Treeing Feist

Last updated

Treeing Feist
Young's Atomic Flash.jpg
Other namesMountain Treeing Feist
American Treeing Feist
Origin United States
Traits
Height 12–18 in (30–46 cm)
Weight 12–30 lb (5.4–13.6 kg)
Coat Short
Color Any color or color pattern
Kennel club standards
United Kennel Club standard
Dog ( domestic dog )
Mountain Feist
0809bigun.jpg
Kennel club standards
United Kennel Club standard
Dog ( domestic dog )

The Treeing Feist is a breed of feist from the Southeastern United States. Originally considered a single breed, Treeing Feist and Mountain Feist are now separately recognized by the United Kennel Club. Feist, originally bred to hunt squirrels, were separated into several breeds, often crossed with rat terriers. Several Appalachian breeders chose black Feists and bred smaller to tree, 'ring' and retrieve squirrels.

Contents

History

In the 19th century a small type of dog developed in the mountainous regions of the Southeastern United States. Used to hunt small game, these dogs were bred from terriers and hounds. [1] [2] These dogs became known as the Treeing Feist; feist is a derivation of fist and is a term used in Southern America for a small fierce dog. The word treeing refers to their hunting style of running game up into trees and indicating to the hunter which tree the game has climbed. [1] Both the Treeing and Mountain Feist breeds are used to hunt small game, particularly squirrel and rodents, as well as raccoons, opossums, rabbits and for flushing birds. [2]

In the 20th century these dogs became increasingly rare and in the early 1980s a group of devotees banded together to prevent their extinction. [1] In 1984 the Mountain Feist Association was formed; in 1985 this was replaced by the American Treeing Feist Association, and this was joined by the Mountain Feist Breeder's Club in 1986, the Mountain Treeing Feist Organization in 1992 and the Traditional Treeing Feist Club in 1999. [1] In 1998 the United Kennel Club recognized the Treeing Feist as a breed, [3] in 2015 they recognized the Mountain Feist as a separate breed. [4]

Description

Both breeds are described as small, active, alert dogs; they have short, dense coats that can be found in any color, combination of colors or color patterns. They usually have pricked ears although semi-pricked ears are common and their tails can be docked at any length or left intact. [1] [2]

Originally they could be found in a very broad size range, being anywhere between 10 and 22 inches (25 and 56 cm) in height and 10 to 35 pounds (4.5 to 15.9 kg) in weight. [1] [2] The United Kennel Club breed standards for both breeds restricts this somewhat to heights between 12 and 18 inches (30 and 46 cm) and weights between 12 and 30 pounds (5.4 and 13.6 kg). [3] [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airedale Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Airedale Terrier, also called Bingley Terrier and Waterside Terrier, is a dog breed of the terrier type that originated in the valley (dale) of the River Aire, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is traditionally called the "King of Terriers" because it is the largest of the terrier breeds. The Airedale was bred from the Old English Black and Tan Terrier and the Otterhound and probably some other Terrier breeds, and has contributed to other dog breeds, such as the Yorkshire Terrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrier</span> Dog type

Terrier is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. There are five different groups of terrier, with each group having different shapes and sizes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patterdale Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Patterdale Terrier is a breed of dog descended from the Northern terrier breeds of the early 18th century, originally bred in Patterdale, Lake District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocker Spaniel</span> Dog type

Cocker Spaniels are dogs belonging to two breeds of the spaniel dog type: the American Cocker Spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel, both of which are commonly called simply Cocker Spaniel in their countries of origin. In the early 20th century, Cocker Spaniels also included small hunting spaniels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rat Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Rat Terrier is an American dog breed with a background as a farm dog and hunting companion. They share much ancestry with the small hunting dogs known as feists. Common throughout family farms in the 1920s and 1930s, they are now recognized by the United (UKC) and American Kennel Clubs (AKC) and are considered a rare breed. Rat Terriers are an intelligent and active breed that can be kept both for pest control and as a family pet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toy Manchester Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Toy Manchester Terrier is a breed of dog, categorized as a terrier. The breed was bred down in size in North America from the Manchester Terrier, and is placed in the Toy Group by the American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club. Neither the Fédération Cynologique Internationale nor The Kennel Club recognize a Toy variety of the Manchester Terrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Japanese Terrier is a small terrier native to Japan. It is believed to be descended from the progeny of fox terrier types, pointers and indigenous Japanese dogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Kennel Club</span> Kennel club in the United States

The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Hairless Terrier</span> Dog breed

The American Hairless Terrier is a breed of companion dog from the United States that was developed from naturally hairless Rat Terriers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwich Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Norwich Terrier is a breed of dog originating in England, and was bred to hunt small rodents. One of the smallest terriers, these dogs are relatively rare. Their drop-eared variety is the Norfolk Terrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Pit Bull Terrier</span> American dog breed

