Anyone own a Feist ?

[jvs]

Does anybody here own a Feist  (Squirrel Dog) ?

[RB Rooson]

Yes,.....what can I do for you?

[RB Rooson]

Yes,.....what can I do for you?

[outdoorman]

My sons and I went on our first hunt (squirrels) with a fellow who has feists that he has raised and offers to give us (sons and myself) one of his next litter.
They are from good lines and akc.  Just wondering, what do feists costs if one were to buy ?
Also does having a dog give one that great of an advantage over say still hunting squirrels?

[Don Fischer]

I don't think it matters what you hunt with a dog, if after a year or two you'd hunt without a dog,,,,, you don't deserve a dog!

[Qaz]

Outdoorsman,
 I did not know that the feist was AKC registerable. If so, there goes another good breed down the drain!
 I used a mutt for years to hunt squirrels. A dog seems to have two advantages when hunting. She could hear the squirrels and pin point their location before I would see them. She would also go to the opposite side of the tree and the squirrel would come to my side for a nice shot.
 I really don't care how much you think you know about hunting, a good dog will teach you how to do it right. How do you put a price on that?

[RB Rooson]

Qaz,

Is correct.  If anyone attempts to tell you that a 'feist' is AKC Registered.....be abit wary!  There ain't no such thing.

RB

[squirrellluck]

Round here feist usually refers to a small mixed breed dog, possibly with terrier blood in the mix. Normally make very good squirrel dogs.

[RON17T]

Never had a feist,but they look like they would also be a good house dog when not hunting. When I was a kid I had a hunt everything dog. You never knew what you would be bringing home but he was one hell of a dog. German shepard/chow mix-go figure,not even a hunting breed in him.

[Dee]

When I was a kid growin up here in North Central Texas, a small do was referred to as a "fiest", and it included usually a terrier of some kind mix. I have a Jack Russell, and he is a squirrel hunting machine, but he is also a hog hunting machine, and a fighting machine, i.e. he doesn't play well with others.
He is fun to hang around with, and he will always find SOMETHING, even if the squirrel huntin is slow.

[RB Rooson]

Dee,

I also live in North Texas and own Jack Russells.  One of the best descriptions that I ever heard for a JRT is ".....a thug in a clown suit!"  For it's size, the Jack has an amazing ability to hunt almost anything that moves, or crawls, or flys, or burrows.....great all-around workers!

Good noses and courage to spare.....came home many times with something in the bag, just because I had a Jack Russell Terrier with me!!

RB

[Dee]

RB that's as good a description as I know of. A few months ago a guy told me my Jack was the exception rather than the rule of not getting along with other dogs. How about yours?

[RB Rooson]

Dee,

A working Jack Russell is a pack animal and has to have the ability to hunt with other dogs.  Originally bred for work on fox and badger, it was necessary at times to remove one terrier from the den tunnels and enter another just to spell the load of work.....five or six hours continous hours on the hunt can be abit tiring on a 13 to 15 lbs. dog with a heart of "no quit".

When casting in the field, a dog-fight is truly disruptive and the "offenders" are put up in the truck travel boxes immediately.  Good workers learn to work with you and other dogs.  Some hunters work "solo" with their dogs and that is fine.....however, it can be limiting to an all-day outing on numerous quarry, the game terrier simply "wears out" after awhile.

Have worked terriers for 27 years now on just about anything that is available.  JRT's are good all-around workers; Patterdales are quieter, but lack some discretion on engaging; Borders are good, but slow starters, sometimes 2 to 4 years old before really working well. 

RB

[Dee]

Well that answers my question. This dog was put on a half acre by himself to route out snakes, and was never really very social. I put  a couple of other males and females with him but they fought all the time. Yep! Even the females would tangle with him.