We're both kind of leaning away from Beagles a bit now. Their temperament doesn't really match what either of us are looking for.
She was looking into both Springer Spaniels and Border Collies, but only the Smooth Coat Border Collies to avoid the heaving shedding and grooming needs of the showdog variant of the breed. I really like the idea of a Border Collie but as premier herding dogs, they have no issue running a good half mile away from you across a pasture to flank herds and therefore are kind of the opposite of personal protection dogs like Dobermans.
Of course, then Wifeshift found the Doberman Collie, the hybrid of the Doberman Pincher and Border Collie:
Thing with this hybrid breed appears to be that they're harder to socialize to strangers, and they're also nearly as big as a Doberman anyway, just a little shorter and not as lanky. A good bit bigger than the Beagleman, but the same issue where there might not be many, or any in shelters.
Still, this is a mix of arguably two of the smartest breeds on the planet, and probably one of the most energetic breeds period.