Mountain Feist

A Mountain Feist is a UKC and NKC breed of dog. The Mountain Feist was created in the southern portion of North America. It is sometimes mistaken for a rat terrier or a Jack Russell terrier.

The ancestral homeland of the Mountain Feist is the Southern Appalachian and Ozark Mountains. 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".

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, curs.

They stand about 35 to 45 cm (14 to 18 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 button ears that fold over. They have paws suited for climbing because of their strong hind legs and sharp curved nails.

Mountain Feists are curious, intelligent, alert and physically active dogs which are suited for hunting and as companion dogs. Feist are very vocal dogs, communicating with growls, bays and barks.They are very protective around the people they know best. Mainly used as a squirrel dog, the Mountain Feist is also good at hunting raccoons and tracking larger game.

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