Treeing Feist

History

In the 1800s, a small dog type emerged in the southeastern mountain regions of the United States. These dogs, bred from terriers and hounds, were used for hunting small game and became known as the Treeing Feist. The name "feist" comes from "fist," a Southern term for a small, fierce dog. "Treeing" describes their method of chasing prey up a tree and signaling the hunter to its location.

Both the Treeing Feist and the Mountain Feist hunt small game like squirrels, rodents, raccoons, opossums, rabbits, and also flush birds. By the 1900s, these dogs grew scarce. In the early 1980s, enthusiasts formed groups to save them. The Mountain Feist Association started in 1984, replaced by the American Treeing Feist Association in 1985.

Other clubs followed: the Mountain Feist Breeder's Club in 1986, the Mountain Treeing Feist Organization in 1992, and the Traditional Treeing Feist Club in 1999. The United Kennel Club recognized the Treeing Feist as a breed in 1998 and the Mountain Feist as a separate breed in 2015. These dogs are small, active, and alert, with short, dense coats in any color or pattern. They usually have pricked or semi-pricked ears, and their tails may be docked or left natural.

Originally ranging from 10 to 22 inches tall and 10 to 35 pounds, UKC standards now set height between 12 and 18 inches and weight between 12 and 30 pounds.

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. Originally they could be found in a very broad size range, being anywhere between 10 and 22 in in height and 10 to 35 lb in weight. The United Kennel Club breed standards for both breeds restricts this somewhat to heights between 12 and 18 in and weights between 12 and 30 lb.

Did You Know?

• The word '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.