The Mountain Feist dog is the one true enigma of American hunting dog breeds. An agile master of the treeing instinct with a wise and energetic demeanor, These dogs were created by unknown American pioneers, farmers, and settlers who needed a dog who could excel in a wide variety of hunting and farm guardian jobs.  While there is no single accepted model on how the Mountain Feist dog was bred into existence, it is commonly accepted that the original forefathers of the Mountain Feist dog were small terrier breeds imported by European settlers into north America. There are many who believe these small terrier dogs were crossed with native american dogs such as the Carolina dog to produce a prototype of what we could consider the modern Mountain Feist dog.

Regardless of your view on the history of this breed, it is generally accepted that these dogs were bred purposely for generations to produce a dog that excels in small game hunting, which is a trait that doubles its value greatly in farming or settler communities.  These dogs would go on to use their keen senses to excel in tasks such as ratting, livestock guarding, and herding tasks. Many years on down the line, farming techniques would change as would the Mountain Feist dog. Dedicated small game hunters would take charge of the breed after the need for farmstead and ratting dogs started to decline over the years.

The Modern Mountain Feist dog of today that we have all come to admire and utilize is a product of countless, dedicated squirrel hunters across the United States who aim to produce dogs that excel in every aspect of their natural hunting ability, along with time honored and new individual traits that will better the breed as a whole for generations to come. These dogs are not the "small foist looking cur" dogs that were referred to by George Washington in 1770. The modern Mountain Feist dog is a truly precise and purpose bred, American squirrel hunting dog.