Originally Posted by
beachmouse
If you see beagles, it's USDA. They like them for food inspection because the beagles are both very food driven and are seen as non-threatening by passengers. Smaller dogs also typically have a longer lifespan (and working life) than bigger dogs, so possibly less turnover and fewer training expenses in the canine ranks than other agencies that use bigger dogs.
Beagles in little green jackets - you know you're back in the USA.
Another reason they use beagles is because beagles are very emphatic when they find something, no missing their signal on an alert. Of course, if you're standing near the culprit, the baying/barking/yapping can get pretty annoying.