@Puppy Galore I have to debate you on the "mixed breeds are healthier" issue, I have a little dog right now that I adopted from a shelter over a year ago, and he is the UN-healthiest dog I have ever owned. (He is 40% inbred, WAY more than any purebred, and carries two copies of the gene for copper toxicosis, and he will be dead by the time he is 8 years old.) It isn't the breed or mix that gives you the best hint at how healthy a dog will be, it's how ethical and careful the breeder is! A GOOD breeder of purebreds does a lot of genetic testing, as much as is available for their breed, they research lines and educate themselves as to what problems might be in any line they want to incorporate into their breeding program, and they also incorporate temperment, behavior, and conformation considerations into every breeding planned, as good conformation can help reduce health issues like arthritis or tendency to injury later in life, and even the healthiest, most beautiful dog is not a good companion if they are nasty, biters, and destructive and vicious around the house! Admittedly, I doubt that people who allow mixed-breed litters to be born take ANY such considerations into having puppies, it may just be a total accident, or, as in the case of my dog, it may be a hoarding/abuse situation, so a good purebred breeder gives one stacked odds at a healthier dog, but a bad purebred breeder who is just producing puppies to sell for as much $$$$ as they can get gives one far worse odds than a random, accidental mixed breed dog, BUT until one can do genetic testing, you can't know a mixed breed dog is prone to health or illness, it's a total gamble.
@lovesallanimals I am very sorry you lost your JRT, Molly! I lost my last Scottie in July of '24, and for the first time in decades, I am without a terrier in my life, it's really hard. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, I adopted a mixed breed, small dog from a shelter in January of '25. He's a mix of Pomeranian, Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier and Dachshund, but looks mostly "YorkieDox", and he weighs about 21-22 pounds. He has two skeletal deformities due to his inbreeding, his ribcage is triangular and he is overshot, leading to a bad bite and nasty teeth. He also had a very deprived puppyhood, lacks bite inhibition and social skills from that, and is a nuisance barker and destructive chewer around the house, so far his total is 6 boxes of tissues, two remote controls, and one priceless family heirloom. If I didn't know the shelter would euthanize him if I returned him, he'd have already gone back. I would rather be dogless than live with this little monster.
That is the chance you take when you adopt from a shelter, both in geneitc health risk and in temperment/behavior issues. You can't see genetics in their looks, you have to test, and you can only make guesses at temperment or behavior issues based on the short time you interact with the dog before deciding to adopt. Some shelters are better than others at evaluating all these issues, I am sure they try to do their best, but they are working at the significant disadvantage of taking in many strays and making semi-educated guesses in a stressful, unnatural shelter situation. That can lead to putting dogs up for adoption like my Nicky.
I would suggest you visit the website of the AKC, and that you read and evaluate the breed descriptions of any breeds you want to consider. Pay special attention to what the breed was bred to do. As a former JRT owner, you have already dealt with a breed many experienced dog owners cannot handle! The Hound and Terrier groups are the most primitive of all dog breeds, still heavily oriented to hunting INDEPENDENTLY from their human partners. Lots of folks don't like that in a dog! I used to describe my Scotties as not really dogs, but barking cats, they were so independent, LOL. Once you settle on a few likely breeds, visit the linked websites to the Parent Club of the breeds, and investigate further, and look into different breeders who are relatively local to you. Find out if the breed club has a Code of Ethics, and what any genetic health risks the dogs face. That way you will know what tests any breeders you speak to ought to have done on their dogs, and evaluate them based on if they did them or not. Then be prepared to get on a waitlist, as breeders often have multiple people waiting for a puppy. Regarding puppies, be willing to talk to the breeders about whether they might have an adult dog they'd consider placing in a pet home, after finishing a show or breeding career. That might be an ideal situation for you. Finally, think about whether a breed club has an official Rescue arm, and whether a Rescue of that breed might be a good fit for you. Those dogs, through no fault of their own, find themselves homeless. A breed Rescue foster home knows the breed, and thus does a better job of fully evaluating a dog to make a better match with a potential adopter. Rescues also do more vet work on their dogs than shelters, making sure a dog is fully healthy before placement. All these benefits may make a good compromise between a purebred puppy and a shelter dog, but only you can decide what your best path to a new dog may be. Good luck!
Oh, let me put a new breed for you to investigate into your "ear". I adopted a dog from a shelter in 2020, one month before the Covid shutdown. I suspected he was a purebred, and testing confirmed I was right, he was 100% Toy Manchester Terrier. They are WONDERFUL dogs, and hands down the healthiest breed I have ever owned, their typical age is 17-19, older for the Toy variety, younger for the Standard, as to be expected. Short-haired, less "testy" than many terrier breeds, naturally clean, smart, not super-barky, but all Terrier. My Max was toothless (he was picked up with severe dental disease and the shelter had him on 2 weeks of clindamycin, then took all his remaining teeth out) but he was eager to tangle with every racoon that came to our squirrel feeder at night, I had to drag him into the house and close the doggie door some times, as all his fierceness would not have mattered in a fight with a coon, he'd have been toast. I think, if you can find a Manchester to adopt, you'd be a very happy dogmom!
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