Feist (dog breed)

Feist
A Feist Dog
Other names	none
Common nicknames	none
Origin	Mostly Southeastern America
Dog (domestic dog)

A feist is a type of small dog developed in the rural southern United States for hunting squirrels and other small game. Feists are generally bred for their hunting ability, not as show dogs, so there is little to no consistency in breed characteristics. Only the Treeing Feist has been recognized as an identifiable breed, by the United Kennel Club, in 1998.

Because of similarities in appearance, Feists are sometimes mistaken for Jack Russell Terriers, particularly in institutions such as shelters and pounds. However, certain physical characteristics separate the two, and can be easy to identify if you know what to look for. The coat of a Feist is generally softer and smoother than that of a Jack Russell. Its legs are longer and in better proportion to its body, and the tail of a Feist is usually shorter than that of a Jack Russell.

Despite overall physical similarities, however, the behavior and temperament of a Feist and a Jack Russell are quite different.

Most Feists are fairly quiet dogs, and lack the tendency to excessive barking demonstrated by Jack Russells. Because Feists were bred to hunt in packs, they enjoy the company of other dogs, whereas Jack Russells tend to be more combative, and may be too aggressive to share space with another dog. Finally, while active, Feists do not generally exhibit the frenetic energy of Jack Russells.

Feists can make great family dogs, as they are playful and intelligent. Because of this, and their ability to learn tricks easily, Feists are used to perform with clowns in circuses. They are great jumpers.

External links

• UKC curs and feists page

The ancestral homeland of the Feist is the Southern Appalachian and Ozark Mountains. The Feist is also more specifically known as Mountain or Treeing Feist, used interchangeably by many. 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 breed. Written accounts of the dogs go back centuries. Abraham Lincoln wrote about them in a poem, "The Bear Hunt". Reference to them is included in the diary of George Washington, and a Feist is also featured in William Faulkner's "Go Down Moses". 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, as did their larger relatives, the Curs.

There has been considerable crossing of Feist dogs, since they are bred primarily for performance as hunting dogs. Feist dogs are believed to be the progenitor of what we now call the Rat Terrier. The Rat Terrier is a specific breed within the "feist" umbrella. 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 "feist". The terriers brought to America in the 1890's from England 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.

Feist dogs often have short tails.