![]() There's a tremendous amount of variation in terms of hunting behaviors and hunting styles." If they can't find a squirrel where they went, they check back to see what the handler wants them to do. Other handlers want their dogs to go wherever they need to go to find a squirrel. Some handlers don't like their dogs to get out of sight. How far he goes to look for a squirrel differs. "Then I release my dog, and he runs out and searches for a squirrel. ![]() The ideal feist, Osborn contends, stays with its hunter on the way into the woods. Other family lines are very content lying on the couch with you." "But some family lines make better pets than others, just because some family lines are so excitable that they try your patience a bit as a pet. "They're happiest when they're family members," Osborn says. That part of the breed standard makes the feist unique among hunting dogs.Ī feist's suitability as a house dog and pet varies tremendously depending on which family line the dog comes from. ![]() For instance, an official of the registry must have actually seen the feist treeing a squirrel or raccoon. Most registries include some measure of function as well. But some of the registries vary a bit from that." "Males can't be more than 18 inches, and females can't be more than 17 inches. ![]() "Dogs of either sex can't weigh more than 30 pounds," Osborn points out. The common thread, however, is that feists are very small dogs. Today, many family lines of feists have been specifically bred to be squirrel dogs." Also, their owners might take them out and tree squirrels, possums and even raccoons. "They might have been used to keep predators from killing the yard chickens, or to protect the home from intruders. "Until the 1950s or so, most rural homes had these small multi-purpose dogs," Osborn says. In my opinion, they're dogs that were carried down through the generations because of their function and utility, and they very likely have many different breeds in their ancestry."Īlthough today's feists are primarily used for hunting squirrels, they can be very versatile dogs. Other people say European terriers were the primary influence in their ancestry. "Some people believe that these dogs come from the old-time feists that the Native Americans had. "There's a lot of controversy about all this," Osborn continues. "It also can be a full-blooded rat terrier, as long as it meets the size and coat characteristics for a treeing feist."īreeds such as rat terriers and smooth-haired fox terriers can be cross-registered as feists, and some crosses between recognized full-breed dogs can be registered as feists also. "A feist can be a very pedigreed family of dogs that's been bred to tree squirrels for generations," Osborn says. However, the name is also used generically to describe dogs for their specific squirrel hunting behavior. David Osborn is the author of Squirrel Dog Basics, a book that provides an overview of squirrel hunting and the feists that are used to hunt the critters.Īccording to Osborn, the feist is recognized as a breed by all the multi-breed registries, including the Canadian Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club. One group of dogs that is poorly understood, even by hunters, is feists. From what I can tell it is a squirrel dog and popular in the south, but I couldn't find much on their origins/history. I looked it up on the net but couldn't really find much. Here is a pic of my aunts mixed breed - Chauncy - and my Delilah.Īnyone have any info on the breed - or own one. They are a beautiful hunting breed and have wonderful personalities. I had not heard of feists until maybe a year ago or two. My aunt has a mixed breed - rat terrier/feist.
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