Post by Marc Gray on Jun 2, 2011 11:07:53 GMT -5
The direct line of dogs I hunt is not very high in number (this is because I do not breed at a high rate) compared to others but they tend to produce a high percentage of above average squirrel dogs in their pups. There are multiple closely-related lines that you could consider a similar type of Mountain Feist. Other lines that are similar (often because of common ancestors or preferred hunting styles) include in no particular order: Baldwin, Grayson, Cadillac Jack, Sport Model, Buckley, Krusz and others.
For the most part, dogs that I consider to be "Gray's Feist" are those that are descendants of my original pair of feist dogs. Some are line bred, some are not. While I have no "official standard", in general at this time I consider all descendants an asset for the perpetuation of the line, especially if they are full feist. This line has crossed well on other feist lines, mountain cur, stephen's cur and jack russell terrier.
Let's take a look at the period from 2005 to 2011 and run through the dogs that are out there....
Gray's Trigger and SQCH CH Kentucky Jody were my original pair. They are the foundation of my line, of "Gray's Feist." Jody is now owned by Beth Kintz in South Dakota with no plans of being bred in the future. Trigger and Jody had two litters, one in 2007 and one in 2008. The first litter had 5 pups and the second had 7. So, Trigger x Jody produced 12 pups. However, 2 males from the first litter (all of them) were neutered by their new owners (one in Pennsylvania - South Dakota Scout). One female (Brooke) was spayed when she got to New Hampshire. In the second litter, one female got out of her pen in Tennessee (Susie) and disappeared, one female was killed by a car in South Dakota after her owner had her about 6 months. One male was neutered by his new owner in Massachusetts. The result? Instead of having 12 descendants that are capable of reproducing, there are 7. Only one intact male (non-neutered) exists out of Trigger x Jody. That male is now known as Gray's Lone Ranger (I own him). Two females from the first litter are now known as Gray's Prairie Daisy (I own her) and Gray's Mustang Sally (Beth Kintz in South Dakota owns her). One of their sisters went to a family in South Dakota that has bred her at least once to their Kemmer Cur.
Now, without going into way too much detail about the whereabouts of the following litters, I do try to keep in touch with people hunting them when possible.
In 2008, I bred my Dad's feist (Jumping Jack Flash) to Gray's Mustang Sally. She had two pups (1 male and 1 female) that both went to Georgia.
In 2009, when I returned to Virginia, I bred Gray's Prairie Daisy to a male in NC (GRSQCH TRCH Banjo Joe's Squirt). Daisy had 7 pups (3 males, 4 females). One female was killed by another dog at about 12 weeks of age. Notable dogs that came out of this litter and made squirrel dogs are: Gray's Annie Oakley (Bud Slayton, TN), Ringo (MO), Scooby (Barras family in VA), Doodle Bug and Jack (both owned by Roy Smith in TN). We also raised a litter of 7 or 8 pups out of Gray's Lone Ranger x Cricket (Jack Russell Terrier). I have only been able to keep up with two of these pups...One owned by Roy Smith and one owned by a friend of the family (both female).
2010 was a big year for Gray's Feist as we had 3 litters out of Gray's Lone Ranger. Ranger was bred to Gray's Annie Oakley, Gray's Prairie Daisy and Gray's Calamity Jane (outcross to related lines). Jane's litter had a single male pup that went to Gloucester, VA. Annie had 5 pups and one male is now known as Gray's Kit Carson (I own him). Carson represents my 4th generation of Gray's Feist and is linebred, Uncle x Niece. Steve Thomas' Dixie (MD) is also out of this cross. Daisy had 6 pups (4 females, 2 males).
So far in 2011, we have bred Gray's Six Shooter Simon (outcross to related lines) to Gray's Prairie Daisy. Simon is now owned by Keith Bowman in NC. Daisy raised 5 pups (only one female). The female is going to Byron Melton in NC and one male is going to Steve Thomas in MD and one to Phil Fields in Chesapeake, VA. Two males are still unspoken for at the time of this writing. Also, Gray's Lone Ranger was bred to a local Barger Stock Feist female here in Virginia and I haven't heard how many pups she has had.
In short, if you are to count the full Mountain Feist, Gray's Feist (descendants of my original pair) are represented by AT LEAST 32 individuals capable of reproducing the line. Out of the 32, there are many notable squirrel dogs including but not limited to:
Gray's Prairie Daisy (2nd generation)
Gray's Lone Ranger (2nd generation)
Gray's Kit Carson (4th generation - linebred)
Gray's Annie Oakley (3rd generation)
Gray's Mustang Sally (2nd generation)
Ringo (3rd generation)
Thomas' Dixie (4th generation - linebred)
Smith's Doodle Bug (3rd generation)
Smith's Jack (3rd generation)
In other words, about 1/3 of the total adults (ones I have kept tabs on anyway) are above average squirrel dogs. There are many more I am looking for information on. I know the majority of the pups made good (or average) squirrel dogs or better because I either started them or heard reports from time to time.
One pup (Brooke - spayed in NH) was treeing at 4 months of age. Most start between 5 and 8 months with many being 6 months. All you have to do is pup these dogs in the timber and they literally train themselves!
Feist dogs/pups that I currently have with hopes of using as crosses on the Gray's Feist line in the future include; Gray's Kentucky Penny, Gray's Circle R Rosie and Gray's John Colter.
