Arkansas feist dog breed how to#

I want people to be able to experience what I experience in my dogs. I want my dogs to be able to road hunt, wood hunt, timber, have strong barks, have excellent noses, and be gritty enough to go after squirrels. I want to hunt the best of the best, so I hunt and breed Mullins feists. I started squirrel hunting with my dad as a kid, and I enjoy passing the same traditions to my sons. I named my kennel “Devil’s Bend” after a spot in the Ozark Mountains where I trained my first Mullins. I have owned and operated Devil’s Bend Kennels in Greenbrier, AR since 2014. I hunt Mullins feist and prefer the Chance’s Pup breeding as well as the Pepper and Slick bred feists. He’s a perfect companion for a family that can keep him busy, or even a senior that can devote the one-on-one time this dog craves.Hello, my name is Kevin Massery, and I have been squirrel hunting for 40 years. And the Feist is no exception because this generally healthy little guy can live up to 18 years – well beyond what you would expect from a larger breed. Now, the upside to any dog that’s a mixed bag of breeds is that they tend to be healthier than a pure-bred pooch. This love of all things interactive makes him ideal for families with older kids or outdoorsy adults who want a companion dog to take on hikes or runs. His short, light coat is low-shedding and requires brushing just a couple of times a week to keep him looking his best.Īnd perfectly in line with what you would expect from a busy dog with a spirited personality and perky appearance, the Feist enjoys a good play session. Sometimes mistaken for a Cur or Jack Russel terrier, the Mountain Feist. It’s a small to medium-sized canine developed to hunt small game like squirrels, birds, and raccoons. When it comes to care, a Feist dog is a dream. Although its exact origins are unknown, the Mountain Feist was first bred in the 17th century in the Ozark Mountain regions of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. But either of these traits can be tempered through training and proper socialization – particularly if you start while he’s a puppy or young dog. Even for summer walking you should wear wool, cushion- sole socks. He’ll also have a stronger prey drive which can make him a problem around smaller family pets including cats if you choose to adopt an adult Feist. The Greatest Hunting Dog You'd Never Guess (Continued from page 48) MOSSBERG 500. Of course, like any terrier you’re going to run into a personality that is more pronounced, and more territorial than you’d find with a Lab, Golden, or other non-terrier breed. So, you do get some down-time with this pooch. While he’s highly energetic and needs regular daily walks, he also loves to nest with his human pack and enjoys nothing more than a snuggle on the sofa after a long and busy day. He’s smart which makes training quick and teaching him special commands, or tricks, easy. In spite of his dubious history, and prowess for the hunt, this spunky little dog makes a great companion animal. The Mountain Cur is a type of working dog that is bred specifically for treeing and trailing small game, like squirrel and raccoons. And as the name implies, he was used for tracking and “treeing” small prey such as squirrels and rodents, while he waited for the hunter to arrive. Feists are known for their ability to tree squirrels and other small animals. While he isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), the “Treeing” variation of the Feist is acknowledged by Britain’s United Kennel Club (UKC) as an identifiable breed. The Feist is not a purebred and its characteristics vary widely from dog to dog. If you were trying to envision a similar breed with a recognizable name, you could look to a Rat Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier or Parson Russell Terrier. He’ll also have a short, smooth, bi-color coat, erect ears, and long, upright tail. Typically, he will be smaller, weighing just 15 to 30 pounds, and stand between 12- and 16-inches in height. Now, in spite of his vague ancestry, there is an overall “look” you can expect with a Feist dog. The end result is a compact little hunting dog that is sturdy, muscular, and with a rather spirited personality.

The general consensus is that he’s a combo terrier (likely brought to North America by the Brits around the 1700s) and Native American Dog. And while the jury’s out on where the unusual name came from – Abraham Lincoln called him a “Fice” when writing about this small hunting pooch, and other iterations have included Fyce and Foist – his lineage is equally intriguing. Nope, we’re not talking about a high-spirited, “feisty” pooch… we’re talking about an actual type of dog known as a Feist.

Arkansas feist dog breed how to#

Have you ever heard of a Feist dog? Let’s talk about what makes this breed so special and how to identify one.