Feists site; http://www.tgrmountainfeist.com/history-of-the-mountain-feist-dog.php
How about a Boston Terrier ? They are known to be cat friendly. I wouldn’t trust a Feist.
Oh we had the best greyhound in the world, I love the breed. He passed away a few years ago of bone cancer and we miss him terribly!
He acclimated to life in our home very easily, and we have two indoor cats as well as two rabbits in cages in the house. He respected the cats wonderfully, our Siamese would come running right up to him and meow in his face, and he would just sigh and either lie down or turn the other way and walk somewhere else. He almost never barked (once or twice in the middle of the night if he was having a digestive emergency), never jumped on people, and was so quiet and lovely.
I vote greyhound, but I might be biased… 
I bet if they visit a few SPCA’s they would come home with a dog they both agreed on. I’m sure there are terrier mixes that look like a Feist without the huge hunting drive. Jack Russell mixes would probably fit the bill too…
There are lots of wonderful rescue dogs out there, so that’s always something to consider! My first sheltie was a rescue and he arrived obedience- and house-trained. As others have said, a greyhound might be a good fit for your parents.
That said, I (as a dog sport enthusiast) tend to seek out really, really well bred dogs with good temperaments. Puppies are adorable but can be a real PITA. It does not sound like your mom wants to raise a puppy.
My current strategy for helping friends find non-puppy purebred dogs is to:
(a) identify what breed they want. Obviously size, energy, coat care, etc. are all considerations. A good ol’ fashioned lab or golden (adult) might actually be a good fit for your parents. If snoring/farting wouldn’t be an issue a Boston or Frenchie may fit the bill. Small but not super “girly” dogs.
(b) identify good breeders. I mean really good breeders. Figure out all the health tests for the breed in question and seek out breeders that do all those tests. My personal favorite is to find breeders that have stock that are TDI certified, have CGCs, things like that. A good trainer can often put performance titles on even a relative trainwreck of a dog, but no dog with a bad temperament is going to get Delta Dog or other full-on therapy dog certification.
© contact those breeders and tell them you’re looking for an adolescent or young adult puppy with a great temperament. Ask them if they know of anything.
Sometimes the breeder themself has a dog that fits the bill, sometimes they can talk to others at shows and such and help you find something. If I’ve learned one thing about people who are crazy about their breed… they want to help others get involved!!
It takes a little more energy than just finding and purchasing a puppy, but I’ve known at least 5 or 6 people who have gotten really, really, really great dogs this way. Beautiful, healthy animals with wonderful temperaments. They don’t have to raise a puppy, the breeder is happy knowing their pup in a good home.
Anne-my Mini Schnauzers had the beard drip, so I trimmed their beards straight across with little scissors (I held the bottom of the beard with my fingers, the way a human hair dresser holds hair for trimming, and clipped the bottom of the beard straight across), and the drip ended, plus I didn’t have the long eyebrows either. When I moved to a smaller town (everything was Monday thru Friday 8-5 only) I bought hand clippers, and trimmed the dog myself. No way was he going to let me near him with electric clippers-he was pretty smart.
OP, maybe have Mom play up how she’s going to dress the Feist in pink sweaters because she’ll get cold easily. Dad will change his breed of choice in a hurry!
Wow lots of really great suggestions. Well I talked to my mom again. Turns out she is one picky lady. Dobies and Rotties are out because they’re too scary looking (She doesn’t want to scare the neighbors). Greyhounds are too bony and she wants a dog that she can cuddle. Oh boy. Anyway, she agreed to sit down with me and look at some dogs online. She admitted that with a lot of the dogs she said no to, she actually had no idea what they looked like or anything about them. Sigh. This is going to be interesting.
[QUOTE=Sillymoose;7438934]
Wow lots of really great suggestions. Well I talked to my mom again. Turns out she is one picky lady. Dobies and Rotties are out because they’re too scary looking (She doesn’t want to scare the neighbors). Greyhounds are too bony and she wants a dog that she can cuddle. Oh boy. Anyway, she agreed to sit down with me and look at some dogs online. She admitted that with a lot of the dogs she said no to, she actually had no idea what they looked like or anything about them. Sigh. This is going to be interesting.[/QUOTE]
I may have misunderstood, but I thought it was your father who wanted a dog and not just any dog, but already had one picked out he wanted?
Why not let him have what he wants?:no:
Unless I misunderstood and your mother also wants a dog of her own.
They are completely the best candidates to go to the local shelter and do some meet and greets. They’ll know the right dog when they see it-they don’t have a preconceived notion of what breed and image, or at least what they have is pretty loose. I hate to see them strive to pin down a specific breed and go through all that ordeal when there is probably an awesome dog just waiting for them. Since they are open to the “shopping around” notion maybe you could convince them to go look at some real live dogs “just to see”… and with any luck they’ll find what they want, and with very little luck they will know more about what they do or don’t want when they leave. Write down their specs on a notecard to carry along so any star-crossed love affairs don’t happen!
