A feist dog, sometimes called feist for short, is a small hunting dog. A Feist dog is said to be bred from crosses between English white terriers and American Indian dogs but this is just one of the many speculations about their origin.
You must have been asked, “what does a feist dog look like?” by someone right? This article explains that and more.
Feist dogs are short and muscular. They were originally used to hunt rodents, they have not lost this ability today but it is no longer one of their main purposes. Everything about them screams strong, sturdy, alert, and capable.
Their ears stick up as well as their tails. They have rounded heads and tapered muzzles. Their coats appear in various colors from black to white to red. This breed of dog, as the name suggests, is indeed feisty. They have a lot of energy which they know how to channel into pleasing their owners and making the owner’s children happy.
Due to their personality and energy, they are best suited for farmers or people that love the outdoors. Quiet places and people can have them too, so long as they allow them enough exercise.
What Does A Feist Dog Look Like?
A feist dog is usually short, muscular, and strong. They have short and smooth coats that do not require much when it comes to cleaning. These coats can come in various colors including black, white, red, tan, blue, or a mix of any of these.
They have strong legs, necks, and shoulders, they are strong all around. This will be because of the reason for which they were originally bred – hunting, or more accurately, tracking – and we know how much strength is required for hunting.
Their ears and tail stick to up which should be a good way to let you know that they are alert and sensitive to their environment, all signs of a good hunting dog. In addition, they have rounded heads which are also quite sturdy. A Feist dog usually measures about ten to eighteen inches in height and weighs between twenty and thirty pounds, this accounts for their agility and speed.
A Feist dog can live for as long as thirteen years, eighteen in the best conditions.
How Do You Train A Feist Dog?
Getting answers to “what does a feist dog look like?” shouldn’t be your only worry. When you get your puppy feist, you want to start training it as soon as possible before it completely develops a mind of its own and becomes impossible to train. You will need to train it to interact with people and other dogs but also to be alert to dangers and suspicious environments.
As soon as you bring your puppy home, start training it. If it is still very young, you can wait till it is about eight weeks old. You may want to start with social training, the aim of this is to get your puppy familiar with you, your friends, other people, and other dogs. This process should start with you, of course.
Pet your puppy as often as you can and groom it regularly. Play with it, games like hide-and-seek and fetch and when things go south, do not be negative in your feedback as this can ruin the relationship before it even starts. These games will help to improve their intelligence, alertness, and agility.
When you see that the puppy is relatively comfortable with you, you can then start to introduce it to other people and other dogs. If you have friends that are fellow dog owners, they will be perfect starting points for this process. Encourage your puppy to interact with other dogs and people. This is especially important if you will eventually use the dog for hunting, and more important if it will be with other dogs.
You can invite your friends over with their dogs or take yours to them. During this period, you should also train it in obedience starting with basic commands like “come” and “sit”. You can then start it on more complex commands later on. You must give your puppy time to adapt to the environment and learn the commands.
If you plan to take your feist hunting, then, your training period does not end here. For hunting, you want to improve your dog’s agility, tracking instincts, and alertness. You can start with scattering treats in different hidden places for your dog to find. You can then start using raw meat, this will be very beneficial for scent tracking when hunting starts.
You can use it to create a scent trail, start with easy straightforward distances, then, make things more complex. After this, get familiar with the hunting environment – the woods. Get acquainted with the smell and sight of the woods and also of animals that it will hunt, like squirrels.
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How Much Exercise Does A Feist Dog Need?
Being dogs that possess incredible amounts of energy, feist dogs need a lot of exercise to expend the energy so that they won’t end up using it destructively. If you keep your feist in the house for too long, you may end up not liking the results. Feists need at least thirty minutes of exercise every day and two hours is not even too much.
This exercise can come in form of walks, jogs, or games. Games are great for them because feist dogs love constructive tasks and activities that challenge their minds. It also sharpens their mental alertness and hunting skills.
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Is A Feist Dog Smart?
IF you are considering keeping a feist dog and you have gotten an answer to “what does a feist dog look like?”, you want to know if a feist dog is smart right? The answer is Yes, feist dogs are smart. This intelligence is something of a must-have for a dog that is bred for hunting. It is what makes them dependable, alert, and easy to train. It is also why they love constructive tasks and challenging games. It is all geared towards sharpening their hunting instincts.
Conclusion On What Does A Feist Dog Look Like?
A Feist dog is probably what they were talking about when they said dog is man’s best friend. A Feist dog, originally bred for hunting purposes, is a loyal, smart, and friendly dog. They are loved for their stability, friendly personality, and boundless energy.
Although they can be pretty stubborn and sometimes aggressive due to their nature, all of these can easily be taken care of with the proper training at the early stage. These dogs are always ready to please and are wonderful companions.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article on “What does a feist dog look like?”, you might also want to read 9 Interesting Facts About The Mini English Bulldog Adults
FAQs
A feist dog is a small hunting dog, said to be a cross from the terriers. These terriers included crosses between the Smooth Fox Terrier, the Manchester Terrier, and the now-extinct English White Terrier probably. They are identified by the way they hunt and not by size. Feist dogs are loving and friendly to their family. They are intelligent and energetic. They are small sized, short coated, and have long legs. Feist dogs can live as long as 10 - 15 years. There are intelligent working breeds, and they love engaging in things that keep their mind active. They require daily exercises too. What kind of a dog is a Feist?
What are the characteristics of a Feist dog?
How long does a Feist live?
How smart is a Feist dog?