Hepper is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

Jafox (Japanese Chin & Toy Fox Terrier Mix): Info, Pictures, Characteristics & Facts

Chantelle Fowler

By Chantelle Fowler

Japanese Chin and Toy Fox Terrier close up

The Jafox is a hybrid between a Toy Fox Terrier and a Japanese Chin. The resulting dog is a playful, friendly, loyal, and spirited companion suitable for first-time and experienced dog owners. These toy-sized pups pack a lot of personality in a tiny package, but they’re not suitable for every household. Read on to learn more about the Jafox to determine if this is the perfect pooch for you.

Breed Overview

Height: 7–10 inches
Weight: 6–9 pounds
Lifespan: 12–14 years
Colors: Black, brown, fawn, white, sable, pied, cream
Suitable for: First-time dog owners, families with older children
Temperament: Friendly, lovable, energetic, intelligent, loyal

The Jafox is a relatively new hybrid dog breed originating from the United States. These dogs result from crossing a Japanese Chin with a Toy Fox Terrier. These toy-sized designer pups typically stay quite small, topping out at around the nine-pound mark. Most won’t even reach a foot high even when they’re fully grown.

Jafox Breed Characteristics

Energy
Trainability
Health
Lifespan
Sociability

hepper-dog-paw-divider 3

Jafox Breed Puppies

Japanese Chin and Toy Fox Terrier puppies
Photo Credit: Japanese Chin (Ann Marie Kurtz, Shutterstock) | Right – Toy Fox Terrier (dezy, Shutterstock)

As with most hybrid dog “breeds”, finding a Jafox may be challenging. Not many breeders specialize in breeding purposely crossed breeds, so you’ll likely have better luck searching online or looking at your local rescues and shelters to see if there is one there looking for their forever home.

Unfortunately, a huge problem with hybrid breeds is that when they become popular, the wrong kinds of breeders get involved. Backyard breeders care more about the size of their bank accounts than the health of their pups, so the dogs you purchase from them may have been carelessly bred without attention to health or temperament.

Parent Breeds of Jafox
Photo Credit: (L) KaliAntye, Shutterstock | (R) Jumpstory

hepper-dog-paw-divider 4

Temperament & Intelligence of the Jafox

Jafoxes are generally lively and energetic little pups who love a good day of pampering as much as they love chasing balls and playing fetch. They’re loyal and protective of their family members and can make great watchdogs. Their small size makes them inadequate protectors, but we won’t tell them that if you won’t. Because Jafoxes bond so intensely with their humans, they do require a lot of social interaction. These sensitive pups can develop separation anxiety if left alone for too long or not given the attention they need.

That said, each Jafox will have their own personality traits depending on which parent breed they take after more.

If your pup takes more after their Chin side, they may be perky, playful, and prefer a snuggle over time outside exercising. These intelligent dogs can learn to perform several tricks, especially when their Chin ancestry plays a larger part in their personality development. Chins were born and bred to be companions, so they’re very eager to please and obedient to their owners.

If they’re more like their Toy Fox Terrier side, they’ll probably have a good combination of terrier traits like sturdiness and spunkiness and toy breed traits like cuddliness. They’re likely to be highly entertaining and always little tricksters. They have a seemingly infinite abundance of energy and are always happy to show off.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 👪

Jafoxes are generally very playful and affectionate toward their family members, so they can make great companions for families with older children. Because the Jafox is a toy breed, it’s best to wait to adopt one until your kids are a bit older so they can understand how to handle their small and fragile pup properly.

Jafoxes can be shy or aloof toward strangers, though they’re never aggressive. They remain well-behaved with new people, though they may not enjoy socializing with them initially.

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets?

Jafoxes can get along just fine with other dogs, especially if they take after their Japanese Chin side more. Chins are so friendly and charming; they can get along well with pretty much any other dog breed, but especially other Chins. However, the feisty side of their Toy Fox Terrier personality can make them unsuitable for multiple dog families. They may be territorial toward new dogs or those passing by their property.

Parent breeds of the Jafox (Japanese Chin & Toy Fox Terrier Mix)
Photo Credit: Left – Erik Lam, Shutterstock | Right – Rosa Jay, Shutterstock

hepper-dog-paw-divider 4

Things to Know When Owning a Jafox:

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

Since Jafoxes are a toy breed, you should consider feeding them a diet suitable for their size and life stage.

Small dog breeds grow very quickly as puppies and reach their full-grown size much faster than larger breeds. When your Jafox is a puppy, feed them a diet approved for the puppy life stage to ensure they’re receiving the right nutrients they need to grow. Small dogs may be prone to becoming hypoglycemic if not provided with the proper nutrition throughout their day, so you might also consider feeding them three meals daily until they’re around three months. At this point, they can be cut back to twice-daily feedings.