The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is a dog breed recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA), but not the American Kennel Club (AKC). It is a medium-sized, short-haired dog, of a solid build, whose early ancestors came from England. When compared with the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier is larger by margins of 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) in height and 25–35 pounds (11–16 kg) in weight. The American Pit Bull Terrier varies in size: males are normally about 18–21 inches (45–53 cm) in height and around 35–60 pounds (15–27 kg) in weight, while females are normally around 17–20 inches (43–50 cm) in height and 30–50 pounds (13–22 kg) in weight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teddy Roosevelt Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is a small to medium-sized American hunting terrier. It is lower-set, with shorter legs, and is more muscular with heavier bone density than the related American Rat Terrier. Much diversity exists in the history of the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier breed, and it shares a common early history with the American Rat Terrier, Fox Paulistinha, and Tenterfield Terrier. The Rat Terrier's background is said to stem from the terriers or other dogs that were brought over by early English and other working-class immigrants. Since the breed was a farm, hunting, and utility dog, little to no planned breeding was used other than breeding dogs with agreeable traits to each other to produce the desired work ethic in the dog. The Feist (dog), Bull Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Manchester Terrier, Whippet, Italian Greyhound, the now extinct English White Terrier, Turnspit Dog, and Wry-legged Terrier all share in the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier's ancestry. These early ratting terriers were then most likely bred to the Beagle or Beagle crossbred dogs and other dogs. Maximizing the influences from these various breeds provides the modern Teddy Roosevelt Terrier with a keen sense of awareness and prey drive, an acute sense of smell, and a very high intellect. Although they tend to be aloof with strangers, they are devoted companion dogs with a strong desire to please and be near their owners at all times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Norfolk Terrier is a British breed of dog. Prior to gaining recognition as an independent breed in 1964, it was a variety of the Norwich Terrier, distinguished from the "prick eared" Norwich by its "drop ears". Together, the Norfolk and Norwich Terriers are the smallest of the working terriers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treeing Walker Coonhound</span> Dog breed

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed of hound descended from the English and American Foxhounds. The breed originated in the United States when a stolen dog known as "Tennessee Lead" was crossed into the Walker Hound in the 19th century. The Treeing Walker Coonhound was recognized officially as a breed by the United Kennel Club in 1945 and by the American Kennel Club in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redbone Coonhound</span> Dog breed

The Redbone Coonhound is an American breed of hunting dog. As a coonhound, the Redbone is primarily a hunter of small game that hide in trees, such as raccoons, opossums, and squirrels, but is also capable of handling big game like bears and cougars. Its hunting strategy is to tree wild game where hunters can then shoot the target, rather than directly hunting and subduing the prey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain Cur</span> Dog breed

The Mountain Cur is a type of working dog that is bred specifically for treeing and trailing small game, like squirrel and raccoons. They are also used for hunting and baying big game like bear and wild boar as well as being an all-purpose farm dog. Curs are a member of the Hound group, and the Mountain Cur is one of several varieties of cur. It can also be used as a water dog. Mainly bred in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee, it has been registered with the United Kennel Club since 1998 and has since been recognised by the American Kennel Club, the National Kennel Club and the Continental Kennel Club. The Mountain Cur Breeders' Association was formed in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feist (dog breed)</span> Dog crossbreed

A feist is a small hunting dog. This group descended from the terriers brought over to the United States by British miners and other immigrants. These terriers probably included crosses between the Smooth Fox Terrier, the Manchester Terrier, and the now-extinct English White Terrier. These dogs were used as ratters, and gambling on their prowess in killing rats was a favorite hobby of their owners. Some of these dogs have been crossed with Greyhounds, Whippets or Italian Greyhounds, and Beagles or other hounds — extending the family to include a larger variety of purpose than the original ratter, or Rat Terrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Mouth Cur</span> Dog breed

The Black Mouth Cur, also known as the Southern Cur, Southern Black Mouth Cur and the Yellow Black Mouth Cur, is a medium to large sized breed of cur-type dog from the United States. Originating in the south of the country, the breed is a popular hunting companion used to hunt a large variety of game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English White Terrier</span> Extinct dog breed

The English White Terrier is an extinct breed of dog. "English White Terrier" is the failed show ring name of a pricked-ear form of the white fox-working terriers that have existed in Great Britain since the late 18th century.

The Treeing Cur is a breed of dog that originated in the mid-west of the United States. It was first recognized by United Kennel Club on November 1, 1998, due to the efforts of Alex and Ray Kovac. "Most Cur breeders were not well off and so they required a dog that could serve multiple purposes: hunter, guardian, and stock dog. The result was the Treeing Cur, which is the most varied in size and colors of the Cur breeds", according to United Kennel Club. They are primarily used to tree squirrels, raccoons, opossum, wild boar, bears, mountain lion, bobcat as well as to hunt big game.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Morris, Desmond (2001). Dogs: the ultimate dictionary of over 1,000 dog breeds. North Pomfret, VT: Trafalgar Square Publishing. pp. 229–231. ISBN   1-57076-219-8.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Mehus-Roe, Kristin (2005). The original dog bible: the definitive source for all things dog. Irvine, CA: Bow Tie Press. pp. 349–350. ISBN   1-931993-34-3.
  3. 1 2 "Treeing Feist". United Kennel Club . 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Mountain Feist". United Kennel Club . 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2020.