MyDogBreeds
Mountain Feist is originated from United States but Dunker is originated from Norway. Both Mountain Feist and Dunker are having almost same height. Mountain Feist may weigh 36 kg / 80 pounds more than Dunker. Mountain Feist may live 3 years more than Dunker. Both Mountain Feist and Dunker has almost same litter size. Both Mountain Feist and Dunker requires Low maintenance.
In the Southern portion of North America, the Mountain Feist was developed. It is the Ozarks and Southern Appalachia that the Mountain Fiest calls his ancestral home. The breed dates back centuries and looks very much like a Jack Russell or rat terrier. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and William Faulkner all featured the breed in their writings. For Washington it was his diary, Lincoln the poem “The Bear Hunt” and Faulkner “Go Down Moses”. These dogs, much like the Curs, were an important part of the early pioneer days in America.
The name Feist means a noisy, small dog in ancient languages. The Feist was developed in the South, the rural areas, in order to hunt and eliminate vermin and small prey animals. The breed was originally a cross between British terriers and hounds from Native Americans. Many others think the feist is not a breed but a type, a working dog which can vary individual to individual.
The Mountain Feist of today has been bred for hunting performance over generations of time. They hunt racoons, squirrel and rabbits among others. They can track even larger game. Other varieties of the feist include the Bench Legged Feist and the Pencil-tail Feist. This is an energetic working dog, curious, intelligent and alert. It is a loud, barky dog that needs to learn a “no bark” command or it may drive you crazy. The breed make good hunting dogs, watch dogs and companions.
The breed was recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 2015, but not by the AKC or American Kennel Club. Other breed organizations include the National Cur & Feist Breeder’s Association, The National Feist Breeder’s Association, The American Treeing Feist Association, and the Shadowtails Outdoors Group.
Known as the Norwegian Hound, the Dunker hails from Norway. Bred and named after breeder Wilhelm Dunker to be a robust scenthound, Norwegian Scenthounds were crossed with a Russian Harlequin Hound because this particular dog was an excellent scent trailer and it could stand up to the freezing conditions of Norway.
The Dunker become popular in the mid-19th century in other Scandinavian countries. Hunters liked its intelligence, its robustness and its speed and strength. In 1902 a club was founded for the breed and in the same year the Norwegian Kennel Club recognized the Dunker.
The Dunker started dying out after the war, and in the late 1980s breeders of the Dunker petitioned to allow them to cross the remaining Dunkers with scenthounds. Today the dog is known in Norway but is uncommon outside Scandinavia.
The Mountain Feist is a medium sized dog with pointy ears that are long and fold over. With their sharp nails that are curved they can climb. Their hind legs are strong to support that activity as well. They have small, dark eyes, a black nose and a muzzle that is medium length and a round skull. The neck is strong, and they have a pretty deep chest. The Mountain Feist tail is bushy, high and erect. There coats come in a variety of colors including blue, black, white, red and brown with the brown being the most common.
There is a lot of variation of make up and type within the breed itself. Until the last decade or so the breed was fairly isolated among squirrel hunters and there was little cross breeding with other dogs. On the other hand, dogs in the regions where the Mountain Feist was isolated were crossed with them to give them the tree climbing ability, change their size, sharpen their senses or one particular sense and change their appearance.
This is why in different regions you will find Mountain Feist with attributes of the Curs, or the Elkhounds, the Terriers, Spitz or Coonhounds. This accounts for the various types of Mountain Feist Dogs.
The Dunker is a medium sized dog which stands at between 50-55cms with females being slightly smaller at 47-52cms. They usually weigh between 11-18kg and look similar to other scenthounds, being muscular and athletic.
The ears of the Dunker are floppy, the tail is long and carried straight with a bit of a curve, the nose is large and black as well as the eyes, but some dogs have light eyes which can even be blue.
The coat of the Dunker is straight and dense and this coat of his is well known for the unique color of the coat – blue or black dappled, while some dogs will have black, tan and white markings. White faces are preferred but you will find dogs with black masks.
This is a non-aggressive dog and can become quite friendly when trained and socialized.
