Jumping Jack

What do you get when you combine a...

dog

meerkat

cat

and rabbit?

::Drum roll::

Jack - Jack!

Yep, that's our dog. He's part Jack Russell Terrier, part Chihuahua, and part Dachshund. However, we like to think that he's part dog with a touch of other animals. He grooms, stretches, and curls up like a cat. He stands like a meerkat. He runs like a rabbit. And other than that, he's all dog.

We started fostering Jack-Jack through Lucky Dog Animal Rescue after Thanksgiving break. It was a fluke that we fostered him. We had requested a different dog, but that dog was in high demand so the organization asked us to take Jack Jack. Ben fulfilled his foster duty and took Jack-Jack to an adoption event. However, we started getting nervous that someone else would adopt him and we would regret letting him go. We weren't necessarily looking to adopt, but he was a perfect fit. We decided to pull the trigger and become a "failed foster" (Lucky Dog's term for a foster who adopts the dog). We officially adopted Jack- Jack on December 17th, 2011. We kept his original name because it just seem to fit.

Our favorite things about Jack-Jack:

He knows how to relax when we're inside. He's almost catlike in that he doesn't demand our attention, though he likes it. He would sleep all day long if we were nearby. He's always up for a cuddle and loves to burrow and fall asleep in people's laps.

He has endless energy when we're outside. He runs faster and farther than we can. I've taken Jack Jack for a 2-3 mile run several mornings, and people love to point out that I'm the one keeping up with a 12 pound dog.

He's just the right size. Ben originally wanted a big or medium size dog, but that doesn't work well with our place. Jack Jack is a big dog in a small dog's body. He's playful and athletic, but we get the benefits of having a small dog who doesn't dominate the house.

He doesn't shed much. The vacuum picks up more of my hair than his.

Did I mention that he's a perma puppy? Everyone asks if he's a puppy, but he's actually between 1 - 2 years old. Gotta love that face.

He's a great field trip buddy. He's a big fan of PetSmart, though that's like Disneyland overload for him. His favorite parks are the Arboretum and Lincoln Park. The latter is Grand Central Station for dogs on the Hill. Today we discovered a new favorite destination and treat - Dairy Godmother pup treats. I'm glad I'm not the only one around here who loves frozen treats.

He's social and gets along well with other dogs and people.

It may seem like he's a perfect dog, but we are working on two things: separation anxiety and scavenging. If he ever gets other those two things, then we will have officially hit the dog jackpot.