Until the last decade or so the breed was fairly isolated among squirrel hunters and there was little cross breeding with other dogs. There is a lot of variation of make up and type within the breed itself.

There coats come in a variety of colors including blue, black, white, red and brown with the brown being the most common. The Mountain Feist tail is bushy, high and erect. The neck is strong, and they have a pretty deep chest. They have small, dark eyes, a black nose and a muzzle that is medium length and a round skull. Their hind legs are strong to support that activity as well. With their sharp nails that are curved they can climb. The Mountain Feist is a medium sized dog with pointy ears that are long and fold over. Other breed organizations include the National Cur & Feist Breeder’s Association, The National Feist Breeder’s Association, The American Treeing Feist Association, and the Shadowtails Outdoors Group. The breed was recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 2015, but not by the AKC or American Kennel Club. The breed make good hunting dogs, watch dogs and companions. It is a loud, barky dog that needs to learn a “no bark” command or it may drive you crazy.

This is an energetic working dog, curious, intelligent and alert. Other varieties of the feist include the Bench Legged Feist and the Pencil-tail Feist. They hunt racoons, squirrel and rabbits among others. The Mountain Feist of today has been bred for hunting performance over generations of time. Many others think the feist is not a breed but a type, a working dog which can vary individual to individual. The breed was originally a cross between British terriers and hounds from Native Americans. The Feist was developed in the South, the rural areas, in order to hunt and eliminate vermin and small prey animals. The name Feist means a noisy, small dog in ancient languages. These dogs, much like the Curs, were an important part of the early pioneer days in America. For Washington it was his diary, Lincoln the poem “The Bear Hunt” and Faulkner “Go Down Moses”. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and William Faulkner all featured the breed in their writings. The breed dates back centuries and looks very much like a Jack Russell or rat terrier. It is the Ozarks and Southern Appalachia that the Mountain Fiest calls his ancestral home. In the Southern portion of North America, the Mountain Feist was developed.

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