As your Jafox matures, the health conditions often seen in small and toy breeds (more about these below) may begin exhibiting signs. You must try to prevent these diseases by providing your pup with the best nutrition possible. At around the one-year mark, you can transition them to adult food.

Exercise 🐕

Exercise is an important component of your Jafoxes health. These pups are great at agility training and competitions but are often just as happy to hang out and binge-watch Netflix with you on the couch. You may need to coerce them into getting their daily activity requirements met by taking them for several short walks throughout your day. Jafoxes need around 45 to 60 minutes of activity daily to prevent boredom and anxiety. An under-exercised Jafox may develop behavioral issues such as destructive chewing and excessive barking.

Parent breeds of the Jafox (Japanese Chin & Toy Fox Terrier Mix)
Image Credit: Left – Sue Thatcher, Shutterstock | Right – everydoghasastory, Shutterstock

Training 🎾

The Jafox is generally easy to train as they are an intelligent breed. They’re highly treat (and praise) motivated, so make sure you have the right high-value rewards on hand during all of your training sessions.

Toy breeds tend to be challenging to housebreak, so that’s something to keep in mind before you adopt a Jafox. If you don’t break them of this bad habit right away, it can become almost impossible. To increase your chances of successfully housebreaking your Jafox, consistent crate training is recommended. Most experts don’t recommend allowing them to be free in your home alone until their bladders are strong enough to control themselves reliably.

Grooming ✂️

Most Jafoxes have short and relatively easy-to-maintain coats that don’t require much more from you than a weekly brushing. However, this isn’t always the case because Toy Fox Terriers and Japanese Chins have very different coat types, so it’s hard to say what your pup’s grooming needs will be. The coat thickness and length will depend on which parent breed your dog takes after most.

Baths should be given only when necessary and not too often. Frequent bathing can dry out the skin and lead to skin issues.

Health and Conditions 🏥

Jafoxes may be prone to developing the same health conditions as either of their parent breeds. Additionally, since this is not a purebred breed, the health and longevity of the Jafox are not yet known. If you adopted from a reputable breeder, they should be able to provide you with the health records of your pup’s parents to help you get more insight into what could be in your dog’s future.

Here are the most common health conditions the Toy Fox Terrier and Japanese Chin face:

Health Conditions Often Seen in the Japanese Chin:
  • Patellar luxation
  • Cataracts
  • Heart murmur
  • Entropion
  • Epilepsy
  • Heart murmurs
  • Hypothyroidism
Health Conditions Often Seen in the Toy Fox Terrier:
  • Patellar luxation
  • Congenital hypothyroidism
  • Legg-Calve-Perthes
  • Demodicosis
  • von Willebrand’s Disease

Male vs Female

The most notable difference between male and female Jafoxes is their size. As with most animals and other dog breeds, males tend to be larger in both height and weight. No research proves that females and males have personality traits based solely on their sex, so whether you adopt a male or a female Jafox will come down to a matter of preference.

hepper-dog-paw-divider2

3 Little-Known Facts About the Jafox

1. The Jafox is a relatively new hybrid.

Jafoxes were created in the United States of America sometime during the 2000s, though their parent’s lineage goes back much further. The Japanese Chin originated in China, with some believing they date back to AD 732. The Toy Fox Terrier was developed in the late 19th century in the United States.


2. There are other types of Jafoxes.

You already know that the Jafox is the result of breeding a Japanese Chin and Toy Fox Terrier, but there are other Jafox mixes. The Smooth Jafox is created by crossing a Smooth-Haired Fox Terrier with a Japanese Chin, while the Wire Jafox is a mix between a Chin and a Wire Fox Terrier.


3. They typically have short coats.

The Japanese Chin is known for its beautiful, long, and silky coat, while the Toy Fox Terrier has a short and silky coat. Most Jafoxes wind up taking after their terrier lineage, though this isn’t always the case.

Parent breeds of the Jafox (Japanese Chin & Toy Fox Terrier Mix)
Image Credit: Left – Olga Aniven, Shutterstock | Right – Rosa Jay, Shutterstock

hepper-dog-paw-divider 3

Final Thoughts

Jafoxes pack a lot of personality into a tiny package, providing their owners with many years of loyal companionship. This unique hybrid is very playful, reliable, and protective of their owners. They require a fair amount of daily interaction to stay happy, however, and those not given the social activity they need can develop destructive behaviors.

If you’re hoping to adopt a loving companion that requires very little grooming and easy-to-meet exercise requirements, this hybrid is certainly worth considering.

Related Reads:


Featured Image Credit: Japanese Chin (GoranH, Pixabay) | Right – Toy Fox Terrier (everydoghasastory, Shutterstock)

Related Articles

Further Reading

Vet Articles

Latest Vet Answers

The latest veterinarians' answers to questions from our database