16-year-old Jim Bob (a female) has retired from the squirrel dog circuit with many a championship to her name.

Feist Facts

• Feists must be under 30 pounds and less than 16 inches tall from the shoulder to the ground.

• A Feist's ears can come in a variety of shapes, but they must be fully positional. In other words, they can be floppy, but not so floppy that the dog cannot move them to pick up different sounds.

• Feists should be solidly built, lean and muscular. They are not as thin as Italian greyhounds, for example, but they also should not have the bulky legs of beagles either.

• Feists come in a variety of colors. We've seen solid brown, sold tan, and black and white varieties.

• Feists' tails are usually docked, especially if they are to be used for hunting.

The Dog's Life

• Because of their hunting history, Feists love to work. For Feists used primarily as pets, this means that they love to play. They love to learn new tricks and will take a game of frisbee or a run in the woods over a bellyrub any day.

• In both Mark Slade's experience with his dogs and our experience with Dudley, Feists are generally calm dogs until called to action, making them ideal companions and hunters. They are excited about playing or working when you want them to be and are generally not hyper the rest of the time.

• Because Feists are smaller than other hunting dogs, they are less expensive to maintain. This makes them ideal working dogs.

• The Feists guarding the Tomahawk Mill Winery have done such a good job scaring the wildlife away that the vineyard's yield has increased from 60% to 98% since the dogs have been brought on. Using Feists has also saved many raccoons, deer and other wildlife from injury or death as a result of using fences or traps.

CONTACT INFO

Mark Slade
Denmark Feist Breeder
6101 Climax Road
Chatham, VA 24531
434-432-1048

Next: Adopting a Pet