They are identified more by the way they hunt and their size than by their appearance. As feists are bred for hunting, not as show dogs, little to no consistency is seen in appearance (breed type), and they may be purebred, crossbred, or mixed-breed dogs. The tail can be natural, bobtail, or docked. The ears are set high on the head and are button, erect, or short hang. Some of these dogs have been crossed with Greyhounds, Whippets or Italian Greyhounds (for speed), and Beagles or other hounds (for hunting ability)-extending the family to include a larger variety of purpose than the original ratter, or Rat Terrier.įeists are small to medium-sized dogs 10 to 18 in (25 to 46 cm) tall, and weigh 15 to 30 lb (6.8 to 14 kg), short-coated dogs with long legs. These dogs were used as ratters, and gambling on their prowess in killing rats was a favorite hobby of their owners. These terriers probably included crosses between the Smooth Fox Terrier, the Manchester Terrier, and the now-extinct English White Terrier. This breed was recognized by the UKC as recently as 2015 and are also recognized by the ACA and, of course, the ATFA (American Treeing Feist Association).Treeing Feist, Treeing Terrier, Ratting Terrier, Rat TerrierĪ feist is a small hunting dog, descended from the terriers brought over to the United States by British miners and other immigrants. Presently, these dogs are still used often for squirrel hunting/treeing. However, The UKC states that the term "feist" describes a little, noisy dog. Despite appearing in the writings of such notable figures as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and William Faulkner, the Mountain Feist doesn't have a very detailed history and many believe they are simply a "type" of dog unrelated to the aforementioned breeds. They are said to be crosses of terriers (presumably European) and hounds (presumably the Native American Dogs) used for hunting and are appreciated for being active, extremely alert little dogs that track soundlessly using sight, scent. The Mountain Feist was bred in the southern United States for the purposes of hunting small animals, such as squirrel, and ridding properties of varmint such as raccoons, groundhogs, opossum and rabbits. This sturdy and hardy breed will typically live 10-15 years with few health concerns. Mountain Feists are very low maintenance in regards to grooming but do need quite a bit of outdoor exercise daily to burn off all their curious energy. Members of this breed are adaptable to both indoor and outdoor living (although a fenced yard is ideal), provided they get enough exercise-and love! They are a breed eager to please that bonds closely with the owner they are said to make especially good companions for children and the elderly, and are not difficult to train. They are natural hunters and, besides treeing, have long used their keen senses of vision, smell and hearing to hunt and rid properties of opossum, rabbits, groundhogs, raccoons and other varmint. Owners and experts agree that this breed may be the premier squirrel treeing breed. The Mountain Feist is also known as the (American) Treeing Feist and is thought to have originated in the Southeastern United States a few hundred years ago.
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