If you think the dog might be a Jack Russell but doesn’t look “quite right”, then he may well be a Mountain Feist. The Mountain Feist isn’t difficult to recognise as he looks a lot like a Jack Russell or Rat Terrier. As recently as February 2015 the Mountain Feist had a breed standard drawn up by the United Kennel Club, which should help ensure the survival of this unique character moving forward into the 21st century. But in the last half of the century they have fallen out of favour – not through any fault of the dogs but because of people’s changing lifestyles. As time passed, the appearance of the Mountain Feist stabilised. In addition, the mish-mash that is the feist, was mixed with bloodlines, such as the Greyhound, for extra speed, along with native breeds, such as the Rat Terrier for added toughness. The latter already had flourishing lines of highly effective small hunting dogs, such as the Jack Russell Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Manchester Terrier, and the now extinct White English Terrier. What are the origins of this breed? Their bloodlines are descended from the many types of terriers that accompanied early migrants from England. Indeed, they are mentioned in the diary of George Washington, whilst Abraham Lincoln included them in a poem. Such was the Mountain Feists influence that they accompanied the first settlers as both companions and hunters. The Mountain Feist was also partial to chasing squirrels, hence their reputation for climbing trees and their other name of the Treeing Feist. With a strong instinct to hunt and track they excelled at keeping down vermin, such as rats and mice, but also rabbits, raccoons, and opossums. These small dogs were tough characters that thrived on the outdoor lifestyle. In Southern America in particular, especially the Ozark Mountains and Southern Appalachian Mountains, the Mountain Feist was to be found by the heel of most people that were scratching a living from the land. Go back half a century and he was all the rage. The Mountain Feist could be considered a ‘vintage dog’. However, having achieved a recognised breed status in 2015, they now have a degree of protection to maintain their status and appearance. Now a rarer sight, you’re more likely to come across his close relatives – Jack Russell Terriers or Manchester Terriers than the Mountain Feist. A roughy-toughy low maintenance dog, he was once a common sight amongst small holders in early settlers in the US. He’s a dog with a strong prey drive and a need to be very active. Indeed, you’d be forgiven for mistaking him for a Rat Terrier or Jack Russell Terrier, as he has much in common with these dogs. So, what type of dog is the feist? He’s a small, active, working dog that shares much in common with the groups of terriers to which he owes his heritage. Dogs that live indoors, puppies, seniors, unwell dogs, and/or dogs with improperly groomed coats may overheat sooner and get cold more quickly.The Mountain Feist is one of those slightly confusing breeds that is a ‘type’ of dog rather than a specific dog breed…only to complicate matters further this ‘type’ has received official recognition making it into a breed. ¹ This is estimated min/max temperature range for a healthy adult dog.
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