games of tug of war. They play well together and enjoy digging holes together in the yard but not near the fence. At night Shiloh curls up and will sleep next to you and the Sheba will sleep close by “guarding” you through the night. I am glad they have each other to play with. The Sheba sets a good example of restraint when comes to barking as Shiloh can be vocal however in very selective manner. It is interesting when a dog barks on the television and both will watch the “show”. We are thankful for our luck in winding up with a “Jug”.
Hey guys. Looking for a reliable breeder in or around sydney if anyone can point us in the right direction please mail dandarnunder@yahoo.com
I have a 9 month Jug I feed him natures menu raw mince but I want to know how much all sites just say 1/2 cup or less but that’s fine for dry food what size is 1/2 a cup. He weighs about 7 kilos but he is putting on weight .
Hi I am looking for a Jug puppy to become a new member of our family, Would anyone know of any Jug puppies for sale? I live in Sydney. My email address is josie.n377@gmail.com
Thankyou
My 9 year old jug has started scratching a lot. No fleas or ticks on him. Was wondering if it could possibly be a grain allergy??
That does sound like an allergy, it would be best to get a diagnosis at your vets to establish the issue.
We are looking to one-time stud our Jug, Big Daddy, in order to have one of his off-spring.
Thank you.
How do we get our jug to become more social with dogs if he wasn’t taught at an early age? We had a terrible experience at a dog park so have been reluctant to take him back, but as he is a bit older now we thought he could be better.
I live alone at home and work 8 hours a day would this be suitable for a Jug or not?
Does anyone have some advice for my Jug? My fiance and I got one 6-8 months old in April 2018. He’s a beautiful dog and very intelligent. Unfortunately he acts up in the house all the time. Part of his training /obedience as per a trainer is to keep him on a leash indoors. When not on the leash, in his crate.
If the leash is off, he goes nuts. Loves to jump kick into you, bite your clothes, won’t let you lay down (bites and pulls blankets), and absolutely hates the word “no”.
In addition, he was good with other dogs until a neighbor dog attacked him while leashed in the front yard. Now, he utterly spazs out whenever he sees another dog or cat, birds, squirrels, rabbits, etc.
I’d like to give him to owners that are equipped to handle him but my fiance refuses to give up on him.
Between his cost and two different trainers, A LOT of money has been spent on him already. I just want a dog that will listen and learn it’s place with us but my patience wears thinner with each passing day….
Our Jug Dakota is on a leash outside always. We are full time retired RVers and she is perfect size for us. I think yours may need to burn off some energy. If she is always leashed, indoors and out, I bet she is frustrated. Our RV is less than 40 feet of running room but she makes good use of every inch. She will tire and nap, probably lying next to you. They need an hour or so of training/exercise every day.
The fear issue I can not speak on, but if she adjusts well it may decrease. Also dog parks when not busy are good for learning social skills
Do any owners have a hard time getting their Jug’s nails clipped? My Jug freaks out because my fiance tried doing it herself once and caused him to yelp, didn’t bleed though.
Now he can see clippers and he wants to attack them. I’d like to perform this upkeep myself for various reasons but also I’m not experienced in clipping dog nails.
Petsmart
Can a Puggle which is half pug half beagle, and a jug mate? And what would that be called?
It would be a Juggle. I’m sure it would super cute. I had a puggle and he was great but very stubborn. A jug ca be too….might not be the best mix.
Is there such a breed as a Juggle?
Hi Toni facenda my name is Sharon, me and my husband got a perfect little female jug we would like to bread where are you based can you please get back to us. Or is there any one else out there that has a male jug that is interested in breeding as we would love to have a puppy off our little one.
I would like to mate my female jug she is very small and I wondered what type of dog would be best to do this with and how many pups they normally have, she is gorgeous and has the best temperament I think she would have gorgeous pups
BEWARE You can change the temperament of your dog if she has a difficult pregnancy, decide if this is really worth it. ours was a happy loving dog until we bred her, she had a difficult time and can often turn for no reason now. i wish i had really never gone down that road11111
I got Duke as a Birthday gift on 11/23/19.
I love home so much already! He’s beey energetic but extremely stubborn.
He will be 3 months tomorrow 11/29/19 🎊🎁🎈
Me and my partner got a jug of 9 weeks for our children’s Christmas present, they were so happy🥰. He is doing great with toilet training, mostly using the outside and already know when he needs to go outside so the inside accidents happen very little. The only thing is that is bits quite a lot and pretty hard😤. Sometimes can be quite painful, I am hoping he will learn to be gentle as I keep telling him not to do it! Anyone had same problem? If so! How did you sort it out? Thanks
My jug did the same, but only when he was a puppy because he was teething, so after about a month it went away.
How is your Jug pup going now? I have seen a jug advertised that I would love to get but we need the right dog breed with the right temperament as we have 4 kids aged 3,6,11 and 14. Our 3yo wouldn’t hurt a dog but she is a normal boisterous 3yo so the pup would have to be patient with her. TIA
Sharon Lang, I’m afraid I did not get notification of your request! My apologies and unfortunately, we just lost our Jug March 17 to Lyme disease.
I had a little cross dog, Venus (pug – jack russell) whom I adored.
I am looking for people who would have small dogs “jug” to adopt, in France, Germany, belgium ….
Thank you for getting in touch with me.
Can anybody tell me how long they live for? My little man is 17yrs next birthday.
