# Upcoming Feist Litter! (Re-post)



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Hello Folks:

Beth and I just wanted to let everyone know about this upcoming litter. Hopefully, all will go well and we will be blessed with another mess of healthy feist pups. These are Mountain (aka Treeing) Feist.

Feist dogs have been around for hundreds of years and hail from the Appalachian and later Ozark Mountains. It is said that the frontier settlers owe much to these little dogs. They are recognized by several different registries. Most notably, feist dogs have been used to hunt wild game to provide food and furs for Mountain People as well guarding the farmstead against predators and informing you of an approaching visitor. All while remaining friendly!

The dam is Gray's Mustang Sally. She is out of Gray's Trigger x Kentucky Jody. Trigger's dam was Cadillac Jack bred on the bottom and Trigger's sire is Kemmer bred. Jody's dam was Cadillac Jack bred top and bottom. Jody's sire is Buckley and Sport bred. Jody is considered by Jack Buckley as 100% Buckley Feist in his new registry rules. Sally treed her first squirrel at 7 months and is a good little squirrel dog at 20.5 lbs.

The sire is Jumping Jack Flash. Flash is a grandson to Bates' Hystyle Cadillac Jack, Gravel Lane Mert as well as Wilkerson's Snowball. He is owned by my Dad and younger sister in Virginia. Flash is out of Varney's Snowman x Catera Jill. Flash is a gritty huntin' dog with a fantastic voice. He knows how to get the job done. I don't know when he treed his first squirrel as Dad got him at 1 year old but we hunt with him every chance we get back to Virginia. Flash is around 25 pounds.

Beth and I feel that these pups will have the breeding to make good squirrel dogs. But, because this is the first time we have made this cross, we will be asking $200 each for the pups: either picked up or shipped at buyer's expense. They will be NKC registered and will have had their 1st shots and dewormed regularly. Would be eligible for other registries. Their ears should stand up.

The pups would be ready to go to new homes close to Christmas time so reserve your present as soon as possible! Expecting them SOON (1st full week of November by the calendar).


You can also find out more information and see pictures of the sire and dam on our website:

http://squackerjack.tripod.com/

We are a SMALL family-owned kennel that only has 1-2 litters each year. I would not say we are a professional kennel but we are Squirrel Dog Enthusiasts that are fortunate enough to have well bred dogs that can do fulfill their intended purposes. Just because we are not an official business that does not mean that we are not professional in the way we treat people. Beth and I maintain a website so folks that are unfamiliar with feist dogs can see what they are all about.

If anyone has questions, feel free to ask!


Thanks for lookin',

-Marc Gray


----------



## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

Just a friendly note, when you refer to your dogs as male and females it doesnt do your education and desire to promote the breed, in the "dog" world you would be amazed at what changing those two words from males to dogs, and females to bitches will do for your credibilty. If I had not read your post and seen that you cared I would have not looked too much at your site had I found it on my own, and that would have been a great loss on my part.
Your dogs are very nice, being a rat terrier fan myself I had to look, as I dont like whats happening to that breed since the breeders got into AKC they look more like basinjies than rats (due to the heavy out crossing) so I had been looking at the fiest breeds as one of my one day breeds.


----------



## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

i am actually impressed, where are you located?


----------



## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

They're in South Dakota. BTW, the Decker Giant bloodline of rat terriers DO have some Basenji in them. It's common knowledge that the Decker Giant is a good hunting dog....I've been doing research into the rat terrier and fiest breeds because I want a dog that is not too big and capable of treeing ***** and feral hogs.


----------



## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Would one of your puppies be what we are looking for?

We have chickens we allow to free range when we are home and plan on having rabbits in a colony setting. We also have four house cats and lots of barn cats. We have an older yellow lab and she isn't real social, but stays outside 24/7. She is kenneled unless we are home - otherwise she is out unleashed and unfenced. We have 40 acres and no near neighbors.

Our kids are grown and there is no one home for significant periods of time each day for most of the summer. 

