Working Life...

Despite their self-willed temperament, they are sometimes used as sniffer dogs for drug detection.
More often, though, they are the breed of choice of the United States Department of Agriculture to detect food items in luggage being transported into the U.S. The force is called the Beagle Brigade and these dogs wear a green jacket. Beagles were chosen because they are small and easy to care for, and because they are not as intimidating for people who are uncomfortable around dogs.

They are also used for this purpose by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in New Zealand and by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (for whom they wear maroon jackets).

They are the dog breed most often used in animal testing, due to their passive nature.

In June 2006, a trained Beagle saved the life of its master by using his mobile phone to dial an emergency number.