[QUOTE=2broketohalter;7438964]
They are completely the best candidates to go to the local shelter and do some meet and greets. They’ll know the right dog when they see it-they don’t have a preconceived notion of what breed and image, or at least what they have is pretty loose. I hate to see them strive to pin down a specific breed and go through all that ordeal when there is probably an awesome dog just waiting for them. Since they are open to the “shopping around” notion maybe you could convince them to go look at some real live dogs “just to see”… and with any luck they’ll find what they want, and with very little luck they will know more about what they do or don’t want when they leave. Write down their specs on a notecard to carry along so any star-crossed love affairs don’t happen![/QUOTE]
I absolutely agree with this, they sound pretty much a perfect candidate to go “shopping” in the shelter or humane society. It is wonderful they have such a patient daughter who is willing to do the dogucation. By the way, I have had both Feists and Black Mouth Curs, they are not easy dogs to come by anyway and the Feists live up to their names. They are like Rat Terriers with Hemi engines. I loved my two Black Mouth Curs though, again, they are not easy to find.
cause I’m betting family dog history goes something like …
dog needs to be house trained - mom deals with it
dog runs amok - mom deals with it
dog chews the curtains - mom deals with it
dog pukes (or whatever) all over the rug - mom deals with it
dog needs to go out at 3am - mom deals with it
dog needs to go to out or has house zoomies during the football match - mom deals with it
dog needs to go to vet - mom deals with it
dog needs to go to obedience class - mom deals with it
dog barks like crazy when someone walks by (or whatever) - mom deals with it
Another vote for an adult shelter dog. Housebroken, good with cats… there are SO MANY out there who desperately need homes who fit the bill, in terms of what your parents want/need.
Exactly Alto! My Mom has always been the one to take care of the dogs, even when she didn’t really want them. I am definitely going to talk to them about going to the shelter. Our shelter is awesome and I know they do a great job evaluating their dogs. Unfortunately my parents seem to shy away from shelter animals as they think they’ll have to deal with a lot of baggage. But maybe a trip to our shelter will sway them a bit.
And as far as my dad having already chosen the dog he wants, my concern was that I don’t think he’s really done his research and understood what he is getting into. I asked my mom what appealed to him about the feists and she said that she thinks its because he would be entertained watching it chase all the squirrels out of the yard. Maybe that’s not his real reason, Lord I hope not. But either way I doubt he’s actually researched the dogs temperment, health, etc. I just want them to be prepared for whatever they get.
[QUOTE=alto;7439212]
cause I’m betting family dog history goes something like …
dog needs to be house trained - mom deals with it
dog runs amok - mom deals with it
dog chews the curtains - mom deals with it
dog pukes (or whatever) all over the rug - mom deals with it
dog needs to go out at 3am - mom deals with it
dog needs to go to out or has house zoomies during the football match - mom deals with it
dog needs to go to vet - mom deals with it
dog needs to go to obedience class - mom deals with it
dog barks like crazy when someone walks by (or whatever) - mom deals with it[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Sillymoose;7439388]Exactly Alto! My Mom has always been the one to take care of the dogs, even when she didn’t really want them. I am definitely going to talk to them about going to the shelter. Our shelter is awesome and I know they do a great job evaluating their dogs. Unfortunately my parents seem to shy away from shelter animals as they think they’ll have to deal with a lot of baggage. But maybe a trip to our shelter will sway them a bit.
And as far as my dad having already chosen the dog he wants, my concern was that I don’t think he’s really done his research and understood what he is getting into. I asked my mom what appealed to him about the feists and she said that she thinks its because he would be entertained watching it chase all the squirrels out of the yard. Maybe that’s not his real reason, Lord I hope not. But either way I doubt he’s actually researched the dogs temperment, health, etc. I just want them to be prepared for whatever they get.[/QUOTE]
That is true, but by getting the father the dog everyone else thinks he needs, would that not be a given then, that he really end up not that interested in the dog after all?
On the other hand, if everyone helps him get the dog he wants and sets the rules beforehand, so he is the one in charge and enforces those, then he would be more apt to follow thru with the dog being his dog to enjoy, train and care for.
If he is really only liking the idea of having a dog, but not the reality of all he has to do for that dog, then yes, either explain that to him and why that is not right, as it ties in others in the family, mainly his wife, to then care for the dog he imagines nicely walking along and sleeping at his feet and someone else caring for it.
If that is the case, try to dissuade him, or then get everyone else that will have to live with his decision, but later not follow thru with training and care, involved.
Working at the animal control shelter and in dog classes to the public for decades I have seen all kinds of family situations around their dog/s and the joy and problems having a dog involved in family dynamics cause.
People make their own bed, but it is sad when what is going on is not always good for the dog, especially those that end dumped.
Maybe the way you are going at this is fine.
First sit them down and be sure they realize what all the dog will involve.
The idea of a cute fun dog to smile over won’t be but part of the deal.
Then look for that nice dog that appeals all, if they still want one, once they have given the reality of living with a dog serious consideration.
On shelter dogs, well, where do people think those come from?
Many come from those same breeders that sell them to the rest of us, the breeders your parents would buy one from.
Many of those end up at the shelter because someone else didn’t think this thru first.
Once they decide what they want on a dog, I would not dismiss looking at shelters along with breeders.