My DH loves terriers, but I'm concerned we would have more problems with one and our existing livestock/pets. I want a smaller dog that can live in the house with me - as an early warning device. DH works seasonal, and during the summer months he is not home that often. During the winter (now) he is home 24/7.

We are in an area without squirills (no trees) but we do have plenty of things like *****, possum, badgers, skunks, rats, mice . . . 

DH was all set on something like a rat terrier, but I'm concerned that would be a problem with our other animals. I'm thinking maybe a minuature schnauser, but he does not like that idea. We would not get a dog if I didn't want one, as all animals on the property end up being mine, no matter who they were originially intended for LOL!

Cathy


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Cannon_Farms said:


> Just a friendly note, when you refer to your dogs as male and females it doesnt do your education and desire to promote the breed, in the "dog" world you would be amazed at what changing those two words from males to dogs, and females to bitches will do for your credibilty. If I had not read your post and seen that you cared I would have not looked too much at your site had I found it on my own, and that would have been a great loss on my part.
> Your dogs are very nice, being a rat terrier fan myself I had to look, as I dont like whats happening to that breed since the breeders got into AKC they look more like basinjies than rats (due to the heavy out crossing) so I had been looking at the fiest breeds as one of my one day breeds.



Thank you for your reply and advice. Hope you enjoyed the website otherwise. The reason why I refer to our dogs as males and bitches as females is to follow suit with other folks who have websites for their feist. This is because of the language anomaly of calling feist..."feist dogs" because the term "Feist" is similar to "Deer" in usage, both singular and plural. Nowhere else than in THIS sentence will you see me write or say "Feists"....That drives me nuts! So, as you can see referring to our males as "dogs" would be confusing because "feist dogs" are not necessarily male in the common vernacular...It is somewhat analogous to referring to bulls as "male cows". 

Also, it is a habit among "Wildlifers" when talking to one another to throw out specific terms for males or females of various species...It simplifies face to face communication....Yes, a male cougar is a "Tom" but his ID would be M1 (for male # 1 for example). 

So, it is in part my fault and part tradition.



-Marc


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Macybaby said:


> Would one of your puppies be what we are looking for?
> 
> We have chickens we allow to free range when we are home and plan on having rabbits in a colony setting. We also have four house cats and lots of barn cats. We have an older yellow lab and she isn't real social, but stays outside 24/7. She is kenneled unless we are home - otherwise she is out unleashed and unfenced. We have 40 acres and no near neighbors.
> 
> ...




Cathy:

Thank you for your interest. We are located in Madison, South Dakota. What part of the state do you live in?

Feist dogs have been used for CENTURIES to serve as general purpose homestead dogs. One of those historical tasks was to protect the barn lot. This entails eliminating vermin and alerting you to visitors. We have socialized our dogs to livestock that include some of the critters you are concerned about: cattle, horses, chickens, rabbits, cats, etc. They will learn from you what is "off-limits" to them. Beth and I hunt rabbits and game birds in addition to squirrels with our feist. The foundation male and female of our little breeding program leaned to distinguish between wild and pet rabbits as well as ruffed grouse/woodcock and our chickens when we lived in Maine.

Unfortunately, our pet rabbits recently passed away of old age and we have cut back on our animals overall because we are approaching a transitional time...I am working on completing my Master's. As a result, we may be moving this Spring. Once we get settled somewhere, we will really get back into our self-sufficiency.

In short, feist dogs are versatile and can learn a variety of tasks. If properly socialized (not difficult) a feist will fit well into just about any rural family. They housebreak easily and truly thrive when they can be with "their people".


-Marc


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

TedH71 said:


> They're in South Dakota. BTW, the Decker Giant bloodline of rat terriers DO have some Basenji in them. It's common knowledge that the Decker Giant is a good hunting dog....I've been doing research into the rat terrier and fiest breeds because I want a dog that is not too big and capable of treeing ***** and feral hogs.


Beth and I **** hunt with our feist dogs. Feist are silent on track but bark well on tree. We actually tree quite a few daytime ***** while squirrel hunting. There are folks in areas with feral hogs that use them as bay dogs. 


