The Dogs Of Westminster: Meet Jewel, An American Foxhound - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

YAHOO.COM - According to her owners, there are two sides to Jewel, the American foxhound who qualified Monday to compete for Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

At home, they said, Jewel is an expressive dog known to stomp her feet if she's not getting the attention she feels she deserves. She obsessively watches squirrels, following them closely from the ground as they leap tree to tree.

"She'll bounce on the bed, bounce off, bounce on," said Lisa Miller, her owner/handler. "She's crazy. But in a good way."

Miller even said her dog has a favorite song: Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair."

"She throws her head back like that," Miller said with a laugh. "She does it all the time."

But Miller didn't worry that her dog might lose control or concentration in the show ring. When Jewel has her "lead" leash on, Miller said, the dog becomes totally composed and channels that loose energy into being almost "cocky."

That's a sea change from last year, when Jewel won Best of Breed but didn't progress further because she seemed uncomfortable with her surroundings.

"She was very good last year, but she was looking around almost like, ‘Hey, I like this, but I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do," Miller said. "But tonight when we came back out and everybody was clapping for her, she strutted in here, like, ‘Look at me. This is my house.'