Beagles bask in newfound fame

When Uno won the Westminster Kennel Club show last week, beagle owners knew what sound was coming when she lifted her head to celebrate: Ah-ROOO!

The bay of the beagle is how this hunting dog communicates. It's also how it wakes the neighbors at night.

Since winning Westminster for the first time, beagles are in the limelight. They're the fifth most popular dog in the country -- the breed of pop-culture pups Snoopy and Underdog -- yet they still battle stereotypes.

MORE BEAGLES Stories Best friends for each other

Beagle owners joke that everyone they meet knew a beagle once, and it was always hyper and howled at night. There's some truth to the stereotype, beagle owner Joyce Paschall admits, but it's overblown.

Beagles are quiet most of the time, and need exercise to burn off energy, but their small size and friendliness makes them a great family dog.

"They're an everyman kind of blue-collar working-family dog," Paschall said. "They're not fussy, and don't need a lot of grooming and pampering. They're sturdy and resilient hounds and can live in just about any environment."

To celebrate her beagle love, Paschall founded a Palatine beagle meet-up group, which has 80 members from across the suburbs. Members get together once a month so their dogs can play and to trade stories and tips.

Beagle "guardians" -- "owners" makes dogs sound like mere property -- note another common trait of their pooches: They follow their noses. Once they hit on a scent, they'll track it to the source -- even if it's a dead animal.

"The grosser the scent to a human, the better for the beagle," Paschall said. "Mine love to find a dead worm in the grass and rub it all over their shoulders."

With 7,000 beagles waiting for adoption, supporters urge anyone who wants a beagle to rescue one from a shelter.