-Marc


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

KSALguy said:


> i am actually impressed, where are you located?


We are in eastern South Dakota (Madison). Thanks for your interest!


-Marc


----------



## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Sounds interesting. We live just east of Mitchell, so we are darn near neighbors!

I'll show your website to DH when I get home and if he's interested I'll contact you about coming to see what the parents are like. I'll send you an email if we want more information.

Cathy


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Macybaby said:


> Sounds interesting. We live just east of Mitchell, so we are darn near neighbors!
> 
> I'll show your website to DH when I get home and if he's interested I'll contact you about coming to see what the parents are like. I'll send you an email if we want more information.
> 
> Cathy



Sounds good! Y'all are durn close!!! You will be able to see the dam but the sire is my Dad's dog in Virginia. Thanks again. Look forward to hearing from you.


-Marc


----------



## Honorine (Feb 27, 2006)

Hey aren't Feists the breed thats supposed to have double rear dew claws? As in its written in the breed standard and your not supposed to remove them?


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Honorine said:


> Hey aren't Feists the breed thats supposed to have double rear dew claws? As in its written in the breed standard and your not supposed to remove them?



Close, the Original Mountain Cur breed standard discusses that rear dewclaws (1 or double) are preferred.

Our Mountain (aka Treeing by some) Feist are the smaller relatives of Curs but do not have rear dewclaws at all. They do have 1 on the front paws but it lays close and is not problematic.

Thanks for your help with my bunny question too!


-Marc


----------



## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

I believe the pups will be mostly black/tan with some white. Will they have docked tails?


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

It is actually hard to say what colors we will get for sure. Feist have a lot of variety...Check out our last two litters on our website for evidence of that. We are expecting a lot of dark pups but you never know! Our dogs have black & tan, tri-color, solid white, solid brown and others in their pedigrees. 

The sire of this litter, Jumping Jack Flash, is naturally bob-tailed. He was born without one. This is common in some lines of cur and feist dogs. We usually like pups the way they come into this world and keep things natural. The breed standard allows any length of tail, natural or docked.

We will decide for sure on docking once the pups arrive. Docking a tail that removes a feature like a white tip is something we don't do.

-Marc


----------



## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

That's good because I prefer natural bobtails myself. Now I'm tempted! Lol.


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

TedH71 said:


> That's good because I prefer natural bobtails myself. Now I'm tempted! Lol.



That's what Beth and I like to hear! We would LOVE to get some of our feist pups to Kansas  You know, spread squirrel dogs around! :hobbyhors


-Marc


----------



## Reptyle (Jul 28, 2005)

TedH71 said:


> They're in South Dakota. BTW, the Decker Giant bloodline of rat terriers DO have some Basenji in them. It's common knowledge that the Decker Giant is a good hunting dog....I've been doing research into the rat terrier and fiest breeds because I want a dog that is not too big and *capable of treeing ***** and feral hogs.*


Man I'd love to see the dog capable of treeing a feral hog. :lookout:


I hadn't heard that about Decker's having Basenji blood...I've always liked the look of Basenjis, but prefer a dog that is a little more people oriented than they are.


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

I just returned from the American Feist Breeders Association event in Nova, Ohio. There was a squirrel hunt, bench show and treeing contest. 

I entered our dog, Kentucky Jody in the squirrel hunt and bench show. Jody is the grandam of this litter. 

We had a good day and Jody won 1st Place in the Open Class (those dogs not currently holding a title) as well as Best Female and Overall Best of Show in the bench show. 

It made it worth the drive as it qualified Jody for her Squirrel Champion and Bench Champion titles.

Folks can see pictures on our website (Pictures Page #2). Thanks for all the interest!



-Marc


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Hello Everyone:

Sorry to not be on here in so long. I have been REALLY busy! The pups are here!!!

We have 1 male and 1 female. The male is black and tan with white trim and the female is mostly black with a white chest and a natural bob-tail.

Pictures can be seen here:

http://squackerjack.tripod.com/id10.html

These are from the day they were born...They are A LOT bigger now as they are healthy and growing like weeds! 


