I have no idea how canines are employed. May have listened to some presentations by local LE and MPs on canines but can't remember how or why they are employed. In the military they have rank and are treated as soldiers. So if someone stabbed my canine I'd react as if they stabbed a human soldier and defend the canine by stopping the threat.
Anyhoo
Are beagles good dogs? Want one for indoor with my elderly parents and sometimes take the beagle out for a walk. I don't want a dog that would raise my insurance. Anyone own a beagle?
From my experience, and from others' opinions I've compared, beagles are very friendly and loyal, smart and good around kids. But, they can be VERY hard-headed. If they decide they don't want to do something, you can not make them. So, the obedience aspect IMO is wanting. He's the only dog I ever took to obedience classes. When we walked him, we always had to put a pinch collar on him to stop him pulling on the lead. He'd pull so much, he'd choke himself. No matter how much I worked with him as a puppy, I could never break him of that.
Ours also kept getting into the kitchen trash, so we had to start emptying it or setting it where he couldn't reach it when we left him alone.
He was a good watchdog. His loud bark kept us from being burglarized when our neighbors were hit multiple times.
There are 2 sizes of breeds for beagles. I had the larger one, and he lived to about 15 yo. My daughter on the mainland has the smaller one.
Of the 8 dogs I've owned, he was probably in the bottom 2 in my list of favorites.
In short, they are great pets, but you really need to work daily on their obedience. Repetition and consistency are key. I know they are trained as drug and agriculture enforcement dogs for the airport because of their above average sense of smell, so they can definitely be trained. But you have to put the time and effort into them.