For these Denmark Feists, chasing squirrels is all in a day's work.

It's probably no secret to anyone reading this that we are absolutely bananas about Dudley, the little brown dog that wandered into our lives a few years ago. Even though the word "bananas" describes the way a lot of people feel about their dogs, there's something different about Dudley. He absolutely steals the hearts of everyone he meets.

On an almost daily basis, we hear, "What a sweet dog!" or "What a smart dog!" or "He's just the perfect size!" A lot of people out there would love to have a Little Brown Dog of their own. Until now, we've had to tell these people that Dudley is a singular anomaly, a dog that exists outside the rigid structure of the breed system. In other words, a mutt.

In Charleston, South Carolina, we met a man with a dog that looked just like Dudley. His fur may have been a completely different color, but the body size and shape, the floppy ears and the earnest expression were clearly the same. He told us that his dog was a Mountain Feist, a type of Appalachian squirrel dog.

We immediately went to the Internet and looked up "Mountain Feist." We were rewarded with pictures of dogs that looked just like Dudley, right down to his orange-brown fur. Could it be that Dudley was more than just a fluke of random genetics? More importantly, could there be more Dudleys out there, and could we finally have an answer for all those people who want their own Little Brown Dog? The answer, gladly, is yes.

We contacted one of the premiere Feist breeders in the United States. Mark Slade is largely responsible for the growing recognition of Feists as a breed throughout the U.S. Feists are primarily hunting dogs. They are energetic without being hyper, brave, intelligent, and always under 30 pounds. They have been used for over 100 years in the Appalachian Mountains as protectors of the homestead and skilled deep-woods hunters.

Mark told us stories of these tough little dogs taking on bears and winning. And while Feists continue to be hunting dogs, they are now being used as working dogs in a variety of ways, as guardians of vineyards against wildlife, for example. Or, in the case of Dudley, as tv stars. So, if you've always wanted your very own Little Brown Dog, we're happy to say you can have one--it just won't be ours.