Thanks!


-Marc


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Cricket is so cute. I liked seeing that you are showing/trialling your dogs to prove them. Most of your photos are real good, but the ones where the dog is looking up at the camera doesn't show off the dog as well as the other ones. When shooting, you need to either back up or get down on their level.

If I was in the market for a feist, which I'm not anymore- but I could change my mind, I'd like to know how the puppies are being raised while in your care. I noticed that some of them are on carpeting, which suggests they are "kitchen raised". I think you should state whether they are in outside kennels, indoor/outdoor kennels, or in your house, and if they are being routinely handled. They are old enough to be learning to sit when you come to them, and I'd think real highly of a breeder who took the trouble to begin housebreaking, taught polite sits, kept the puppies until they are at least eight weeks old, and guaranteed to take back any dog at any time (not a refund). As someone in rescue, I know that a breeder taking back one of their pups offers a much better guarantee that an unwanted dog will be rehomed.

If you haven't already, you need to post on the barter board.


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

We raise our pups in our house and they get handled multiple times a day. They are not on carpet full time as this would make house-breaking more difficult. Linoleum is better for clean up and keep them from having chewing issues. Before the pups are TOO mobile, they are kept in a secure crate, then a kiddy pool, then a puppy pen. All with towls/blankets to sleep on so they are not on the cold floor. 

We begin every aspect of training in accordance to how long we have them. We sell pups anywhere from 8 weeks to 6 months. Our training goes well beyond what most people do. We work on obedience, house-breaking and hunting from an early age.

We make every effort to socialize our puppies to various situations and people (including kids). 

I think the pictures you refer to are "mugshots" on purpose. Those are just icons that you click to learn more about each dog.

Our female, Daisy, came back to us after we lost Trigger almost 1 year ago. 

I did post in the Barter Board.

We feel that our pups are raised better than the majority of dogs out there, especially feist dogs, because of the care and attention we give them. Most are just out in a kennel/raised whelping box or chained to a barrel.


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Post all that on your website, it's very appealing. And stop saying that you are not professional. From what you write, you are very caring and very professional, what is referred to as "reputable".


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

By that, I mean we do not make our living selling pups. I am a grad student in Wildlife Science and Beth is a State Park Manager...


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Professional is as professional does. If you behave in a professional manner, than you are a professional. People who earn their living off of selling puppies are usually referred to as puppy mills. You might not want to call yourself professional dog breeders because it suggests USDA puppy mills. I meant you should post the manner in which the puppies are raised because it raises you above the level of many other breeders, and suggests to other dog owners that its alright to keep your feist as a housedog and family pet. Some people still think that a dog won't hunt for you if it's allowed in the house. People like me would never dream of buying a puppy from someone who kept the sire and dam chained to a barrel.


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Gotcha...Yeah, we've found that a dog hunts better FOR you than if it is not part of the family. You bond better. Otherwise the dog hunts for itself.


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Also, you can't ignore a dog as easily as one might if it is in a kennel outside all the time...


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Hopefully, this picture will work! If not, folks can see them on our website...:hobbyhors

Thanks,

-Marc


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

oh are they CUUUUTE! Thanks for keeping us updated...I LOVE baby pictures (animals not human please)


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Glad you enjoyed this picture!


-Marc


----------



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

So cute! Very interesting thread,I've love learning about dog breeds ever since I knew what a dog IS,likely! I have a little toy rat terrier,so are these the same as a feist? The little squirt I have is very mellow,would love to be a lap dog,but sure is h*ll on the squirrels,rabbits & rodents around here! So funny to see him w/ a rabbit bigger than he is!


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Rat Terriers are Feist in the same sense that blueticks and walkers are both hounds. Your dog fits in the umbrella term describing a general type of dog...Similar to how a lab and a pointer are both "bird dogs".


----------



## SQHunterGray (Oct 21, 2008)

Here is a new picture of the pups taken the day before yesterday. They are WEANED and READY TO GO!!! Will be 8 weeks old on January 10th.

Thanks,

-Marc


----------

