A Mountain Feist is a type of dog; like the lurcher, it is not a specific breed. The Mountain Feist was created in the southern portion of North America. It can be a mixed breed, and is sometimes mistaken for a rat terrier or a Jack Russell terrier.
The ancestral homeland of the Mountain Feist is the Southern Appalachian and Ozark Mountains. Written accounts of the dogs go back centuries to a poem by Abraham Lincoln ("The Bear Hunt") and George Washington's diary. A feist dog is also featured in William Faulkner's "Go Down Moses".
It is uncertain how long feist dogs have been in America but it is generally accepted that they played a vital role in the lives of early pioneers just like their larger relatives, curs.
Mountain Feists are visually appealing dogs. They have a good body length and stand about 15 to 17 inches high. They have a variety of colors but are mainly a light brown, black, and white. They have long pointy ears that stand upwards and button ears that fold over.
Mountain Feists are curious, intelligent and physically active dogs which are suited for hunting and as companion dogs. They are very protective around the people they know best. Mainly used as a squirrel dog, the Mountain Feist is also good at hunting raccoons and tracking larger game.