MyDogBreeds
Mountain Feist is originated from United States but Bracco Italiano is originated from Italy. Mountain Feist may grow 11 cm / 4 inches shorter than Bracco Italiano. Mountain Feist may weigh 14 kg / 31 pounds more than Bracco Italiano. Mountain Feist may live 4 years more than Bracco Italiano. Both Mountain Feist and Bracco Italiano has almost same litter size. Both Mountain Feist and Bracco Italiano 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.
The attractive and popular breed in Italy, the Bracco Italiano was used for tracking and retrieving, evolving in Piedmont and Lombardy. It is believed the Bracco Italiano came about from crossing the Segugio with the ancient Asiatic Mastiff.
There are people however, who believe that the breed goes back to the St Hubert Hound, but it is certain that both hounds and gundogs are part of the breed’s ancestry. The dog only arrived in Britain in the last decade of the 20th century.
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 Bracco Italiano is a large athletic, muscular dog. He stands at 58–67cm, weighing anything between 25 – 40kg. He reminds one somewhat of a German Short-haired Pointer. He has long ears and a serious expression, and this reminds one of a Bloodhound. He has short, shiny hair with his coat being white and chestnut or orange. The tail of the Bracco Italiano has always been docked, giving him an attractive, distinctive look but with rules and regulations coming in regarding docking, the long tail is often left intact. His eyes are brown.
Braccos are wonderful pets – they are intelligent, loving, gentle and amicable, getting on well with children in the home as well as with other pets. Socialize and train them and they become gentle and obedient. They long to be involved with their human family and will adapt to life in the city or the country so long as they are made to feel like family. He is alert and makes a good watchdog. As with most other dogs, they can’t be bought, loved as a puppy and then ignored and left to themselves when they grow into adults.
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 gentle, amicable Bracco Italiano is a versatile dog that can be a super sport companion for active people and it can also be an exceptional companion for families and older people. He has a sweet, gentle expression and his amicable nature makes him easy to love. He is alert though, and therefore can be both protector and friend at the same time.
Overall, this easy going dog with his low maintenance coat can make an excellent 4-legged addition to any family.
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.
There don’t appear to be any major health issues with your Bracco Italiano and he can live to be 12, 13 or 14 years of age. Because he is a large breed however, you will need to watch out for hip dysplasia.
Hip dysplasia is a common skeletal disease with dogs and larger dogs have the genetic predisposition for hip dysplasia. Your dog can develop joint inflammation with pain and lameness.
Other health problems to look out for include kidney disease (Amaloidosis), cherry eye which results in dry eye. If you want to buy a Bracco Italiano, you should ask the breeder about the medical history of the parents.
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.
These dogs are moderate shedders so he will simply need a good brushing twice a week to ensure the coat is kept shiny and free from loose hairs. Nails should be clipped from time to time and he will also need to have his long ears checked for cleanliness. Long-eared dog breeds are more susceptible to canine ear infections.
The Bracco is a large dog and therefore he will require a high quality, large-breed dog food formula. Your veterinarian can even recommend a quality commercially manufactured food for large, energetic dogs and which comes with all the vitamins and minerals required for such a breed.
Your vet will recommend you steer clear of foods with cheap fillers, lots of preservatives, sugar and colorants. He has a glossy, dense short coat and you want to ensure he gets raw meat, rice and vegetables from time to time to ensure that the beautiful coat never becomes dull and dry.
Cool, fresh water must always be available to him. Diet and nutrition is an important decision for your pet as it will ultimately affect his long term health.