The Feist breed is one of the first designer breeds. They consist of Rat Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, and other smallish terrier breeds. There are Treeing Feists and Mountain Feists but the Mountain Feists also tree. Some have folded ears and some have prick ears. Still, they are Feists regardless of the different combinations of terrier DNA. They have been around for hundreds of years and were bred to be small game dogs and believe it or not, protectors. The Scots brought some here from Scotland and the Cherokee kept them for hunting small game, protecting the kids, and watchdogs. Mine are called Cherokee Mountain Feists. A smarter dog never lived. They are typically used to tree squirrels but will chase down a rabbit. Abby prefers squirrels and Amy prefers rabbits. The third one is actually my daughter's dog Jack and the littermate to my Amy. All three are siblings. I keep him during the day so he can play with his sisters. I also have a fenced yard and she doesn't. Abby is one litter older than Amy and Jack. Jack is a digger of rats and moles. LOL
Needless to say, not much vermin around here inside or out!
I’m not surprised they have a strong protection streak. I am actually MORE afraid of the little dogs than I am the big molossers. Yorkies are my nemeses, but that’s a personal thing.
Currently, I have the weirdest breed of dog that I’d never even heard of until this one was literally thrust into my arms in a parking lot one rainy morning. A Carolina dog. They’re feral and weird, but loveable.
Feist - Must be what our dog was. She was about that size, but her coloring was more like a German Shepard. She showed up one day and adopted us. About that time, I was doing road races and marathons. She would always go along on my early morning training runs. Even the 18-22 long Saturdays. It was her favorite thing. One Sunday morning after a snow left about 6” of fluffy white stuff, while helping #3 son deliver papers, we spotted a squirrel that had decided he wanted to be in the other tree. It was too far to jump, so he was hopping in the deep snow. Bad mistake. Dog was a bunch faster in that terrain. It was a sad day when my wife took her to the vet, but she was completely used up.
In her younger days, she took to attacking the clothes on the clothes line. I rigged the electric fencer to the clothes line and watched to see what would happen. She approached the sheet, didn’t touch it, and never bothered anything on the line again.