Jaxson I will be lost without him
I have a jug named Butter, I’ve had him since he was 4 months old, he is now turning 13 yrs old. I would be lost without my lil son, yes, he is my son and I treat him such. He is such full of love, affection, caring and energy. There would never be another breed that I would pick over a jug. No one will ever regret having a jug. You have a friend a family member for life.
My Jug came from a shelter, he is like most others, but he won’t play
PLEASE HELP !!!
My wonderful and loving pup Dexter, he is fairly well behaved however my partner and I don’t know what to do as he will not stop peeing on our bed as well as his own, he pees on his mat and when we take him outside and we treat him with dog chocolate every time and he will continue to do it for a few days but then goes back to peeing on the bed, we have tried the positive training as well as the firmer training, we have also tired getting artificial grass and putting it on top of the mat so that it is the same material as outside as we watched a video and they said that it would help with house taring but now we are out of ideas, he is perfectly healthy we have checked for any signs if bladder infections and or pain but he is healthy. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!!!
We had a little Jug named Miss Melly. She was absolutely the best dog ever. She loved EVERYONE and everyone loved her. She would chase the tennis ball, retrieve it and throw it back a hundred times, get a drink of water and chase it some more. In the summer she would sit at the foot of my chair and in the winter she would sit in my lap by the fire. She lived to 14 years and 4 months and is missed every single day. We wish we had cloned her.
Hi, Frenchie has come to me at 8 months. Lived in a crate, no lead training or walking, chip or vet input.
She is now spayed, fully vaccinated and chipped.
She is now poo trained, affectionate and loyal.
Only issue I have now is her interaction with other dogs. She can be quite forceful in any environment.
Advice welcome, I understand she’s starting late and I will not give up on her.
She is my girl, many thanks
Hi I have a jug she is very lively I cannot get a collar to fit her neck as she has a large neck and small face so she slips her collar when on an ordinary lead. Even when on a harness she pulls out at times. Any suggestions please.
About 27 years after my last dog before moving to a large metro area, I adopted a 3.5 year old spaded female Jug, which I had never heard of the breed before, in January 2018 from my niece’s friend/acquaintance and their housemate. They were both away too much of their combined time to college and work, consequently leaving the lonely dog home alone too much in an average day.
She was named “Ladybug”, but “Bug” for short, which we still call her. Nevertheless we chose to embellish her name to officially “Pugsley Wilhelmina Magoo”, but she soon responded to “Pugsley” or “Pugsley Magoo”, as well as “Bug” with no apparent confusion. A week before the adoption she was brought over to our house for a “meet n greet” wearing a cute Yoda outfit looking absolutely adorable. She almost immediately became friendly and easily aquatinted with us. Needless to say, we were thrilled with her and were anxious to adopt.
She turned seven last August and has been a truly amazing, beautiful and delightful addition to our home life, a real blessing we thank God for everyday. Pugsley has quite the unique persona and is an incredibly smart, loyal, affectionate, playful and fearlessly protective pet who loves to cuddle and just be with you as much as possible.
The main issues there’s been with Pugsley has been a progressive reluctance to eat her regular food choices offered. I think gradually she’s gotten spoiled to wait out for treats she’s gotten too much of, which I have been working on with others in my household to curtail. The other issue is mostly shedding that seemingly gets everywhere, but is manageable.
I’ve contemplated adopting another Jug if possible, or another smaller breed dog as a companion, but it would have to be compatible with an alpha diva queen. We’ll see if that’s doable.
I had a Jug given to me ,he was kept in a crate most his life until he was given to me. I,am his fifth owner and his last owner he is the most loving dog. loves playing and very energetic listen most of the time he is a great dog and I would definitely get another one circles because he was in a cage so long but he is a great dog loves kids and other animals and they very loyal and affectionate
Our family got our newest family member this past Spring. Konnor is a Male Jug born on Xmas. He will be one year old this month. He has been everything advertised, he adapts to the energy in the room, and is the last one to stop playing or the last one to want to get up from cuddle time. He looks like most pictures we see of Jugs but we haven’t been able to meet any other full grown Jugs to compare size. I say this because he is built very muscular and now weighs 33 pounds which seems to be far above the top weights I see for this breed. He is very fast and nimble and can jump anywhere with ease. He is great with our kids, other dogs, and people in general.
We adopted Pearl from a shelter 6 mos. ago. She’s probably about 5 years old or a little more. We weren’t sure what she was. The DNA test said definitely pug, but the rest was a mystery. But this website has me convinced that she must be a Jug!! She’s the best dog I could ever want: very loving and playful, if sometimes overprotective. And she and our pug Gus are great companions!
My husband and I, Jeffy, bought our first jugs in May of 2016. Spotty came with Spots which we quickly changed to Che-Choo. Spotty is so cute and has wonderful golden coloring. Chee-Choo is the runt of the litter. We love our little jugs but are wondering what to feed them. Spotty loves pup cups from Starbies and Che-Choo loves a good slice of pizza. They are so cute and we are writing because we are struggling with having to leave Che-Choo. He has to go to a better place and we cannot accompany him. It pains us to write but we just wanted to say how wonderful having jugs has been. I am glad that we still will have one though, even though we still will have the other one on our shelf in the corner in a tiny jar (After all that is the reason we are putting him down as a puppy; so he would he would fit in this cute tiny urn I picked out). Anyways I just wanted to share this to help ease us in the pain because even though that jar was small it was more expensive than a normal urn. Anyways once again see-yay later bro-mans.