Mountain Feist

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A mountain feist is a type of dog. Like the lurcher, it is not a specific breed but a "type".

The Mountain Feist was created in the southern portion of North America. It is a good hunting dog, and a good companion dog. It can be a mix between a terrier and a hound, and is usually mistaken for a rat terrier or a Jack Russell terrier. A long dog (not a widely used expression) is a cross between two sight hounds. Mainly used as a squirrel dog, the Mountain Feist is also good at hunting raccoons and tracking larger game.

The ancestral homeland of the Mountain Feist is the Southern Appalachian and Ozark Mountains. The Mountain Feist is also known interchangeably by many as the Treeing Feist. Many Feist dogs are the product of generations of selective breeding, while some are first-generation crosses of other widely known breeds.

The Mountain (Treeing) Feist may not be widely known, but it is not a new dog. Written accounts of the dogs go back centuries to a poem by Abraham Lincoln ("The Bear Hunt") and George Washington's diary. A feist dog is also featured in William Faulkner's "Go Down Moses".

Feist dogs are believed to be the progenitors of what we now call the rat terrier. Because the word "feist" refers to a general type of dog just as "hound" and "terrier" refer to a group of breeds, Rat Terriers are often called "feists". The terriers brought from England to America in the 1890s were crossed with Feist dogs already here in addition to some of the toy breeds (Toy Fox Terrier, Manchester Terrier and Chihuahua) to develop the Rat Terrier we know today. The Rat Terrier is a specific breed within the "feist" umbrella.

There have been considerable crossings of Feist dogs because they are bred primarily for performance as hunting dogs.

It is uncertain how long Feist dogs have been in America but it is generally accepted that they played a vital role in the lives of early pioneers just like their larger relatives, the Curs.

[edit] Description

[edit] Appearance

Treeing Feists are visually appealing dogs. They have a good body length and stand about 15 inches high. They have a variety of colors but are mainly a light brown, black, and white. They have long pointy ears that stand upwards and sideways, and are also pulled back. They often have short tails.

[edit] Temperament

Treeing Feists have a very interesting personality. They are curious about everything, and extremely intelligent! Although they are lap dogs, they are absolutely intent on playing and expending energy. When they decide that it is time to sleep, they definitely will do so, curling up on an owner's lap and sleeping soundly. They are very protective around the people they know best. Be prepared for an energetic yet controllable dog with a devoted and loving personality.