If you were to count the non-feist crosses (i.e., Gray's Feist being bred to other breeds), the descendants of Trigger x Jody is well above 50 individuals.
I realize it's a lot of information but I hope it allows you to understand how we got to where we are today and to appreciate the chance you have to hunt one of these great squirrel dogs!
For the most part, dogs that I consider to be "Gray's Feist" are those that are descendants of my original pair of feist dogs. Some are line bred, some are not. While I have no "official standard", in general at this time I consider all descendants an asset for the perpetuation of the line, especially if they are full feist. This line has crossed well on other feist lines, mountain cur, stephen's cur and jack russell terrier.
Let's take a look at the period from 2005 to 2011 and run through the dogs that are out there....
Gray's Trigger and SQCH CH Kentucky Jody were my original pair. They are the foundation of my line, of "Gray's Feist." Jody is now owned by Beth Kintz in South Dakota with no plans of being bred in the future. Trigger and Jody had two litters, one in 2007 and one in 2008. The first litter had 5 pups and the second had 7. So, Trigger x Jody produced 12 pups. However, 2 males from the first litter (all of them) were neutered by their new owners (one in Pennsylvania - South Dakota Scout). One female (Brooke) was spayed when she got to New Hampshire. In the second litter, one female got out of her pen in Tennessee (Susie) and disappeared, one female was killed by a car in South Dakota after her owner had her about 6 months. One male was neutered by his new owner in Massachusetts. The result? Instead of having 12 descendants that are capable of reproducing, there are 7. Only one intact male (non-neutered) exists out of Trigger x Jody. That male is now known as Gray's Lone Ranger (I own him). Two females from the first litter are now known as Gray's Prairie Daisy (I own her) and Gray's Mustang Sally (Beth Kintz in South Dakota owns her). One of their sisters went to a family in South Dakota that has bred her at least once to their Kemmer Cur.
Now, without going into way too much detail about the whereabouts of the following litters, I do try to keep in touch with people hunting them when possible.
In 2008, I bred my Dad's feist (Jumping Jack Flash) to Gray's Mustang Sally. She had two pups (1 male and 1 female) that both went to Georgia.
In 2009, when I returned to Virginia, I bred Gray's Prairie Daisy to a male in NC (GRSQCH TRCH Banjo Joe's Squirt). Daisy had 7 pups (3 males, 4 females). One female was killed by another dog at about 12 weeks of age. Notable dogs that came out of this litter and made squirrel dogs are: Gray's Annie Oakley (Bud Slayton, TN), Ringo (MO), Scooby (Barras family in VA), Doodle Bug and Jack (both owned by Roy Smith in TN). We also raised a litter of 7 or 8 pups out of Gray's Lone Ranger x Cricket (Jack Russell Terrier). I have only been able to keep up with two of these pups...One owned by Roy Smith and one owned by a friend of the family (both female).
2010 was a big year for Gray's Feist as we had 3 litters out of Gray's Lone Ranger. Ranger was bred to Gray's Annie Oakley, Gray's Prairie Daisy and Gray's Calamity Jane (outcross to related lines). Jane's litter had a single male pup that went to Gloucester, VA. Annie had 5 pups and one male is now known as Gray's Kit Carson (I own him). Carson represents my 4th generation of Gray's Feist and is linebred, Uncle x Niece. Steve Thomas' Dixie (MD) is also out of this cross. Daisy had 6 pups (4 females, 2 males).
So far in 2011, we have bred Gray's Six Shooter Simon (outcross to related lines) to Gray's Prairie Daisy. Simon is now owned by Keith Bowman in NC. Daisy raised 5 pups (only one female). The female is going to Byron Melton in NC and one male is going to Steve Thomas in MD and one to Phil Fields in Chesapeake, VA. Two males are still unspoken for at the time of this writing. Also, Gray's Lone Ranger was bred to a local Barger Stock Feist female here in Virginia and I haven't heard how many pups she has had.
In short, if you are to count the full Mountain Feist, Gray's Feist (descendants of my original pair) are represented by AT LEAST 32 individuals capable of reproducing the line. Out of the 32, there are many notable squirrel dogs including but not limited to:
Gray's Prairie Daisy (2nd generation)
Gray's Lone Ranger (2nd generation)
Gray's Kit Carson (4th generation - linebred)
Gray's Annie Oakley (3rd generation)
Gray's Mustang Sally (2nd generation)
Ringo (3rd generation)
Thomas' Dixie (4th generation - linebred)
Smith's Doodle Bug (3rd generation)
Smith's Jack (3rd generation)
In other words, about 1/3 of the total adults (ones I have kept tabs on anyway) are above average squirrel dogs. There are many more I am looking for information on. I know the majority of the pups made good (or average) squirrel dogs or better because I either started them or heard reports from time to time.
One pup (Brooke - spayed in NH) was treeing at 4 months of age. Most start between 5 and 8 months with many being 6 months. All you have to do is pup these dogs in the timber and they literally train themselves!
Feist dogs/pups that I currently have with hopes of using as crosses on the Gray's Feist line in the future include; Gray's Kentucky Penny, Gray's Circle R Rosie and Gray's John Colter.
If you were to count the non-feist crosses (i.e., Gray's Feist being bred to other breeds), the descendants of Trigger x Jody is well above 50 individuals.
I realize it's a lot of information but I hope it allows you to understand how we got to where we are today and to appreciate the chance you have to hunt one of these great squirrel dogs!