the year of the beagle

(our Penny, champion Uno's cousin: she's adorable, but no angel)
The Ithaca paper had an excellent article about beagles this week. Cute and lovable but loud.

"When Uno the beagle got caught up in the excitement of his big win at Westminster Kennel Club, he reacted just as a beagle-lover would expect: with a joyful noise.
“That's their way of telling you they're happy,” says Joan Kerr, who runs Penny Angel's Beagle Rescue in Ventnor, N.J. “They were originally bred as hunting dogs — if they see a rabbit or a bird or a squirrel, they'll bark.”

Celebrating a rabbit, a bird, your homecoming from a day at work, or winning best in show, it's all one to a beagle. And for those that love them, their vocal antics are charming, says Christine Tartaro of Galloway, N.J., a volunteer with Kerr's rescue. At gatherings of beagles and owners, “sometimes something sets them off and all the people have to stop talking. We all think that's cute,” she says.
Of course, not everyone agrees. So if you're feeling inspired to get a beagle after watching the delightful Uno become the first of his breed to win best in show at the nation's biggest canine competition, there are some things you need to know.
Beagles are already one of the most popular breeds in the country. Their compact size, easy grooming and loving nature make them excellent companions for the right family.
But they are also talkative and stubborn. As Kerr puts it, “Beagles have a mind of their own. You have to be one step ahead of a beagle all the time.”
Combine this with the focus on scents that comes from their past as hunters and you can have a problem. “They're going to follow their noses no matter what,” says Tartaro — even if it means ignoring your commands. “There are some dogs that are eager to please. With beagles, sometimes it's ‘Make me!”'
This makes them bad candidates for play at your local off-leash dog park unless it's very securely enclosed. And you need to be serious about your own fencing, as well. Escaping the yard again and again is one of the main reasons beagles are surrendered to Kerr's rescue.
“Even if you have a fenced yard — some will even dig under a fence and go,” Tartaro warns.
All this means that sometimes owners find the dogs give them more than they bargained for: Kerr's organization rescues more than 300 beagles a year just in her local area around southern New Jersey. "