They are dogs that form strong bonds with their owners, being particularly good around children. They get on well with dogs and other pets in the home.
They’re intelligent dogs and are are easy to train. In fact, training and socialization is recommended for this dog as he does tend to be a bit stubborn.
Training ensures he is relaxed and obedient. He is an active dog and will certainly require some exercise each day. He’ll respond willingly if you call him to join you in your jogging- or cycling outings.
Yes, they very much enjoy playing with children.
Tree climbing and stamina.
They need space and land on which to run every day. If you are in an apartment, make sure you have access to a dog park.
They are very intelligent and learn quickly. They love to please but can also be stubborn.
The Dunker is such a good tempered dog and he will be happy to settle in the city or the countryside with his owner.
When you look at his history, he is a hunting dog, used for hunting rabbits. Being an active breed, he is better suited to living in a home where there is at least a fair sized garden.
He isn’t a high maintenance dog either, so no special attention to grooming is required. Being a fairly healthy breed, he isn’t likely to develop any serious health issues too. This low-maintenance, undemanding Norwegian Hound makes a splendid pet.
Like most breeds that are isolated, the Mountain Feist does not have a lot of known genetic health issues. They are generally healthy and known to live as many as eighteen years. Perhaps the biggest threat to their lives is the hunting accident, harming joints or paws in hunting situations or being attacked by a larger animal. There are no real genetic threat. Of course, with any dog that has folded ears there is always the possibility of infection or allergies. Keep their ears clean. The other possible concern is hip dysplasia in such an active dog. This can lead to lameness or arthritis. Obesity is another concern that could also lead to hip dysplasia.
The Dunker dog can live to reach a ripe age of 12 to 15 years. There are some health issues he may face -
Partial or complete hearing loss can come about because of dirt or wax build-up in the ear canals. It can be because of an untreated ear infection, an injury or even old age.
Your veterinarian can examine your dog’s ear canal. Certain dog breeds such as the Dunker and others are more predisposed to deafness and you’ll find your dog responding slowly to your voice or he may be totally startled when woken.
Your vet will determine the type of treatment for your dog if an ear infection for instance is suspected. Treatment in this case may involve cleaning wax out of the ears or getting rid of overgrown ear hair.
Hip dysplasia is an inherited condition with your dog where bone rubs against other bone. Your Dunker dog will be in pain and his movement could be limited and he may even become lame. Get your pet to the vet because there are a number of treatment options.
Take a look at your pet’s eyes so that you’re aware of cloudiness, inflammation, discharge, a change in eye color or red eyelid lining. Take him to the vet if you suspect something serious, but in the meantime you can also gently wipe over your pet’s eyes to remove any discharge.
If you do need to bath your pet, make sure to protect his eyes before applying any lotion.
These are very active pups who need a high protein, high quality dry food. Feed a cup to a cup and half broken down into three meals daily. Do not overfeed your puppy.
Feed the adult about two cups a day broken into two meals. Again, you are looking for a high quality, high protein dry food. Do not overfeed and watch for obesity.
This is a very active breed – a hunting dog with a lot of stamina, strength and energy. They need plenty of exercise as the terrier side of them is just a little hyper. They need at least two walks per day, and they are not great apartment dogs. They need both mental and physical stimulation. This little dog can keep going at a good rate for a long time.
The Dunker is a dog with stamina and energy and he will need a walk every day as well as some other forms of vigorous exercise. The idea is to involve a dog like this in all your activities, whether you go running, swimming or cycling.
The Dunker isn’t going to require you to spend a lot of money on maintenance for him. A good brush-down twice a week will be adequate as he is a fairly heavy shedder and brushing him will get rid of all those loose hairs. It is also time to check him over for fleas and ticks too.
Other grooming aspects to check will include nail trimming, checking the inside of the dog’s ears for excess wax build-up and dirt.
Dental care is of major concern because teeth left unattended can result in mouth bacteria. This bacteria enters the blood stream and results in systemic infection. Sometimes the bad teeth can be so painful that a dog no longer wants to eat.
It is imperative to brush your pet’s teeth at least 2 or 3 times a week with a special dog toothbrush and toothpaste.