I want a beagle, but have been warned about their barking.
i've had a beagle since he was ~3 months old. he is now 12. he likes to make noise when left alone, but barking and howling has never been an issue when he has company. they're great dogs, but probably not great for apartment living. you could put a shock collar on him or her that activates when they would bark, but i don't necessarily like/agree with that approach.
tried this on my dog when she was young, and she would make a noise when it shocked her, so it would shock her again, causing her to make another noise. so it didn't really work as intended. i shocked myself with it to see how bad it is, and it wasn't painful.